Toronto Insiders Travel Guide Best Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and More

Andrew studied food & travel trends at the University of Guelph's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. Two guitarists and a singer crooned upbeat Mexican folk songs to the delight of the dining room. During our visit the place was packed with local families munching on tacos and spooning through bowls of steaming pozole.

Mexican Restaurants in Toronto with Chef Aguilar

If you’re looking to get a taste of a authentic Mexican street-style taqueria head to Tacos 101 in Kensington Market. It’s the perfect perch to sip margaritas while noshing on finger-licking-good tacos. Skip inside La Chingada and you’ll find a cozy dining room featuring exposed brick walls and colourful mural by artist Adrián Dotes. La Chingada is a casual Mexican restaurant on Dundas Street West located a short walk from Trinity Bellwoods Park. Skipped over to El Charro to enjoy a thirst quenching massive margarita and plate of tacos and it certainly hits the spot! Enjoy quick counter service to pick up tasty tacos, enchiladas and chilaquiles to eat at home.

Campechano redefines the taqueria experience in Toronto’s Fashion District, offering a concise menu where each item shines through simplicity and freshness. Specialising in dishes like tortas, enchiladas, and churros, dining here feels like a hearty meal shared with family. Fonda Lola is where traditional Mexican flavours meet Toronto’s health and wellness trend. Centered on Queen Street East, the neighborhood feels like a small seaside town folded neatly into the city grid.

• La Carnita blends the vibrant energies of street art and street food, creating an electric dining environment.
• Hungry foodies nosh on tacos on the left and right while hunched over stainless steel counters.
• Specialising in dishes like tortas, enchiladas, and churros, dining here feels like a hearty meal shared with family.
• If you’re here on a weekend the place can get really packed so we suggest treating tacos as they were intended, a street food enjoyed best while strolling.
• From trendy taquerias to upscale eateries, Toronto boasts a plethora of Mexican dining options that cater to every palate and preference.

Best Mexican Food in Downtown Toronto

Andrew has been a keynote speaker at travel conferences around the world and interviewed as an expert by publications like the Toronto Star, MoneySense and Toronto Life. In addition to the restaurant, the owners run a Latin American grocery store next door. We were also delighted to discover a Mexican band performing during our dinner. Tierra Azteca caters to the local Mexican community, a sure sign the food is going to be good!

El Trompo

The cocktail bar serves up cold beers and an inventive craft cocktail list, with one drink featuring a rim of traditional crushed grasshoppers. In 2023 Cabbagetown welcomed its first fine dining Mexican eatery, Luis H Restaurant. Tacos are $5 each and available with traditional fillings like asada, barbacoa, pollo, pastor, carnitas, and camaron battered shrimp. We visited the OG Gus Tacos location on August Avenue on a hot summer Saturday afternoon and hopped in line to order a plate packed with tasty tacos. The largest concentration of Mexican restaurants in Toronto can be found in Kensington Market. The Toronto rooftop patio in Leslieville is famous for its churro sundae, crispy battered fish tacos and chicken enchiladas.

Designers sell upcycled pieces beside family-run Caribbean and Italian food shops, while dusty bookstores and DJ-forward record shops round out the maze. Minimalist concept shops spotlight local designers beside Scandinavian labels, while Ossington’s side streets reveal bookstores, record shops and a modern apothecary scenting the air with small-batch perfumes. Mother sits near Trinity Bellwoods like a candlelit salon, all shadowy walls, jazz and jars of bubbling ferments glowing behind the bar.

Skip inside XOLA on Queen Street East and you’ll find a bright interior featuring dangling lightbulbs and colourful graffiti by mex pub Mexican mural artist, Andre Castro. The tiny dining room in The Beaches has just 18 seats so it’s best to make a reservation in advance. The restaurant’s name translates to “by the water” in Mayan, a hat tip to the fact that The Beaches neighbourhood sits perched over Lake Ontario.

Summer Pedestrian Sundays turn the area into a street festival of live music, murals and curbside stalls. One block holds Mexican spices and dried chiles, the next racks of retro leather and ’90s streetwear. Gift Shop remains one of Toronto’s great hidden rooms, tucked behind a working barbershop on Ossington. The beloved “Petrichor” layers candy cap mushroom, pu-erh tea and pine into an uncanny forest-in-a-glass, while seasonal sours spin quince kefir or pickled lime into bright, complex hits.

There are over 130 tequilas behind the bar, so it’s an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with Mexico’s finest mezcal. Skip through the front door and you’ll find exposed brick walls, a long narrow bar and the perfect pitch of subdued romantic lighting. You’ll find Kalbi beef and kimchi paired with tomatillo salsa and bulgogi shrimp stuffed in tiny tacos. Barrio Coreano’s kitchen does an excellent job at crafting memorable fusion dishes. The concept is similar to other Playa Cabana restaurants, specializing in small plates and shareable snacks. The fresh vibe makes it one of the most popular vegan restaurants in Toronto.