I have curated this list for you based on places I would recommend for quality and taste.
I have been doing Tiff for about 15 years and some years I hardly have time to get any food so sometimes you grab a bagel at Tim Horton's but other times you have an hour to wait in between screenings when you just want to sit down and have someone serve you a good meal and have a rest between running around to theatres or parties.
This list will help you if you are new to TIFF or just don't know where the best place to eat near a theatre is.
Now if you are looking for Celebrity Spotting you might only see a few here or there probably grabbing a Starbuck's coffee but mostly they are the high end places because if you are George Clooney or an A list celeb you can afford to go anywhere you want to and most of the time George and his pals go to restaurants you have never heard of or haven't even opened to the public yet or are nowhere near where you would expect them to be because they have drivers that can drive them anywhere they need to go.
So my suggestion is to forget about Celebrity Stalking and just go where you can get fast or great food depending on what you have time for and save your energy for seeing as many films as you can.
These are my choices for places I would recommend going to that are pretty close to each theatre. There are thousands of restaurants in Toronto and I have curated it down to a few based on variety and proximity. I have generally left out Food Courts because they close early.
If I haven't added YOUR favourite place it's because I haven't been there or didn't think it was one I would recommend for various reasons.
LEGEND
* Starving Artist
** Gotta Job
*** A list Celebrity $$
TIFF
CINEMA
|
RESTAURANT
|
LOCATION
|
STARS
|
1. TIFF Bell Lightbox
|
Ravi Soups Burrito Boyz Wahlbergers O&B Canteen Montecito |
224 Adelaide
St. W.
322 Adelaide St. W.
6 Blue Jay Way
350 King St. W,
299 Adelaide St. W.
328 Wellington St W |
*
*
**
***
***
** |
2. Elgin/Wintergarden
189 Yonge Street
|
Richmond
Station The Chase Foodwares |
1 Richmond St. W.
10 Temperance St,
176 Queen St. W.
|
**
***
**
|
3. Scotiabank Theatre
259 Richmond Street West
|
Melt Thoroughbred Khao San Road |
300 Richmond St. W,
304 Richmond St. W.
326 Adelaide St. W.
132 John St.
|
*
***
**
**
|
4. Princess of Wales
300 King Street West
|
Tim Hortons PAI Byblos |
322 King St. W.
18 Duncan St.
161 Pearl St.
|
*
**
***
|
5. Roy Thompson Hall
60 Simcoe Street
|
Ritz
Carlton Elephant & Castle Los Colibris El Cabalito |
181 Wellington St.W.
212 King St. West
220 King St. West
|
***
**
***
|
6. AGO
317 Dundas St, W.
|
Mean Bao Frank Pizzaiolo
Village by the Grange Food Court
|
275 Dundas St. W.
317 Dundas St. W.
281 Dundas St. W.
109 McCaul St.
|
*
***
*
*
|
7. Isabel Bader
93 Charles St. W.
|
Slab Burgers La Societe The One Eighty |
47
Charles St. W.
131 Bloor St. W.
55 Bloor St. W. 51st
|
*
***
**
|
8. Ryerson
43 Gerrard St. E.
|
Banh Mi Boys Reds Midtown Salad King |
399 Yonge Street
382 Yonge Street
340 Yonge Street
|
*
**
**
|
9. Bloor Hot Docs
506 Bloor
St. W.
|
Ghazale
Aroma Espresso Pauper’s Pub |
504 Bloor St. W.
500 Bloor St. W.
539 Bloor St. W.
|
*
*
**
|
 |
| Wahlbergers |
 |
| Richmond Station |
 |
| Montecito |
 |
| Banh Mi Boys |
 |
| Pai |
 |
| Aroma Espresso Bar |
 |
| Luckee |
disclosure: The restaurants listed are my own choices and I have not received any compensation from any of the listed restaurants to appear on this list.
