Ristorante Sotto Sotto

• 120 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2H4

This charming Italian spot is one of Drake’s favorite restaurants in Toronto, and for good reason. An upscale Yorkville landmark with a strict dress code, it’s the perfect place to get decked out and potentially spot some celebrities, especially during TIFF. Owner Marisa Rocca opened the restaurant in the early ‘90s after moving to Toronto from Rome, and it’s been a local go-to ever since. Maintaining a packed dining room for over three decades isn’t easy, but Rocca makes it seem effortless. The expansive menu is replete with Roman classics like amatriciana and carbonara, plus all manner of Italian comfort food staples, from beef carpaccio to veal scaloppini. The wine list is just as compelling as the food selection, and it needs to be since the restaurant doesn’t allow corkage. Come on a night when you’re ready to sip some serious Italian reds and pair them with several courses of pastas, seafood and grilled meats, all served in a candlelit setting.

Richmond Station

• 1 Richmond Street West, Suite 120, Toronto, ON M5H 3W4

Pai

• 18 Duncan Street, Toronto, ON M5H 3G8

After initially collaborating on the Curry Shack in Thailand, chef Nuit Regular and her husband, Jeff Regular, now operate several restaurants in the greater Toronto area, including the original downtown location of Pai. Close proximity to the entertainment district makes Pai a great choice for a meal during the event. Chef Regular is from northern Thailand, so her take on khao soi, a coconut curry soup with both soft and crispy noodles, is the must-order dish. From pad thai and papaya salad to pad graw prow (holy basil stir-fry) and red panang curry, there is no wrong dish to order from the large menu of Thai takeout classics. If Pai is too packed, head a few blocks over to Kiin and sample Regular’s take on Royal Thai cuisine, served either as a thoughtful tasting menu for $195 or à la carte. A special three-course menu for TIFF is also available for $99, inclusive of a glass of prosecco. Here, the signature khao soi is topped with seared scallops, which can be upgraded to lobster for even more decadence.

Daphne

• 67 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5H 1Z5

One of the hottest reservations in Toronto right now, Daphne is a sculptural, multi-room restaurant with Art Deco and mid-century flourishes, plus a 2,000-square-foot garden. Hidden away in the middle of the Financial District, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more cinematic bistro, with room after room of vibrant colors and glamorous decor by Studio Paolo Ferrari. The pièce de résistance is the open kitchen, where live-coal grilling and wood-fired preparations anchor a modern American menu of steaks, a signature branzino in jalapeño salsa, and cheeky trappings like tempura squash crescents in labneh honey or a twice-baked potato with ‘ndjua pork and crème fraîche. Pizza and pasta round out the offerings, with mains like a goat cheese and zucchini tart and an appetizer of Iberico ham proving the team here is just as comfortable with international influences and vegetarian staples.

Mizunara

• 235 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 0A7

This newly opened spot is built entirely around Japanese whisky. The venue, which describes itself as a “cocktail restaurant,” comprises three distinct experiences: a lounge, dining room, and whisky bar. Guests can organize themselves based on their preferences. This kind of breakdown is perfect during an event like TIFF, when diners' needs can vary greatly depending on their schedules. The dining portion is helmed by chef Alyssa Figueira, whose resume includes stints at Michelin-starred kitchens such as Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Frantzén in Stockholm and Belcanto in Lisbon. Figueira’s constantly shifting, hyper-seasonal menu currently includes a complex take on moules-frites, served with a side of milk bread to sop up the vadouvan-verjus sauce, and delicate citrus-marinated scallops with bok choy and buttermilk dashi. The opening drinks menu includes five whisky cocktails and one rum-based cocktail, plus beer, wine and sake. If there ever were a room designed for cinema-goers to sit and discuss film, this is it.

Alo

• 163 Spadina Ave.Toronto, ON M5V 2L6

Toronto’s fine dining scene owes a debt to chef Patrick Kriss, who opened Alo over a decade ago and helped raise the bar for culinary excellence across the city. Plenty of the restaurants on this list have an Alo alum on staff, which speaks to Kriss’ wide-ranging influence. Fresh off a brief closure for a complete renovation, the new and improved Alo, located on the third floor of a historic brick building downtown, is performing even better than before. This is a serious, lengthy dining experience that’s absolutely worth your time. Four-, six- and 10-course menus are available, along with supplements, and both wine pairings and non-alcoholic options are on deck for drinks. Kriss trained at Daniel in New York and La Maison Troisgros in France, a background that informed his meticulous French style, but plenty of contemporary and international flourishes keep things interesting. Menus are seasonal and may change quickly, but the level of precision on display during a meal at Alo is always astonishing.

Brasserie Côte

• 400 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1X5

For a far less formal (but no less delicious) French meal, head over to The Annex to experience one of the best new restaurants in Toronto. From the team behind Côte de Bœuf, a butcher shop so popular it shapeshifted into a neighborhood restaurant, this walk-in-only bistro, which opened this spring, is already known for a frequent line out the door. Arrive around noon, right when they open, to snag a lunch slot and settle in for escargots with butter and parsley, chèvre salade with smoked lardons or a traditional beef tartare with duck-fat toast and house fries. A charcuterie section is great for pairing with a bottle of wine off the predominantly French wine list, and the all-day menu runs from afternoon until 10 p.m., just in case you need a late-night snack. Chef Damien Cochez executes Parisian-style classics, but they’re all made with local Ontario ingredients and seafood, and rotating daily specials often have international flourishes that reflect Toronto’s effortless culinary diversity.

Liliana

• 1198 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1J6

There are plenty of Toronto institutions focused on Italian decadence, but Liliana’s chef, Marvin Palomo, brings a surprising twist to classic recipes. Palomo trained in Italy and Hong Kong, and his time spent cooking in China, along with his Filipino heritage, inspired him to incorporate both Asian and Italian flavors at Liliana. Here, the beef carpaccio is served with furikake, spaghetti is topped with chili crisp, and tiger shrimp with Manila clams is doused in XO sauce. A prime striploin with a Szechuan demi-glace and confit garlic is another hit, along with a whole menu of cocktails and highballs that continue to pair Italian staples with Asian ingredients. Blending such distinct traditions can go awry, but Palomo pulls off the integrated menu with surprising ease. Located on Queen Street West, just on the edge of Little Portugal, this newcomer (it opened last September) is outside the festival fray, but well worth a visit thanks to the inventive, rather singular plates.

Byblos

• 11 Duncan St, Toronto, ON M5V 3M2

Classic cocktails have their place, but for those looking for a more unexpected tipple, head to Byblos. The cocktail menu includes a take on a gin fizz with sumac, an Old Fashioned infused with Turkish coffee, and a trio of cold tea drinks inspired by eastern Mediterranean tradition. Even the nonalcoholic choices use housemade ingredients. Move into some mezze snacks that stick with flavors found along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Halloumi with wildflower honey and pistachio, as well as the decadent hummus royale with beef tenderloin, pomegranate and barbari bread, are easy crowd-pleasers, and the lamb rack with merguez-spiced yogurt is a standout main. Always get at least one order of the sweet jeweled rice, which pairs well with practically every dish, and do not skip dessert. Go for baklava or a saffron baba with pistachio creme anglaise, and savor it with a Turkish coffee. Nota bene: This restaurant has both an uptown and a downtown location, but for visitors in town for TIFF, downtown is more convenient.

Canoe

• 66 Wellington St W 54th floor, Toronto, ON M5K 1E9

Canoe is your favorite chef’s favorite restaurant, and one of the most extravagant special occasion destinations in Toronto. It’s an impressive eatery with an even better atmosphere, and tends to be bustling during TIFF. Prime positioning on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower offers diners an up close and personal look at the CN Tower, and panoramic windows on all sides mean there’s also spectacular views of Toronto Island, the lake and the rest of the downtown sprawl. With a focus on all things Canada, everything from the wine list to the ingredient sourcing is focused on showcasing the best of the country, and if you’re looking to explore Ontario wine, this list is superb for exploring local vintages. An à la carte menu is available, but the Taste Canoe prix fixe, which runs seven or eight courses, is one of the best tasting menus in the city. It starts at $170 per person, with wine pairings for another $125. For a more affordable approach, Canoe is also open for lunch on weekdays, offering a shorter three-course prix fixe for $65.

Prime Seafood Palace

• 944 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G8

It’s difficult to make a Toronto restaurant list without mentioning chef Matty Matheson, whose hilarious turn on The Bear catapulted the Canadian into international fame. Matheson may play a goofball on the silver screen, but Prime Seafood Palace was his attempt at something more grown-up, and it paid off in dividends. The warm space features architecture from Omar Gandhi, with a vaulted ceiling of white maple slats, pale pink booths and gold light fixtures. Matheson’s frequent culinary partner, Top Chef winner Coulson Armstrong, helped design the venue and serves as the executive chef. The venue lives up to its name with palatial fruits de mer dishes: start with chilled seafood offerings like the Sicilian crudo, a platter of hiramasa, king salmon and bluefin tuna, then move on to warm seafood dishes, like the scallops Rockefeller. Chophouse DNA is another throughline here, as illustrated by a 30-ounce côte de boeuf and a duck breast with seared foie gras. A playful atmosphere with serious food, this place is a fitting introduction to Matheson’s irreverent style, implemented with surprising polish.

Sammarco

• 4 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1G4

Toronto is bursting with excellent steakhouses, but newcomer Sammarco is operating entirely in its own lane. It’s one of the most beautiful venues in the city, and it currently hosts the largest collection of Canadian art in a single restaurant. Modeled after an Italian steakhouse (bisteccheria), the red leather booths, gilded plates and hand-poured terrazzo flooring are in keeping with Art Deco booths and lighting, plus what it touts as a “Barolo-colored” marble bar. Unfolding across this dramatic canvas, there’s an abundance of beef, from tenderloin and short rib to ribeye, porterhouse and both Canadian and Australian wagyu. Raw bar offerings and seafood entrées are equally impressive, but the plate that graces every table is a signature pasta: a 100-egg fettuccine tossed with Ontario’s own St. Brigid’s butter and parmigiano-reggiano. The gilded pasta looks as if it's bathed in liquid gold and tastes just as decadent. Pair it with a bottle from their extensive wine list or one of four signature Negronis for an unforgettable meal.

Sunny's Chinese

• 60 Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2K1

Milou

• 1375 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1Y3

Milou is an all-the-time restaurant that makes any brunch, lunch or even shared bottle of wine feel like a special occasion. Located further downtown outside of the entertainment district in Dundas West, the neighborhood bistro is decidedly French, and upholds one of the country’s best traditions by regularly offering a rotating plat du jour. Many of these plates lean vegetarian, and regular entrées like the lentil falafel ensure that there’s always an option for everyone. Snacky classics like a shrimp cocktail, bitter green salad and steak frites are go-to accompaniments for a round of cocktails, best enjoyed during their happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. The extensive wine list and cozy corner tables encourage long conversations over a few glasses of a crisp French white or a bold Italian red, and if you come by in the morning for crepes or eggs, there’s plenty of sparkling wine to be had. Milou works well as a quiet escape from the endless chatter of TIFF, until you realize a pair of screenwriters is hashing out a script at the next table over.

Reign Restaurant

• 100 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5J 1E3

Two of the city’s best bars share space in the glamorous lobby at Fairmont’s Royal York hotel. Clockwork, a champagne bar with plenty of cocktails, is an Art Deco-style lobby bar with a looming two-story bronze clock that adds an air of gravitas. It’s a little bit Gatsby, in a good way, and sits right near the entrance to Reign, a chophouse with French influences that prioritizes local ingredients. Quebec foie gras, Ontario burrata and a whole list of Canadian beef drives the point home, and the restaurant’s self-described “manor house” style is reflected in the wood paneling, strong cocktails and an expansive bottle list. They’re also serving a special TIFF menu of oysters and champagne, sea bass, beef tenderloin and cherry chocolate cake for $130. If you’re still in the mood to drink after dinner, head back out into the lobby and find your way to the Library Bar. This tucked-away martini institution cultivates a speakeasy feel, though you won’t need a password to get in. Dinner is also served here, but a Birdbath Martini, presented with proprietary vodka or gin and decked out with corresponding accouterments, is the move. Get it “luxe” with an accompanying soft pretzel and caviar.