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Since I used to go to school and work right at the heart of downtown Toronto, Yonge-Dundas (soon to be Sanfoka) square, I figured I would share my complied list of recent food and drink places I checked out during my lunch break or after work in this area in case you are visiting this very popular Toronto tourist spot or work nearby. Also, make sure if you are visiting this area to be very cautious and alert of your surroundings. I have categorized these places based on how long it takes to walk from the Square according to Google Maps. Before you read below, make sure you follow me on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as I will be posting more food and Toronto content! For a preview of what to expect, read below!
1-minute walk (right beside)
- Mayday Burger: 66 Dundas St E – I tried their vegetarian burger, poutine (vegetarian gravy), and Lotus Biscoff milkshake which weren’t bad at all.
- Blaze Pizza: 10 Dundas St E Level 1 – I’ve had it a few times (even in LA while attending a Lakers game) and yes there are other locations in the city, but I do like how there are a good amount of seating options and the pizza tastes good for something that is made pretty quickly.
- California Thai: 10 Dundas St E Level 3 – This was my favourite spot during my undergraduate because I remember how nice the staff was and how much they filled up the box. Glad to know that years later this is one of the few restaurants that stayed and the service is still great.
- Bingz: food court, 220 Yonge St – This is a popular spot known for it’s Chinese fast food options with a lot of different locations, but this one inside the Toronto Eaton Centre seems to have exclusive items such as the matcha shake.
- Koryo: food court, 220 Yonge St – Also at the food court inside Toronto Eaton Centre and actually my favorite food spot inside because your plate, especially the vegetarian meal, is always so packed with delicious Korean options.
- Balzac’s Coffee: This is part of the university campus I went to during my undergrad and has some good sit-down options. However, to be fully transparent I only go for the speciality drinks or if I need to meet someone for coffee.
- Shake Shack: 10 Dundas St E Level 1 – I did a review of this already which you can read, but from all the items I tried, my favourite is the plant-based burger.
Less than 5 minutes
- Benkei Hime: 220 Yonge St (I believe 2nd floor of the Eaton Centre) so is a two-minute walk from the square – This is a very extravagant bubble tea/boba spot in my opinion because of the bright and intriguing drinks, artwork, and merchandise available inside the store. They are known for their cloud drinks and I have gotten several drinks from them before. I tend to go when they have certain promotions and I remember they even sold some BTS items as well. Also, Keith Lee did include a picture of him here while in Toronto.
- Basil Box: 351 Yonge Street – This spot is three minutes away and known for its fresh and healthy Southeast Asian food with several vegan options. I do enjoy their tofu bowls and their boa buns weren’t bad either.
- Egg Club: 88 Dundas St East – I’ve been meaning to do a video and/or blog post about this for a while because I genuinely enjoy the food each time I go. It’s only two minutes away (seems much closer) but I will say be very cautious of your surroundings as there can be individuals that come up really close to you if you are not attentive.
- Elm St Deli: 15 Elm Street – Only four minutes away you can get hearty, housemade Italian-style sandwiches. I went in early 2023 to try their eggplant parmesan and it wasn’t bad but also wasn’t extraordinary either.
- Muji Coffee: 20 Dundas Street West (Atrium) – This popular Japanese lifestyle retailer also has severs coffee only two minutes away. What makes their coffee stand out is that it is prepared by a robot and has a very intriguing automated system. I even made a video about this in the past.
5 to 10-minute walk
- Coti Coffee: 374 Yonge Street – Only five minutes away, what drew me into getting this coffee was two things. Firstly, they have insanely cheap promos such as $0.99 drinks, and secondly, they are the official coffee for Argentina’s Mens Futbol/Soccer team hence why they have pictures of Messi and a beautiful drink to acknowledge that (cloud mousse blue coco latte). I’ve taken coworkers here a few times.
- Afro’s Pizza: 107 Mutual Street – Also five minutes away this spot became insanely popular after Keith Lee did his food review. My coworkers were nice enough to get me a pizza (the marley) to enjoy on my own as they endured the long wait post-Keith Lee effect. The pizza was solid and different, might be something I get again if I am nearby. I did hear it’s not as busy anymore so if you were going to check it out now might be a good time.
- 18-Feet Espresso Bar & The Cheong: 144 College Street – I have posted about this cafe a few times and I need to make a proper review and video about them soon. This spot is nine minutes away near the TMU Church/Gerrad campuses so expect to see students working there but it’s never overcrowded. I really like their seasonal drinks with cheong and matcha drinks. Their stuffles (waffles and croissants mixed) were tasty as well and something nice to try.
- Hailed coffee: 44 Gerrard Street West – This Middle Eastern coffee shop is eight minutes away from the square and offers artisanal coffee drinks and chocolate. I tried a few snacks from them including a piece of chocolate but by far the best thing I had from them was their cardamella latte!
- Queen’s Cross Food Hall: 220 Yonge Street – Although this is still technically inside the Eaton Centre it is still considered a six-minute walk from the square because it’s near Queen Street Subway entrance/access to the PATH. I used to walk by this every day when walking from Union Station to the Yonge & Dundas and when I saw they had a promo for their egg sandwich (egg, cheese, tomato, onion jam) with a flat white for only $4, I had to try it and I can confirm it was great!
- Mos Mos Coffee: 655 Bay Street – This is a place a coworker introduced me to and I have since introduced many others too. Funny enough, after I visited them the first time I noticed they started to open so many more locations across downtown Toronto but this specific location is only seven minutes away.
- Denny’s: 121 Dundas Street West – I first had Denny’s when they offered the TMU student group I was part of a free catered breakfast for one of our conferences and I have been there a few times since. Thankfully it’s only seven minutes away. I went with some coworkers because I wanted to get their promo at the time which was shortstack pancakes and mac and cheese for $3.99 each! Not bad, especially for the price!
- CHICHA San Chen: 112 Elizabeth Street – This place went viral because people were saying they are an award-winning bubble tea/boba place. I initially only went to their location at Markville Mall but I went with a coworker here because it was only eight minutes away. The teas were good and you do see them brewing it fresh and has a nice rich taste to it.
- Pizza Maru: 66 Gerrard Street – This was a spot I wanted to try for a while because Korean pizza always looked interesting to me but also a bit intimidating. This location was only eight minutes away and there were plenty of seating options I love that they were playing K-pop songs I listen to as well. I tried their veggie back-to-school special with jalapeno dip and it was really good.
- Unholy Donuts: 596 Bay Street – I included them in my National Donut Day post last year and they had an interesting selection of donuts I don’t see often. It wasn’t bad, but it is also not something I can see myself going regularly even though it’s only five minutes away but it is at least worth trying once.
10 to 20 minutes
- Jimmy’s Coffee: 84 Gerrard St West – Only a ten-minute walk this is a coffee spot I wanted to treat one of my coworkers to because I know he wouldn’t try it otherwise plus I think he would appreciate the various famous Jimmy’s on display inside. The coffee was good but just keep in the seating here is limited so it might be good to have it on the go. Also, this was the coffee shop Sabrina Carpenter shouted out during one of her shows in Toronto recently.
- Matcha Matcha: 407 Church Street – I also took my coworkers here as well because I knew they wouldn’t otherwise. It is a bit further out since it’s thirteen minutes away but I found it pretty cool and the matcha wasn’t bad but a little sweet without any added sugar. It’s definitely something that I am curious to try again if I’m nearby, it’s also good to note that the initial long lines are no longer there.
- Chapoyam: 21 Wellesley Street West – This place was something I checked out earlier on and was interesting because it is Thai bubble tea with several different options and nice decorations inside. It’s 15 minutes away and I believe I got their “Cha Yen” from their Thai series which was really good.
- Soy Boys: 471 Church Street – This vegan burger spot is 16 minutes away and in The Village is LGBTQ+ friendly had some really tasty plant-based burgers. I also enjoyed their homemade cookies but the only downside was that their fries were a bit salty. Nonetheless, I really did like this place and might do a video on them soon.
- Flower Cake Cafe: 20 St. Patrick Street – This cafe is so hidden you might miss it the first time because it’s literally at the bottom of an apartment building. Yes, it is a bit further out since it’s a 17-minute walk from the square but I was intrigued by the aesthetics of the drink. The butterfly pea tea drink was nice and the pastries weren’t bad either.
- Jaffna Street Food: 275 Dundas Street West – Located inside Village by the Grange food court (beside the Art Gallery of Ontario) you can find some cheap and tasty Tamil food here. I reviewed this place earlier this year for Tamil Heritage Month, so check it out for all the details, including specific recommendations and how I got a discount.
Overall
All in all, the one thing I miss about working here is the great amount of food options you get because it truly is diverse in culture, pricing, and product offerings. I hope this list helps you if you are visiting Toronto or if you live or work here and just need some recommendations. Some tips I would share is that when walking around in this area, just be very alert of your surroundings and be cautious but I hope you stay safe and can enjoy any of these at the fullest. Let me know if you plan on checking out any of these spots or went to them already in the comments below or on social media by following me on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook to be notified of new food content!