Where to find late night snacks in Toronto's west end
After-hours dining doesn’t have to mean choosing between a fast-food burger and a greasy breakfast joint. Toronto’s trendy west end has a number of late-night eateries that offer elevated snacking plates and finger foods for the city’s hungry night owls.
Bar Buca
75 Portland St, Toronto, ON M5V 2M9This stylish King West trattoria is packed from sun up to sun down and beyond thanks to its extended opening hours. The kitchen (cooking daily until 2 a.m.) turns out appetizing Mediterranean sharing plates like Sicilian style goat and ricotta meatballs and focaccia stuffed with roast Tuscan pork and mascarpone. Don’t miss out on the warm nodini bread knots seasoned with rosemary and garlic.
416 Snack Bar
181 Bathurst St Main, Toronto, ON M5T 2R7This enduring Queen West bar may have started Toronto’s late-night finger food revolution. Open daily from 5 p.m. until 2 p.m., the trendy eatery specializes in boozy beverages, loud music and a distinctive menu of small plates that are designed to be ordered sporadically throughout the night. Try foie torchon with toasts, Korean fried chicken or steak tartare. The meat-heavy menu changes with the season so there’s always something new to snack on.
Nuit Social
1168 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1J5This Queen West restaurant focuses on social plates and boards stacked with international ingredients. Mix and match with selections from the charcuterie, cheese and olive boards or order up a selection of sharing dishes like octopus, arancini balls, or crisp fried artichokes in a putanesca sauce. The hard-working kitchen is open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, which means you can keep nibbling on Ibercio chorizo and into the early morning.
Ossington Station Ltd
1164 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1X4Hungry partiers from the hip Dundas West/Ossington ’hood hit up this snack shop for a late-night comfort food fix. The menu features plenty of bite-sized options — including homemade mac ’n’ cheese, tacos, and BBQ side ribs with slaw — for under $10 each. Open on Thursdays to Sundays until 4 a.m.
Bar Isabel
797 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7End your night on a high note at this critically acclaimed Spanish tapas bar in Little Italy. The kitchen is open every day from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., which means you can sample chef Grant Van Gameran’s award-winning food into the wee hours. Tuck in to mushroom toasts, bone marrow with chimichuri sauce, grilled octopus and smoked sweetbreads. The late-night menu also offers an exclusive fried chicken plate with cilantro dip.
Seven West Cafe
7 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M4Y 1R4The kitchen never sleeps at this downtown bistro but the charming multi-levelled resto definitely isn’t your typical 24-hour diner. The extensive bistro menu features salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pasta dishes, along with a variety of desserts and cocktails that make the perfect nightcap. The dark furnishings and sparkling chandeliers create a romantic vibe day and night.
Food and Liquor
1610 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6R 1A8The name says it all; this popular Parkdale haunt serves an abbreviated menu of inventive small plates and robust drinks. Try the lamb tongue and scallion pancake or the chrysanthemum, tofu and mushroom dumplings. The intimate back patio is an ideal spot to savour the dog days of summer.
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