After partaking in a bit of well-deserved pampering, keep the bliss train going with a few of our favourites for fueling up, winding down, and generally just treating our perma-tired-and hungry bodies downtown Toronto.
If you need a stay-cation
Floor-to-ceiling plant-life, tropical jams humming and the scent of pineapple wafting from bar; Chubby’s delivers a feast for the senses long before you take your first bite of mango salsa. Pretty much everyone who enters the pastel pink restaurant falls in love with the Saltfish Fritters and Rum Punch.
With 24/7 crowds, icy buckets of lychee cocktails and belly-warming curry, dining at Pai brings forth flashbacks to that post-grad trip to Thailand you blocked out of your memory. Trust us and order the Khao Soi curry – it never fails to make us cry/sweat turmeric-stained tears of joy.
If you’re rolling with a pack of foodies
Light-hearted cousin of the famous “Fat Pasha” – this Middle Eastern treasure specializes in brightly coloured share plates overflowing with just-blitzed hummus, garlic labneh and pickled things. Prepare to order everything and share to the best of your abilities. The steaming hot pita is 100% worth burning your freshly-manicured paws over.
Aloette
If your favourite French bistro went off the rails and started serving diner classics and blasting Kanye circa the 2000s, that would be a little like what Aloette has going on. The cheffed-up cheeseburger and iceberg wedge salad has gained a celebrity following (heard of Shawn Mendes or Yotam Ottolenghi?). You’ll likely never feel chicer sitting in a booth.
If you’re having a healthy #SelfCareSunday
Kupfert and Kim
In a sea of vegan grain-bowl wannabes, Kupfert has proven itself as an expert in making eating-the-rainbow taste good (somehow without the help of a deep fryer). Bowls the size of your head are scooped with seasonal greens, gluten-free grains, and some pretty bad-ass dressings (what else matters?). Honourable mention for their signature toppers: shaved watermelon radishes and sunflower sprouts to ensure every bowl is as insta-friendly as it is clean.
If you’re looking to keep the cocktails coming
Hate to love it, but their dollar-an-ounce house wine is actually pretty palatable. Sip it slowly, and people-watch with your girl gang on their expansive Portland-facing patio. After 2 or 5 of those, you might be tempted to get the Mafalde ai Funghi. (aka creamy-as-hell wild mushroom pasta). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
If you need to be productive
If duty calls for caffeine-induced productivity, crack open your laptop at Strange Love on Spadina. Despite its buzzing storefront, the tiny cafe almost always has a corner nook to gulp down super-strong flat white and Gryfe’s Bagel.
WIth paleo power bowls, sipping broths and “performance waters” on the menu, Impact Kitchen offers up functional food for the aspiring Olympic gymnast in all of us. Don’t be put off by the revolving door of spandex-clad fitfluencers though; the Adelaide location doubles as a reliable spot to tackle your inbox (with the help of their MCT oil-spiked coffee of course).