5 Toronto restaurants make prestigious list of best new culinary hotspots in Canada

Every year, ambitious and creative restaurateurs across the country take the leap and open new hotspots that, in some cases, make their way onto some very prestigious lists. 

So far, 2025 is no different, and as the year draws to a close, some eateries–including five in Toronto–have been declared the finalists for Air Canada’s 2025 Best New Restaurants list. 

This year’s list spotlights what it calls “31 trailblazing establishments shaping Canada’s dining culture today,” and also includes restaurants in Montreal, Vancouver, St. John’s, NL, Halifax, Burlington, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton. 

The Toronto restaurants on the list include Maven, aKin, Yan Dining Room, General Public and Linny’s–all destinations that have been making headlines since opening their doors. 

“Food connects us to our roots, our communities, and to one another. Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants celebrates the stories and flavours that define Canada’s diverse culinary scene,” said Andrew Shibata, vice president, brand at Air Canada, in a statement. 

“Year after year, we are proud to showcase the people and places shaping Canada’s culinary identity – inspiring Canadians to discover new destinations and create unforgettable trips around the country’s most exciting dining experiences.” 

Maven, the new Harbord Village restaurant helmed by Chef Shauna Godfrey, was praised for drawing on the head chef’s Polish and Jewish roots and serving up pickeltinis and brined chicken schnitzel, as well as coleslaw and cheesecake made with the chef’s grandmother’s recipes. 

Run by celebrated chef Eva Chin, Yan Dining Room, located inside Hong Shing, made the list for its menu inspired by both the seasons and the chef’s family. The Air Canada culinary team sampled quail and morels, drunken oysters, shredded potato salad, and liangban cucumbers. 

General Public, run by acclaimed restaurateur Jen Agg, earned praise for a menu that “straddles steakhouse, pub, and modern influences.” Some items that impressed the airline’s reviewers included the surf and turf with lobster and sweetbreads, the ‘thick-boy’ burgers and the 2-oz shotgun martini. 

aKin, which has quickly become known for Eric Chong’s blind tasting menu, earned accolades for its cocktails, creative takes on dim sum (such as wu gok hid wagyu in a lacy taro shell), a prawn meatball with a crab claw served with curry-leaf-streaked laksa and fried rice with Dungeness crab. 

Linny’s, which has also been generating a ton of buzz since opening on Ossington Avenue in the city’s west end, was called “a love letter wrapped in butcher paper.” Created by the teams who power other mainstays such as MIMI and Sunny’s, this David Schwartz and Brandon Marek-run steakhouse is named after Schwartz’s mother and pays homage to Jewish deli culture. Menu items that impressed included a warm challah starter served with house-made pickles, as well as pastrami smoked for 12 hours and dry-aged Ontario steaks. 

Another restaurant just outside the city that made the list was No. 8 in Burlington. Helmed by Michelin-trained chefs Stephen Baidacoff and Nick Lin, the restaurant drew praise for its “distinctive plates,” including Treviso radicchio with ajo blanco and figs; beef tartare with Tom Yum flavours and white asparagus in an Appenzeller cheese espuma. 

In a news release, the airline said the finalists for the list are recognized for the quality of their food, level of service, and commitment to culture and culinary creativity. 

The restaurants selected opened between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, and were nominated independently by Air Canada’s national panel of culinary experts. 

“To ensure authenticity, an anonymous culinary expert visited the shortlisted restaurants as any guest would. Using a rigorous framework, and in collaboration with [restaurant reservation platform] DINR, the finalists were selected and the Top 10 determined,” Air Canada said in a news release. 

Air Canada has been compiling its list of the best new restaurants since 2002, aiming to showcase eateries “worth flying for” and elevate the profiles of unique and top-tier Canadian chefs and concepts.

In 2024, Montreal’s Sabayon captured national attention by taking the top spot and in 2022, Toronto restaurant Osteria Giulia–which also boasts a Michelin star–placed first. The list has also given top honours to Edulis, a west-end Toronto hotspot that also earned a Michelin star. 

The Top 10 restaurants will be revealed on Nov. 17 at Air Canada’s 2025 Best New Restaurant celebration in Toronto, hosted by Chef Chuck Hughes. 

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