These are the most in-demand restaurants during TIFF in Toronto

Toronto restaurants are seeing a huge spike in demand, as TIFF has made the city’s food scene the place to be. 

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which runs from Sept. 4 to 14, has been dominating the streets of downtown with red carpet events, celebrities, and premieres of 2025’s most ambitious movies. 

It should come as no surprise that, amidst all this moving and shaking, one would work up an appetite. 

Luckily, Toronto is one of the most coveted food cities in the world, which has made its selection of bistros, diners, nooks, and gourmet go-tos take up just as much of the spotlight as the films at TIFF. 

While most festival pastimes include treating oneself to iconic locations like the Ritz-Carlton, Alo, Nobu — in the hopes of locking eyes with Oscar Issac — the festival also highlights the city’s newest players in the food scene. 

“Classic steakhouses and French or Italian institutions are magnets, but at the same time, buzzy new spots are just as in-demand. Whether it’s a chef-driven tasting menu or an innovative new concept, Toronto dining culture has matured to a point where ‘heritage’ and ‘hype’ are equally in demand,” Jennifer Tremblay, CEO of the reservation platform DINR, told yourcitywithIN.

Tremblay was quick to note that traditional hotspots in Toronto are often booked up year-round, which makes new restaurants making a splash the place to be. 

“The best restaurants are in demand whether TIFF’s in town or not,” adds Tremblay. 

In terms of how to play Toronto’s food game while the city is packed with movie stars, Tremblay encourages reserving a spot a few weeks in advance at any location. However, if one is dining on the fly, services DINR can unlock an exclusive table or two if you are lucky. 

This week’s most popular spots, according to Trembla, are destinations such as Osteria Giulia, Quetzal, and Alobar Yorkville.

As for the carousel of celebrities strolling through Toronto, Tremblay, with her insider knowledge, was able to pinpoint a few likely spots you may see them. 

“Henry’s is a standout and feels like the kind of place celebrities would love. I can also see stars gravitating toward intimate, casual dining rooms like RASA, SARA, La Banane, or the sultry Bar Banane,” she says, adding that MIMI Chinese is also a mainstay.”

While downtown spots are in the heart of the action, other entertainment strips have their own increase in traffic, such as Ossington, with its new edition, the Lunch Lady, an instant icon for elevated Vietnamese street food. 

This is in keeping with Toronto’s most emergent pattern, where staples in international comfort food are reigning supreme.

“Globally influenced comfort food is having a moment, such as refined pasta, elevated sushi, and contemporary Middle Eastern,” Tremblay says. 

Competing with this, however, is Toronto’s eternal push for new and dynamic menus, so at the same time, tables are being booked for hotter spots at the same rate as traditional standbys. 

“Toronto diners are chasing tasting menus that push boundaries without making you feel like you’ve over-indulged. We find that diners are loving interesting beverage programs – whether that’s wine, cocktails, or [non-alcoholic] drinks,” adds Tremblay. 

One restaurant on DINR’s radar is AKin, a fine-dining restaurant helmed by celebrated chefs Eric Chong and Alvin Leung. 

Incredibly impressive on so many levels,” Tremblay says. 

Tremblay further adds that TIFF provides ample opportunity to bring their A-game in terms of tasting menus and experimentation in the kitchen, saying “the cream always rises to the top.”

Reign, a coveted spot in the Fairmont Royal York hotel, has a TIFF tasting menu featuring hamachi caviar, seared seabass, and a beef tenderloin, while Amano Trattoria has turned seven famous films into pasta dishes inspired by the themes of each movie.

Louix Louis in the five-star St. Regis Hotel also features a 50oz Australian Wagyu Tomahawk, Halal-certified steak with a gold-plated bone that’s served flaming hot (literally) to offer diners “an unforgettable dining performance.” 

It’s $1,500, so maybe pitch in with some pals. 

As for outside Toronto proper, for those looking to maybe escape the chaos of TIFF, Tremblay noted that there are some huge players ready to save a table for you. 

There are some incredible dining destinations just outside of the city. From Restaurant Pearl Morissette [in Niagara], to No. 8 in Burlington, to Langdon Hall [in Cambridge], or Naagan [in Owen Sound], there’s no shortage. And we haven’t even talked about what’s east of the city.”