Hugo Germain's Top Foodie Spots in Toronto

I love walking by the water on the Waterfront Trail to unwind after a busy day. The air is good. I like watching the boats, sitting on a bench, headphones on, listening to Valaire or something similar. Ah Toronto, I’m so glad to be back!

As for my favourite restaurants, I have a few favourites to which I always go back. My friend David, who lives in Toronto, always takes me to cool neighborhoods and shows me all the new places.

Here are my favourites foodie spots in Toronto, and those of my good friend David!

The Restaurant I Always Come Back To

I really like Mira, a Peruvian restaurant which is a short walk from the Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer. This is the kind of place you need to know where to find it, because it's located in an alley just behind Wellington Street West and you would not really see it otherwise. I recommend you try one of their Ceviche which are so delicious. The scallops one is just wow! The freshness of these dishes amazes me every time. They also have great cocktails.

420A, Wellington Street West

The Most Beautiful Patios in Town

I won't be partial, but I must absolutely mention the two patios of our Germain hotels, which offer two completely different concepts for this summer.

The Victor Rooftop Terrace, at the Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer, is a 14-seater patio in partnership with Veuve Clicquot. Located on the 11th floor of the hotel, the place is small, discreet, charming. It truly is an intim

ate and exclusive oasis in the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the country. The view of the CN tower is exceptional. The food is also delicious: I had the Miami ribs and the fried artichoke dish and they were both very tasty. All this topped with my favourite cocktail, a good Negroni!

As for the patio of Bar Le Germain at the Le Germain Hotel Maple Leaf Square, it's a totally different vibe. We are at street level, where we make one with the city. I love to sit there and watch the city and its people go by, admire the CN Tower or the Rogers Center. This summer, we are super happy to collaborate with Romeo’s Gin to present an exclusive cocktail menu as well as a super cool urban art collab with Montreal artist Stikki Peaches. Sipping a watermelon gin and tonic right under a very tattooed Mozart? That’s a cocktail hour that is hard to beat! While you're there, try out the famous Fried Chicken Burger of our chef Johnson Wu.

30 Mercer Street
75, Bremner Boulevard

A Quick Lunch on the Go

IQ Food is a must for me when I'm in Toronto only for a short period of time. It's a small, local, healthy fast food chain that offers nutritious dishes with fresh ingredients. I always take the same thing: the Lima bowl. It's grilled chicken, corn kernels, black beans, cheese and lots of veggies served on a bed of brown rice. Very good, but also very practical for when you’re in a hurry but still want to eat healthy. I’ve had that meal recently with my colleague Dorothy Hatt, it was very good, as usual!

Several branches in Toronto

My Morning Coffee

I love going to Strange Love Café. The coffee is good, the place is beautiful. They serve high quality coffee produced only in small batches. I love the vibe in these little neighborhood cafes in the morning. Despite its prime location, when you enter the place, you have the impression that time stands still for a few minutes.

101, Spadina Avenue

My Friend David's Suggestions

So I was telling you about my friend David Wex, the one who introduced me to new places in Toronto. He lives in the Queen Street West neighbourhood, a very trendy spot in town, and likes to discover small local businesses.

He recently introduced me to two places that are very popular with locals and that I myself really liked.

First, Mahjong Bar, where you eat small Chinese dishes topped with delicious cocktails.

1276, Dundas Street West

And then Hanmoto, a Japanese snack bar with tasty dishes. You must try the Dyno Wings, chicken wings stuffed with dumplings, or the Moto Curry poutine, a poutine made with Japanese chicken curry.

2, Lakeview