Whatever cuisine you’re craving — from Cantonese to Jamaican to Spanish — you can find it in Toronto, one of the world’s most diverse cities. To narrow down your options, we sifted through Lyft data to uncover where riders are eating and drinking right now. 

And now through Labour Day, enjoy 50% off a Lyft ride to any of these restaurants and bars.

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Downtown is an obvious hot spot for top restaurants. Lyft riders looking for Southern Thai dishes head to Koh Lipe Thai Kitchen in Chinatown, a Michelin-recommended restaurant. For traditional Pakistani eats, they opt for Ontario-born chain Karahi Boys’ popular central city location. For date night, Lyft riders turn to the striking modern design and hearty new American cuisine at the Financial District’s Daphne to impress. (Don’t miss the namesake cocktail — Daphne’s Negroni — which is stirred with cherry-infused gin.) 

And when in the mood for homestyle, Middle Eastern cooking, just outside the downtown core, they frequent the family-owned Queen of Persia.

Good food isn’t limited to downtown here. Torontonians are known to flock to outdoor spaces as soon as they can store their Canada Goose jackets for the season, and David Duncan House, located in a striking, historic home in North York, has a sizable one. Plus, this romantic steak house is great for a date night. Cafe Landwer, also in the neighbourhood, is a brunch-goer’s dream with an expansive menu that includes delicious Middle Eastern flourishes; the restaurant has multiple locations, but the Yonge and Sheppard outpost is Lyft riders’ favourite. 

About 18 kilometres west, Plaza Latina has been the city’s hub for Latin American food for 30 years. Twelve countries are represented in the mall’s array of retailers and restaurants, including El Salvador, Peru and Chile. 

Riders also like to head south, toward the waterfront. Mira Mira Diner is a hot spot in the Beaches for its cozy space and fine-dining spins on classic fare.

One of the area’s best Mexican joints is just north of the city. At the small Comal Y Canela, Yasmen De Leon and her team make everything from scratch, including birria tacos and 1.5-pound burritos (you read that right). 

Head east toward Scarborough for mouthwatering Indian eats: Minerva Tiffins was recently awarded the best dosa in Toronto, but don’t overlook its Indian breakfast offerings. 

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Show you’re in the know with a visit to Civil Liberties Bar, a cocktail bar with no set menu that’s tucked beside Koreatown and Little Italy — and has earned a World’s 50 Best Bars nod. Or step into the always-packed Ruby Soho in King West where the “happy cocktails” pair perfectly with the full late-night food menu.

On Dundas West, Bar Mordecai’s upstairs bar feels like walking into a Wes Anderson film, while the downstairs space contains four private karaoke rooms.

Also on Dundas West, you’ll find what looks like a convenience store is actually Mahjong Bar. The chic hideaway is as reliable for a weeknight date as it is for a weekend dance-off. 

On Queen Street West is another Lyft rider favourite, The Drake Hotel, complete with underground music venue. 

On the eastern side of downtown, 35-year-old Woody’s has long been considered one of Toronto’s best gay bars and regularly hosts contests (think: best legs). Across the street, Crews & Tangos is known for its regular drag shows.

One former U of T student called Grace O’Malley’s an “infamous college bar.” The longstanding watering hole offers exactly what one expects from a student-oriented Irish pub: plenty of draft beers, comfort food and live music. Another reliable stop for the younger crowd is Madison Avenue Pub. It’s likely popular with Lyft riders thanks to its Annex location, live piano performances (Thursday through Saturday) and great patio where casual attire is encouraged. 

When Lyft users want to leave the students behind, they hitch a ride to Sneaky Dee’s, a longstanding Mexican restaurant (the nachos are a must) with a stage for live music. The tunes pair nicely with the $12 pitchers of beer. 

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Part of what makes a great patio is great views. Lyft riders know that the scenery at the Harbourfront — a stretch of eateries, bars and cultural venues along the Lake Ontario shoreline — can’t be beat. That’s why they book it to Amsterdam Brewhouse, where four patios overlook the Toronto Islands, and the 20-ounce craft pints and pub grub are queue-worthy. 

In Port Lands, a multi-use neighbourhood to the east, the 275-seat patio at The Keating Channel Pub & Grill awaits with both city and lakeside views.

After walking around for hours, feet eventually need a break, and that’s where these two top patios come in. At Kensington Market — a national historic site — grab a picnic table seat (with umbrellas for shade) at El Rey’s small patio for mezcal and tacos.

Another adored Mexican spot is El Catrin Destilería in the Distillery District, a restored collection of Victorian industrial buildings. The heated patio can be enjoyed year-round — bonus! — and the menu, aside from serving authentic Mexican eats, boasts the largest tequila and mezcal selection in Canada (so they say).

In a city as vast as Toronto, discovering a moment of serenity is a gift. Enter these secret garden–esque venues, all appropriately centred around downtown’s Trinity Bellwoods Park. 

The intimate, covered back patio at Bar Vendetta (from famous Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg) is the perfect place to dig into the eatery’s from-scratch pastas. (Pro tip: You can make a reservation specifically for the patio.) On the opposite corner of the park, Fonda Lola’s lush backyard dining area is an oasis in which to enjoy Mexican food. For an earlier start to the day, Lyft riders know to head to the secluded garden patio (no laptops allowed) at coffee bar Cafe23, which also serves Montreal’s famous St-Viateur bagels.

Some days are for being right in the midst of the scene. That’s when Lyft riders head to RendezViews, a vibrant, mural-lined “mega-patio” that changes up its vibe for the season. Maple Leafs in the playoffs? Expect viewing parties and a whole lot of jerseys. Winter has arrived? Nab a wood cottage for dinner around a fire.

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Lady Marmalade, in the city’s east end, serves breakfast until 3 p.m. and has been a brunch mainstay for more than a decade. Eggs Benedict is the signature dish; the restaurant offers six versions, plus a build-your-own option. 

OEB Breakfast Co. has two Toronto locations, but Lyft riders flock to the Liberty Village outpost for its breakfast poutines and sweet-as-pie French toasts. 

At Ricarda’s, an elegant French-inspired eatery not far from the CN Tower, it’s easy to keep the fun vibes going with the weekly Sunday jazz brunch. 

Three-decade-old Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is considered a Toronto institution, and every visit requires an order of Mrs. Biederhof’s wild blueberry buttermilk pancakes, topped with maple syrup, obviously. (Tip: Visit on a weekday to avoid the crowds.) 

Also in Leslieville, Pasaj brings Turkish flair to weekend brunch — including house-made breads and sekerpare, a semolina cookie and hazelnut dessert. 

Almond Butterfly Bistro’s only full-service location serves brunch until 5 p.m., seven days a week. Beyond the array of crêpes, pancakes and French toasts, the sunlit cafe’s bakery counter is always well-stocked.

For an Asian twist on typical brunch fare — think gochujang chicken and waffles or bulgogi beef Benedict — there’s nearby Sisters & Co. And Light Café, also downtown, is a Taiwanese-inspired restaurant serving eggs and croissants alongside lobster dishes and a mapo tofu sandwich. 

Travelling east (to get a taste of the Middle East), there’s family-run Maha’s Egyptian Brunch, which treats diners to quintessential Egyptian bites, like Egga, a traditional, omelette-like dish, and Beleella, a slow-cooked wheat similar to oatmeal. Pro tip: Go super early to avoid long lines.

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Toronto’s Chinatown, now located in the heart of the city, was established in 1878. Lyft riders love Dim Sum King Seafood Restaurant, a go-to for steamed dumplings, barbecue pork and other Cantonese delights. 

Though Bar Raval really focuses on Spanish delicacies, the romantic curved wood design, robust wine list and invitation to linger are reminiscent of Italy too. (The tapas bar is also on Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list of eateries offering the best value for price.)

One of Toronto’s South Asian food pockets is centered on Gerrard Street East on the city’s east side. Lyft riders have increasingly been visiting MotiMahal, which has perfected its biryani, butter chicken and curries since first opening in 1971. 

Taste the islands’ abundance of flavour at Mezes, located on Danforth Avenue, where guests are encouraged to follow the “Greek method of eating: order multiple dishes, celebrate variety, sample everything.”

There are actually two Koreatowns in Toronto, but downtown’s enclave — the original — is home to the affordable Yummy Korean Restaurant and its extensive menu of rice cakes, bibimbap and beef bulgogi. 

Milou is a small bistro that skews French but celebrates the area’s culture with great wines, mouthwatering sweets and a convivial atmosphere. 

Momos, filled, steamed or fried dumplings, are the main attraction at Himalayan Kitchen, a family-run restaurant with more than a dozen versions of the traditional Southeast Asian dish.

Use code TOSUMMER to get 50% off your next ride to any of these restaurants/bars. Max savings of C$10 per ride. Discount applies to the fare, service fee, tolls and taxes only. Limited quantity available. Valid until Sept. 2, 2024. Pickup or drop-off must be within the coverage area. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.