African Village Café
368 Queen St. E. (at Parliament St.)
416-504-7723
This cozy and colourful café—with its saffron walls and violet tablecloths—serves a small but interesting selection of traditional Ethiopian food. Diners choose from six main dishes for lunch and dinner, as in a vegetarian plate with split peas, lentils, cabbage and collard greens, and tibs, a mixture of sautéed beef and lamb with onions, green peppers and tomatoes. A handful of Ethiopian breakfast dishes is also available, such as qinchi, a traditional whole grain cereal. Unlicensed. Mains $8–$12.
Bellissimo Pizzeria & Ristorante (Italian)
164 The Esplanade (at Frederick St.)
416-869-9191
A real neighborhood joint, this clean, modest, cozy pizzeria serves up pies in various sizes (nine, 11, 14, 16 and 18 inches) with an impressive selection of toppings. Regulars load their crusts up with, say, calabrese sausage, bacon, pepperoni, hot peppers, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, sliced fresh tomatoes and olives. Other Italian standbys are also available, from veal parmigiana and ravioli to linguine with clams and spaghetti with meatballs. Mains $5.95–$17.95.
Bombay Palace (Indian)
71 Jarvis St. (at King St. E.)
416-368-8048
This elegant restaurant, with its warm sandy-yellow walls and rich burgundy furnishings, serves up east Indian favourites. Bombay Palace aims to serve up a feast fit for a maharaja: appetizers such as samosas and chicken fritters with a tangy sauce (pakoras); and classic mains like butter chicken, eggplant bharta and lamb chops Kandahari. Neighbourhood regulars pop in for the buffet lunch special ($11.95), served every day from noon until 3 p.m. Mains $6.95–$18.95.
Cafe Asia (Thai)
100 Front St. E. (at Jarvis St.)
416-955-0963
With its smart taupe walls and raw wooden tables, this effortlessly chic restaurant is all about simplicity. Diners choose from chicken, beef, shrimp, vegetables or tofu stir-fried in a selection of sauces (teriyaki, spicy Thai, Thai sweet chili, Korean hot pepper, garlic and sweet-and-sour). Several standard Thai dishes—from red curry tofu and calamari stir-fry to mushu chicken and shrimp curry—also line the menu. Mains $7.25–$9.95.
Il Re (Bistro)
246 King St. E. (at Princess St.)
416-868-4573
This quaint yet contemporary Italian-style bistro serves a selection of panini, antipasti and salads with slow-cooked and entirely organic ingredients. Those with time to spare linger over a panino of chicken, roasted red pepper, pancetta and asiago or a slow-roasted lamb, radicchio and mint mayo sandwich on grilled basil loaf. Those looking for something crunchy are tempted by a salad of fennel, arugula, goat cheese and wine vinegar. Homemade tiramisù, biscotti, chocolate espresso cheesecake and chocolate-raspberry mousse lure those with room for more. Unlicensed. Mains $5–$11.
Kultura
169 King St. E. (at Jarvis St.)
416-363-9000
There is no sign out front, but the King East condo crowd is drawn like a moth to the purple light emanating from the bar. The Georgian building has been transformed into three floors of exposed brick, gleaming wood and supple leather. Opening chef and part-owner Roger Mooking has moved on, leaving chef Ryan Kowalyk in charge; Kowalyk’s upmarket tapas bounce all over the globe, but the flavours remain tightly focused.
Mangia and Bevi
260 A King St. E. (at Ontario St.)
416-203-1635
Designers, media and artsy types have been jamming M&B at lunch for four years now, eating the thin-crust pizza and keeping mum about this little-known place. The ambience is ill-defined—part industrial (exposed ceiling), part Euro-chic (a tall communal table), part laid-back lounge (a long red-velvet couch)—but the quality of the food is consistently flawless. Apps are good (sublime sautéed cremini and oyster mushrooms on arugula), and pastas.
