7 Toronto Restaurants That Big-Name Celebs Gushed About During TIFF 2023
Toronto was a celebrity hotspot during this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and with every movie premiere comes a meal afterwards. But where do stars eat when they're in the 6ix?
We know that Drake loves dining at Sotto Sotto, and DJ Khaled will always rave about Chubby's, but what about the other celebrities who visit Toronto?
On TIFF's 2023 red carpet, Narcity staff asked celebs where they would go to eat in Toronto if they were incognito and they gushed about all their favourite local spots.
From Finn Wolfhard to Nickelback, here are the stars' favourite Toronto restaurants you should visit if you want to eat like a celebrity.
Delina Restaurant
@narcitytoronto Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, co-directors of the slasher comedy “Hell Of A Summer", were on the red carpet premiere of their film at TIFF 2023 and shared their favourite spots to visit in Toronto if they could wander around incognito for a day. 👀 #finnwolfhard #billybryk #hellofasummer #toronto #tiff23 #torontointernationalfilmfestival #narcity #canada
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Address: 1891 Queen St. E., Toronto
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, co-directors of the slasher comedy Hell Of A Summer, sharedwhere they would go in the city if they were incognito, and Bryk quickly jumped in to answer that his go-to spot is Delina Shawarma in the city's Beaches area.
"I know the answer immediately," Bryk said. "I grew up here. I'd go to Delina Shawarma in the Beaches. It's my favourite food and the nicest people in the whole city, I think."
Wolfhard agreed and said they usually hang out together, so you'd catch him there, too.
So, if you're craving a chicken shawarma make sure to check out Bryk's favourite Toronto restaurant.
Barberian's Steak House
@narcitytoronto Where does Nickelback like to eat? Well Narcity caught up with the band at TIFF 2023 and they say their go-to steak house in Toronto is Barberians’s Steak House and Ryan likes Mr. Sub. #nickelback #tiff #tiff2023 #toronto #torontorestaurants #torontofoodie #canada
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Address: 7 Elm St, Toronto
Cuisine: Steak House
Nickelback dished that their favourite place to get a wholesome steak in Toronto is Barberian's Steak House.
The restaurant is located on Elm Street, which is just walking distance from Yonge and Dundas Square. But they're not the only band you might bump into at Barberian's Steak House.
The Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl was also spotted at the restaurant alongside Omar Hakim and Greg Kurstin last year.
Additionally, Jonathan Bailey, from Bridgerton, was spotted filming Fellow Travelers at the Barberian's Steak House.
Hooters
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Address: 280 Adelaide St. W., Toronto
Cuisine: Wings
Hooters is a famous American franchise known for its chicken wings, where customers can guarantee to find a deal every day of the week.
But another thing to note is that the chicken wings are typically served by girls dressed in short skirts and provocative uniforms, which has recently gained criticism.
Nevertheless, it was apparently the perfect risque spot to visit for Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang and the rest of the cast of the Dicks: The Musical. They revealed on the TIFF 2023 red carpet that they pre-gamed at Hooters up the road before making their appearance at the premiere.
In fact, in an Instagram story, Yang was caught holding "a giant inflatable c*ck" at the restaurant the night of the showing.
Pai
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Address: 18 Duncan St., Toronto
Cuisine: Thai
Pai is a fan-favourite Thai restaurant in Toronto, but apparently, it is also a famous celebrity hot spot. Even though Finn Wolfhard did not tell us it's his favourite restaurant in the city, he was spotted at Pai during TIFF.
A spokesperson from Pai told Narcity that the actor "really enjoyed the pork skewers" as well as the "whole Northern Thai platter."
In fact, Wolfhard loved Pai so much that he went back again, the restaurant told Narcity.
Simu Liu has also been spotted at Pai multiple times. He actually calls it one of his favourite Toronto restaurants.
On an episode of Buzzfeed's Worth It, the actor said the Khao Soi on Pai's menu has the "perfect noodle consistency," and he loves the crispy noodles in the dish too.
Mr. Sub
@narcitytoronto Where does Nickelback like to eat? Well Narcity caught up with the band at TIFF 2023 and they say their go-to steak house in Toronto is Barberians’s Steak House and Ryan likes Mr. Sub. #nickelback #tiff #tiff2023 #toronto #torontorestaurants #torontofoodie #canada
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Address: Various locations
Cuisine: Sandwich
Are you a Subway or a Mr. Sub kind of person? Well, Ryan Peake, the guitarist from Nickelbackpicked a side and said that his favourite Toronto restaurant is Mr. Sub, right after Chad Kroeger brought up the fancy Barberian's Steak House as his go-to spot.
"There's this Italian place called Mr. Sub, I think," Peake joked.
Is Mr. Sub at the top of your list for Toronto eats? Narcity's Tristan Wheeler would choose this sandwich joint over Subway any day and it's mainly because he thinks everything at the green and yellow restaurant tastes the same.
"While the bites are nice and compact, with every ingredient and topping evenly spread, I found everything to taste a little same-y," Wheeler said about Subway.
As for Mr.Sub, Wheeler thought, "it was fresh and hearty and, in a good way, felt like something I could make." So, Peake definitely has trustworthy tastebuds.
Tim Hortons
@narcitytv Camila Morrone is at TIFF for the premiere of her movie Gonzo Girl. In true Canadian fashion, she’s craving a Tim Hortins coffee ☕️🇨🇦 #camilamorrone #gonzogirl #tiff #tiff2023 #tiffredcarpet
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Address: Various locations
Cuisine: Canadian
You can't come to Canada and not have Tim Hortons, right? It's as though you didn't visit the Great White North at all, and Gonzo Girl star Camila Morrone knew that.
While on TIFF's red carpet, Morrone told Narcity that she hadn't been to Toronto before, but one of the first things she did was grab a coffee. But grabbing a coffee means nothing unless it's from Tim Hortons and she knew that.
Morrone said, "I love it [Toronto]. I already had some coffee, but I'm looking for a Tim Hortons. I need to find that."
Even though she didn't tell us her favourite Toronto restaurant, giving Tim Hortons a shout-out is still a pretty big deal. She should have no trouble finding one in the city, and here's hoping she grabbed a Timbit with her Iced Capp.
SukhoTHAI
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Address: Various locations
Cuisine: Thai
For many, Thai food seems like the perfect cuisine to warm their belly, and for Director X, SukhoTHAI is the restaurant he craves the most when he comes back to Toronto.
Narcity caught up with the GTA native at an off-site fundraising event during TIFF, but he was happy to join the rest of the stars in sharing his favourite Toronto restaurant during the festival.
"When I come home, if I've been gone for a while I want some, SukhoTHAI, you know what I mean?" he told Narcity. "Yellow curry chicken, Thai spicy, white rice."
