Where to eat, drink and shop in Roncesvalles

Christine Peddie

Larry Heng

5 months ago

When it comes to beloved Toronto neighbourhoods, Roncesvalles is tough to top. If you’re a person who likes eating and drinking, strolling, cycling, shopping, or a delightful combination of these diversions, you’re bound to fall under its charms. Blessed with proximity to High Park and other green spaces, it’s also ideal for anyone craving some distance from Toronto’s grittier urban areas.

Bordered by Roncesvalles Avenue, the neighbourhood stretches east to the West Toronto Railpath, and extends from Queen Street West up to Bloor. Part of a swath of land (known as West Lodge) purchased by Colonel Walter O’Hara in the 19th century, the avenue was named for Spain’s Pass of Roncesvalles, the site of a battle during the Peninsular War.

With the construction of streetcar tracks in the early 1900s, the area underwent a time of massive growth. An influx of immigrants, particularly from England, then Poland, settled in, establishing Roncy’s rep as a family-friendly area with distinct European flair.

A place where chic Gen Xers direct their snack-toting tots toward the library as furrowed seniors make their way to coffee mornings, Roncesvalles has the feel of a quaint hamlet. Thanks to its multitude of first-rate restaurants and shops, its abundance of grocers, places of worship, community centres — even the city’s longest-running independent cinema — you could never leave the area and still want for nothing. Built on honest work and community, Roncesvalles may be less flashy than other parts of Toronto but has heart in spades. It’s a place people flock to for comfort, for community and for the calibre of eateries, shops and coffee spots only passion and pride can build.

Where to eat

Cafe Polonez

195 Roncesvalles Ave

When Café Polonez first opened its doors, Charles was a mere prince poised to marry Lady Di, Raiders of the Lost Ark reigned at the box office, and Roncesvalles was a quiet avenue sitting near the far edge of the city’s hustle and bustle. What hasn’t changed since 1981, is the café’s rep as the city’s go-to spot for top-notch, home-style Polish fare.

Located in the heart of Little Poland, Café Polonez trades in hearty, soulful plates brimming with pierogi, schnitzel, cabbage rolls, and other central-European mainstays. Any night of the week, you’ll find families digging into combination plates alongside octogenarians contemplating the scenery as they wait for their paprikash to cool. Family-run since day one, Café Polonez is a casual, dependable spot that has never wavered in its commitment to serve well-priced, home-cooked dishes to everyone who steps through its doors. A neighbourhood spot where you feel coddled by babcia herself, Café Polonez continues to rank among the city’s most reliable spots for classic comfort fare.

Dil Se Indian Restaurant & Bar

335 Roncesvalles Ave

Hindi for “from the heart,” Dil Se offers guests a rapturous tour of northern Indian cuisine. A relative newcomer to the area, Dil Se’s honest, homestyle approach pairs perfectly with the sort of eatery Roncy is best known for. Welcoming and bright, offering plates that sing with vivid flavours, these spots offer substance, where others trade solely in style.

Pairing recipes learned from relatives with lessons learned in the culinary field, chef and owner Mani Panwar’s extensive menu offers city diners a tempting array of dishes. From vegetarian curries and tender tandoori to biryani, pulao and chicken Kamasutra — enrobed in cashew gravy and spicy in name only — there’s joy and richness in every abundantly seasoned bite. Eat in, take out, order for delivery, or rent out the private room and revel in chef Panwar’s exceptional cooking with 30 of your closest friends.

Gold Standard

385 Roncesvalles Ave

Declare to the world that you’re the best at something, and you’re bound to be met with a dose of skepticism and an eyebrow raised to the sky. Happily, when it comes to Gold Standard, the name isn’t just baseless braggadocio. With sandwiches that continually lead to lengthy lines, have earned Instagram fame, repeat customers and top billing on best-of-lists, Gold Standard serves up hand-held delights that are a true mark of excellence.

Served from a takeout window, these sandwiches and burgers more than make up for the lack of frills. Each is a carefully calibrated stack of ingredients chosen for maximum pleasure. From the all-beef Telway Burger (a nod to a Detroit icon) to the Gold Standard Sandwich (which has captured the city’s attention since day one) each item on the team’s compact menu delivers ultimate satisfaction. The next time it’s after 10 a.m. and you find yourself sauntering up Roncy, treat yourself to a grilled English muffin topped with bacon or sautéed kale, cheesy eggs, aioli, pickles, and dashes of Marie Sharps hot sauce. Open the brown paper baggie, unwrap the familiar gold foil and join the cult of people who already know that Gold Standard sandwiches are Roncesvalles Avenue’s top claim to sandwich fame.

The Ace

231A Roncesvalles Ave

Housed in a restored 1950s diner, The Ace is equal parts go-to family restaurant and retro gem. Put up for sale in 2020, it was rescued from extinction by new owners, and husband-and-wife team, Rafael Badell and Maggie Stackpole. Interested in preserving The Ace’s legacy, the couple left much unchanged — the name, the wallpaper, the Ace Burger and the easy, genial vibe all remain. With a focus on seasonal flavours, rare wines, and menus that cater to all diners, both old and young, The Ace continues to rank high with Roncesvalles locals.

Whether you pop in for dinner, offered five nights a week, or a weekend brunch, you’ll be met with a vibrant room, friendly servers and menus crowing with Ontario’s finest ingredients. In chef Badell’s hands, heirloom Georgia candy roaster squash might be blanketed with Parmesan hollandaise, then served alongside candied Concord grapes. Crisp Savoy cabbage, charred for smokiness and depth, may find its way to a plate with green goddess dressing, white anchovies and persillade. Whatever is on offer, trust the man at the stove and dig in. You’re guaranteed to enjoy every comforting, succulent, surprising bite.

Pizzeria Defina

321 Roncesvalles Ave

Getting people excited about pizza isn’t exactly an exacting task. Still, mention award-winning pies, available with four different types of crust and you just might spark a stampede. At Pizzería Defina — a Roncesvalles staple since 2011 — a story that began with authentic, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas has expanded to now include Roman, kamut and gluten-free options. Also on offer? A tempting assortment of small plates, pastas, grilled mains, and sides infused with the aroma and essence of the restaurant’s blazing epicenter.

Whether you’re a traditionalist who accepts nothing but Margherita or prefer to live on the edge, Pizzería Defina has something to excite. Adventurous types will want to sample the Roncy. A pie clearly inspired by its environs, it’s topped with fior di latte, Yukon gold potatoes, double-smoked bacon, caramelized shallots and dill. Or, they might accept a pizza dubbed simply, “The Winner.” Made with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, nduja, hen of the woods mushrooms, tarragon and basil this pie brought home a top prize from the International Pizza Expo in 2013 and has been wowing palates in the west end ever since. A spot that works as well on soccer night as it does for date night, Pizzería Defina serves up a perfect blend of casual elegance and quality food.