Barberian's Toronto

Barberian's sits on Elm Street, a five-minute walk from the PATH network. It holds the no. 93 spot on the list of Canada’s 100 Best restaurants, serving traditional, classic grill fare. The room runs smart and elegant, leaning into a style of service that has largely vanished from the city's newer, minimal dining rooms.

While the surrounding blocks are dominated by the frantic pace of the Eaton Centre and Yonge-Dundas Square, this space rejects the modern obsession with turnover. Most restaurants in the area prize high-volume movement and stark, industrial decor; Barberian's feels like a relic because it refuses to participate in those trends. You come here for the consistency of the grill menu rather than the fleeting concepts that usually define this part of Toronto. It is an argument for the endurance of the old-school steakhouse in a neighbourhood that rarely stays still.