It’s not every night that the entire girl gang is back together for a good, old-fashioned girls’ night out (GNO). You know, the kind that starts with catching up over cocktails at dinner and ends with the creation of new stories and inside jokes…
Helping the GNO cause, Toronto is full of spots for you and your leading ladies to sip and savour – from rowdy to relaxed and refined.
From the east end, to the Ossington strip, here are 11 spots for the perfect Girls’ Night Out Dinner In Toronto.
11 Spots for a Girls’ Night Out Dinner in Toronto
1. Dasha
Neighbourhood: King West
For a girls’ night that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, hit new spot Dasha, where you can enjoy creative Chinese-inspired cuisine from a Michelin Star chef, thoughtful cocktails and – perhaps most excitingly for girls’ night – five private karaoke rooms(!). In addition to countless tunes to choose from, you and your ladies will love the dining room’s décor, with its impossible-to-ignore custom wall art (oh, the photo ops), neon signs and a unique birdcage staircase that has already made its rounds on Instagram.
2. Ascari Enoteca
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
For a more civilized and mature dining affair (i.e. it’s not necessarily a party spot), gather a few of favourite female foodies and hit Leslieville’s Italian spot Ascari Enoteca. Perfect for those more interested in good food and good conversations than the distractions offered at a more “scene-y” place, here, you’ll find some of the most comforting Italian food in the city. For the sharing set, this includes a small but well-curated selection of sharable plates. In addition to its handmade pasta, another highlight at Ascari is an impressive wine list – and half-priced bottles on Mondays. For the same comforting food, but with a livelier vibe, hit the restaurant’s new King West location.
3. LOV Toronto
Neighbourhood: King West
Odds are, there is at least one lady in your group who is vegan, vegetarian or vegan-curious. Make her life easier for a change and head to new King West spot LOV (LOV stands for local, organic and vegan). The immediately popular restaurant – which has roots in Montreal – serves up elevated vegan and vegetarian food that will satisfy even the most carnivorous of girlfriends (seriously). The gourmet vegan grub is accompanied by an assortment of pretty cocktails and organic wine and beer. After a goodness-filled dinner, keeping the night going is convenient, thanks to the bars and lounges just metres away.
4. Chotto Matte Toronto
Neighbourhood: Financial District
Gather your girls and shake off the workday at new(ish) Japanese-Peruvian fusion spot Chotto Matte on a Thursday evening for “Ladies Night,” which runs from 4 pm to 7 pm. In the lounge area – a suit-filled after-work hot spot – enjoy Moët minis for $25 and cocktails for $12, before savouring a meal filled with easy-to-share offerings like tempura, sushi and sashimi, grilled meats and elevated sides. An added backdrop to your inevitable group shots (#girlsnight) is the glowing and completely photo-worthy graffiti art throughout.
5. The Drake Hotel
Neighbourhood: West Queen West
The nice thing about a girls’ night out at The Drake Hotel is that the West Queen West staple caters to different personality types, pleasing both the artsy set, the foodie friends and the corporate type looking to let loose. The dining room serves up an assortment of small plates (including wild mushroom burrata, charred octopus and miso-cured cauliflower) and sushi – perfect for sharing with the group – in addition to larger plates of elevated comfort food. Eats and drinks aside, one of the best things about a girls’ night at The Drake Hotel is that you don’t have to leave the premise to find a solid post-dinner party; you can keep it going at the main bar, the Drake Underground live music venue or on the installation art-filled rooftop, The Drake Sky Yard.
6. Figures Restaurant
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
For a spot that offers fine dining quality food (minus the pretentious vibe) with a side of Instagram ops, hit Yorkville’s Figures Restaurant. The comic book-themed spot plays homage to everybody’s favourite superheroes and comics, something that’s reflected in everything from the décor (hence, the photo ops) to the menu. There’s something on the menu for everyone, with everything from vegan curry and vegan Caesar salad, to “A & W” fried chicken bites, black truffle gnocchi and crisp skin salmon. Post-dinner, your crew can keep the festivities going at a nearby hotel bar like One at The Hazelton Hotel or Dbar at the Four Seasons.
7. The Parlour
Neighbourhood: King West
In spring 2019, Vancouver spot The Parlour opened up shop in Toronto to offer a new place for pizza and partying. Tucked away off of King and accessed via a laneway, this surprisingly sprawling spot serves up oysters, comfort food, fresh veggie options and – the star of the show – delicious varieties of Neapolitan pizza worth posting about. Come about 10 pm, the spot offers a more lounge-like vibe, as a mature crowd (at least, by King West standards) files in to drink and dance the night away. The nice thing about this spot if you and your leading ladies are in the market for a dance party, is that it’s not overly crowded to the point that you’ll leave covered in other people’s drinks.
8. The Broadview Hotel
Neighbourhood: Riverdale/Leslieville
Multi-faceted east end spot, The Broadview Hotel, offers the makings of a memorable ladies’ night. This means good food, interesting décor with a backstory (the spot was once longtime famed strip club, Gilly’s) and two bars to mix and mingle with a mature crowd of cocktail sippers, including an indoor/outdoor rooftop with stunning west-facing views of the city. Downstairs, The Civic serves up turn-of-the-century-inspired fare with hyper local ingredients. For a more casual dining experience, you and the girls can grab snacks to share on the rooftop instead.
9. Mamakas Taverna
Neighbourhood: Ossington Strip
The Ossington strip is always a good idea for a GNO, especially if you’re looking to make a night out of it with a post-dinner bar crawl for good times sake. One of the most consistently reliable spots on the strip – particularly if you have a soft spot for elevated Greek food – is Mamakas. At this always-bustling spot, you and your girls can fuel up on things like house-made pita and dips, fresh seafood (including amazing grilled octopus) and dreamy cheese before venturing to nearby bars.
10. Sofia
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
If your girl gang is looking to go all out in the glam department, you can never be too dressed up at Yorkville’s see-and-be-seen spot Sofia. The sprawling restaurant opened its doors summer 2018 and quickly became a go-to for Yorkville’s scenester set with dollars to drop on dinner, and a place to party like bubbly is going out of style. On the menu here, you’ll find upscale Italian fare that’s accompanied by live music and some of the best art in the city.
11. El Rey Mezcal Bar
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
If there are just a few of you (meaning, the space is tiny) and you all have a soft spot for mezcal and refined Mexican-inspired far, head to Kensington Market hotspot El Rey. On the menu, you’ll find an expected assortment of snacks and tacos, along with creative comforting mains and no shortage of cocktails that taste like vacation (so you can pretend your girls’ night is actually a girls’ trip). Once the dinner crowd dissipates, this intimate yet lively spot becomes a hotbed for the refined cocktail-clinking set.
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