Two celebrated Italian restaurants were just recognized among the 50 best in the world, with one even landing in the top three.
In the wake of Oakville’s Tatin Bakehouse earning a top spot as one of the best new bakeries in the world, and the dynamic trio of Jacobs & Co., Linny’s and Sammarco all being recognized as some of the best steakhouses in North America, some more Ontario eateries are getting their time in the limelight.
With the Italian culinary tradition recently recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the stakes have never been higher for the annual 50 Top Italy awards ceremony.
Recognizing the 50 finest Italian restaurants in the world, entries on the list based in Italy are ranked based on the reviews of 150 Italian gastronomic experts, while those elsewhere in the world are reviewed by over 200 contributors and collaborators across the globe.
“These are experts who are asked, with the constraint of confidentiality and anonymity, to fill out an initial survey to draw up a provisional ranking,” 50 Top Italy’s website reads.
“After having carried out the visits, a new update survey is carried out which leads to the definitive ranking.”
Italy has its own devoted list, while the rest of the world gets our own and, for 2025, Toronto managed to eke out an impressive finish, with local restaurants landing within the top three and top 15.
First, Little Italy fine dining restaurant DaNico landed in an impressive third place, just below Rio de Janeiro’s Ristorante Hotel Cipriani and Il Carpaccio in Paris.
Next up, Toronto’s Don Alfonso 1890 location in the Weston Harbour Castle landed in 13th place, beating out Monte Carlo’s La Table d’Antonio Salvatore and Brussels’ Senzanome in the top 15.
Two of the city’s 16 restaurants that boast one Michelin Star, it comes as little surprise that either restaurant earned additional global recognition, but it always puts a little extra pep in the city’s step to know that our food scene has what it takes to play with the heavy-hitters.
Dining and Cooking