Toronto's top 5 steak houses according to Sun readers
· Toronto Sun
Who among carnivores doesn’t like a perfectly cooked, juicy steak in a town that is ripe with dozens of exceptional steak houses from old school to modern?
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Toronto Sun readers have spoken in our latest Top 5 poll and their favourite steak house in the city is of the former variety — Barberians Steak House, established 1959.
1. Barberian’s Steak House
It’s no accident that two of my most memorable meals since moving to Toronto have occurred at this classic charcoal-grilled steak house which preserves its 1860s building and houses a vast Canadiana art collection.
The first one was my first work meal with the Toronto Sun entertainment department (30 years ago!) in a private dining room featuring a bathroom that had a tiny bathtub (which I may or may not have ended up in by the night’s end).
The second one was much more recent, down in the famous two-storey subterranean wine cellar (which houses up to 30,000 bottles of red wine that matches the 110-page long wine list) where I feasted with a then up-and-coming country artist named Morgan Wallen and fellow music industry types.
“We are deeply grateful to the readers of the Toronto Sun for this recognition,” Barberian’s Steak House owner Arron Barberian said to the Sun.
“Since 1959, Barberian’s has been committed to providing Toronto with the finest steaks, exceptional wines, and warm hospitality that keeps guests coming back generation after generation. In such a very competitive environment, to be chosen by the people of Toronto means the world. Thank you from the staff and the Barberian family.”
Here’s the rest of the Top 5 that you voted for:
2. The Keg Steakhouse + Bar – Mansion
The very first Keg opened in 1971 by founder George Tidball under the name Keg n’ Cleaver in North Vancouver and 55 years and more than 100 locations later, the brand is still going strong thanks to such staples as The Keg Caesar and Billy Miner Pie. (I personally love the bacon-wrapped scallops.) In this instance, the Keg Mansion (one of several Kegs in Toronto) is housed inside a gothic revival mansion, circa 1868, that was initially known as Euclid Hall and built for Arthur McMaster, the nephew of Canadian senator and banker William McMaster, before the Massey family took over as owners. Eventually, in 1976, The Keg repurposed the building as a restaurant. It’s also said to be haunted by a maid who hanged herself after Lillian Massey’s death, along with sightings of a young boy and unexplained occurrences in the women’s washroom.
3. Harbour 60 Toronto
When the 25-year lease renewal came up at the historic Toronto Harbour Commission building, Harbour 60 Toronto ‘s home since 1999, owners the Nikolaou family decided to expand the long-running steak house to include Arianna, an elegant Italian restaurant, and Estelle, a high-end event space. The 2024-25 renovations also included a bigger steak and dry-aging program with a more diverse selection of premium beef from Canadian cuts to Australian Wagyu and Kobe beef. A signature spice blend is one of the few holdovers from the old Harbour 60 along with the kitchen’s classic coconut cream pie, which has been slightly reworked.
4. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Located at the Hilton Toronto since 1995, it is the only downtown Toronto location of the world’s largest fine dining brand, a classic steak house known for its USDA Prime steaks served on 500-degree sizzling plates with a pat of butter on top. Dating back to 1965, founder Ruth Fertel mortgaged her home to buy a small steak house in New Orleans and when a kitchen fire destroyed Chris Steak House in 1976, Ruth was forced to relocate and improvised, making it Ruth’s Chris Steak House . Meanwhile, Lana Duke, born in St. Catharines, Ont., left Toronto at age 18 and moved to New Orleans where she opened her own ad agency in 1975 and called Fertel for her account — and a 26-year professional-personal relationship began. After Duke opened the downtown Toronto location of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, it was followed by one in Mississauga in 2003 and a third GTA location in Markham in 2018.
5. Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
There’s now only one Toronto location of this 71-year-old Alberta-born chain with “a simple and unwavering commitment to fine food, service, and perfectly cooked Canada Prime steaks.” After 49 years combined on Richmond St. and then Adelaide St., Hy’s moved to a new Toronto location in 2019 on Bay St. featuring a multi-level 350-plus seat space “spectacularly redesigned to reinterpret the tradition of rich steak house decor.” Founder Hy Aisenstat opened his first ever Hy’s Steakhouse over a women’s clothing store in 1955 in Calgary before expanding to Winnipeg (1958), Vancouver (1960) and many more locations across Canada and the U.S. When he died in 1988, the business was restructured by his three sons. I personally was so impressed with the beefsteak tomato, red onion and crumbled Stilton cheese salad with buttermilk dressing that I’ve made it at home with some adjustments ever since, and it’s been a crowd-pleaser.
Hey Toronto Sun Readers: What should our next top 5 be?
Don’t be shy about letting us know what subject you’d like to see of a future Top 5 poll and vote.
The subject can be anything from local — like your favourite swimming area — to Ontario — like favourite places for weekend getaways — or even favourite ways of distraction online be it entertainment, sports or lifestyle.
Please send your ideas to [email protected] .