The BIA directory lists The Roy Public House at 894 Queen Street East. Its Instagram calls the pub Leslieville’s Local and a traditional Irish pub since 2009. That is a sentence a neighbourhood earns over time. Our pick for the first round of the day.
Eat & Drink DeskList
Leslieville Restaurants in Toronto: A Queen East Saturday
Ten pubs, cafés and kitchens on and just off Queen Street East, in street-number order from The Roy to Tulia, each checked in October.
On a Saturday, Queen Street East hums from the first coffee to the last pint, and Leslieville is the stretch where you can do both without changing streets.
What is Leslieville, and how big is its food scene?
The Leslieville BIA runs along Queen Street East between Empire Avenue and Vancouver Avenue, per the City. The BIA says it represents over 200 businesses there. Its history page says the neighbourhood began with a highway toll and a thirst for commerce, and that abattoirs, nurseries and brickyards became the major employers. Leslieville became part of the City of Toronto in 1884.
We list a place only when its own Instagram has been active when we checked in October and the BIA’s business directory lists it. The directory confirms each address. The ten below run in street-number order along Queen East, with one stop on a side street. For more of the city, our best restaurants in Toronto guide is the starting point.
Where should you eat in Leslieville?
The BIA lists Mercury Espresso at 915 Queen Street East as a café and bakery. Its Instagram profile names the Leslieville shop and says Est. 2006. If your Saturday starts with a coffee in hand, this is the stop that sets the pace.
Maha’s Cafe is in the BIA directory at 978 Queen Street East. Its Instagram profile names the café at 978 Queen East and describes Egyptian brunch, established 2014. Brunch people, take note, and read the menu on their own pages before you go.
The BIA directory lists Johnson Family Bakery at 993 Queen Street East. The bakery’s Instagram bio gives that same address and points to its own website. A good stop to pick up something for the walk.
The BIA lists Fangio at 1111 Queen Street East as a restaurant and bar. Its website describes an Italian restaurant in Leslieville where familiar dishes, warm hospitality and a lively atmosphere bring people together. The menu, it says, celebrates Italian classics, from fresh pasta to seasonal dishes made for sharing. Our pick for dinner with a group.
Bar Mini is listed at 1118 Queen Street East as a restaurant and bar. Its Instagram bio has a sense of humour, calling it a weird choice for Leslieville. We mean weird in the best way: the kind of small room you drift into after dinner.
The BIA lists Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant at 1220 Queen Street East. On Instagram it also goes by The Nose. A name that cheerful sets the tone, and we like a place that does not take itself too seriously. Its own pages are the way to see what is on the table.
The BIA describes Betty’s East, at 1301 Queen Street East, as Leslieville’s local pub with great food, cold beer and good times. Betty’s own site says she packed her bags and moved to Queen Street East, and invites you to drop by for a real pint because there is always something going on. On Instagram it calls itself your friendly neighbourhood pub.
Tulia Osteria is listed at 1402 Queen Street East as a restaurant and bar. Its Instagram bio promises Italian elegance meeting Leslieville charm. A smart place for a dressier plate on your Saturday.
The side-street stop: the BIA directory lists Hastings Snack Bar at 5 Hastings Avenue. Its Instagram bio describes Leslieville Polish food at that address. Small kitchens keep their own schedules, so check their page before you set out.
How do you build a Leslieville day?
Think of this list as ingredients rather than an itinerary. Here are three plans we would happily follow, each one built to leave room for a detour, a second coffee or an extra round.
The slow morning. Start with a coffee at Mercury Espresso, carry something from Johnson Family Bakery for the walk, and settle into brunch at Maha’s Café once the appetite catches up. It is an easy, unhurried loop, and nobody has to check a watch.
The group dinner. Pick Fangio Trattoria or Tulia Osteria for the table, keep it generous, and share. Then drift to Bar Mini for a nightcap, or finish at Betty’s East if the group wants a pint and a laugh. Check each place’s own page for how it takes tables.
The pub crawl without the crawl. The Roy Public House, Betty’s East and Bar Mini give you three very different rooms on a single stretch of Queen East. Share this plan with the friend who always says Queen East is too far, then meet them there. A Saturday goes further when the day has a shape.
How do you plan a Saturday on Queen East?
Walk it in street-number order and let the day decide where to linger. Queen East rewards a slow pace: the stops sit close enough that nobody needs a plan B, and a long conversation at the first table is never a mistake. Pair a long lunch with a second stop for coffee, or save the pub for last. Getting there is easy too: see our 501 Queen streetcar guide for the ride. Hungry for a morning-after plan? Try our picks for best brunch in Toronto, or browse the Leslieville neighbourhood page for the story of the street.
Send this to the friend you would bring to Queen East on a Saturday.
Sources (15)
- BIA list: F-P, City of Toronto
- About the BIA, Leslieville BIA
- History of Leslieville, Leslieville BIA
- Business Directory, Leslieville BIA
- The Roy Public House on Instagram, The Roy Public House
- Mercury Espresso on Instagram, Mercury Espresso
- Maha's Cafe on Instagram, Maha's Cafe
- Johnson Family Bakery on Instagram, Johnson Family Bakery
- Fangio Tratorria, Fangio Trattoria
- Bar Mini on Instagram, Bar Mini
- Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant on Instagram, Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant
- Betty's East, Betty's East
- Betty's East on Instagram, Betty's East
- Tulia Osteria on Instagram, Tulia Osteria
- Hastings Snack Bar on Instagram, Hastings Snack Bar
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“Saving this for Saturday: ten Leslieville spots on Queen East, in walking order.”
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