Where celebrities eat in Toronto: 12 restaurants visited by stars from Blackpink to Coldplay

Hamilton Spectator

3 days ago

From fine dining to street food,
Toronto's diverse culinary scene
has made it a top destination for food lovers. But where do celebrities eat when they're in town?
Here's a look at where musicians, actors and celebrity chefs have dined during recent visits to Toronto.
A post shared by 달동네 Daldongnae BBQ (@daldongnae)
Following the second
Blackpink
show at Rogers Stadium, at least one member of the K-pop girl group — Jennie — dropped by Daldongnae, a popular Korean BBQ spot in North York.
'BLACKPINK in our area… again!' the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post, which noted that this was the second time Jennie has visited one of the restaurant's locations. 'We're honoured and so thankful.'
On social media, fans also say that two members of Blackpink were spotted leaving Huh Ga Ne, a 24-hour Korean eatery in North York. The Star was unable to confirm with the restaurant, but fans circulated videos and photos of two women who they believe were singers Rosé and Lisa, leaving the location on Finch Ave.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin performs at Toronto's new Rogers Stadium.
Midway through their
four-night residency
at the recently inaugurated Rogers Stadium this July, three of the four members of
Coldplay
dined at the Michelin-starred
Osteria Giulia in Yorkville
, as first reported by Star contributing columnist Shinan Govani.
Frontman Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Will Champion — who has dined at Giulia in the past — were among the party of 10 that stayed late and closed the restaurant down on July 9, owner David Minicucci told the Star. 'They were wonderful and exemplary guests,' Minicucci said, adding that the group ordered pasta, grilled fish and seafood. 'They kept it very clean and light.'
'They ordered well and were great to have in the room,' he added. 'And Chris Martin was very engaging with our team.'
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While the rest of his band was at Osteria Giulia, Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman zipped over to
DaNico
, an Italian fine-dining spot on College Street that has earned a Michelin star for its refined tasting menus.
'I came to your show yesterday and it was absolutely incredible,'
chef Daniele Corona wrote on Instagram
. 'And today I found you at DaNico ... honoured by your presence.'
American actor and director Jesse Eisenberg, whose 2024 film '
A Real Pain
' was nominated for best original screenplay at the 97th Academy Awards, stopped by
Curryish Tavern
earlier this month with his wife, daughter and a friend who lives in Toronto.
Miheer Shete, who owns the Queen West Indian restaurant,
told BlogTO
that he received a call from the concierge at the Eisenberg's hotel, and was told that the actor and his group was in the mood for 'an Indian feast.'
Shete told the Star while Curryish has hosted actors and comedians in the past, Eisenberg is the most famous celebrity to dine at his restaurant. He said the actor's party ordered samosa, asparagus salad, coconut stuffed branzino, green tomato butter chicken, stuffed paneer with roasted pepper korma and more.
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Elyanna — the Palestinian-Chilean pop singer who opened for Coldplay during their stint at Rogers Stadium — brought her band and a group of friends to Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine, a cosy, family-run restaurant in Davisville Village.
'Your sweet spirit lit up the place, and we truly loved having you,'
the restaurant posted on Instagram.
A post shared by Jeff Regular (@paitoronto)
This spring, legendary hip hop drummer, producer and DJ Questlove dropped by
Kiin
, a high-end Thai restaurant in the entertainment district, after his band The Roots played at Rebel. According to Jeff Regular, who owns
Kiin alongside his wife, Nuit Regular
, told the Star that Questlove ordered the restaurant's latest tasting menu, and that he liked the wagyu and lamb courses in particular.
'That was huge,' Regular said. 'Sadly, I was in Japan at the time, but
I was freaking out.'
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Known for its Afro-Caribbean and soul food — it helped popularize fried chicken and waffles in Toronto,
Star food reporter Karon Liu recently noted
— and for hosting live music, Harlem Restaurant on Queen West re-opened its doors this spring after a closure that lasted nearly six years.
Within days of reopening in May, the restaurant hosted a birthday party for Toronto hip hop mogul Kardinall Offishall, which was attended by American stand-up comic and actor Dave Chappelle.
A post shared by Jeff Regular (@paitoronto)
Forget
potatoes
, the Hobbits are into Thai food, now!
Dom Monaghan (the actor who plays Merry Brandybuck in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy) has long declared PAI — a northern Thai food fixture with locations in downtown and uptown — as his favourite restaurant in the city. So when his buddy Elijah Wood (the actor who plays Frodo Baggins) was in town in May, he urged him to check it out.
Woods was 'very gracious,' said owner Jeff Regular. The actor ordered extensively off the menu, but his favourite dish was
miang kung
: a platter of fresh ingredients (shrimp, ginger, shallots, roasted coconut, etc.) that customers wrap in fresh betel leaf.
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Iconic businesswoman and lifestyle personality Martha Stewart was in town in February to film a television series, when she dropped by Pearl, an authentic Chinese restaurant in Yorkville that serves traditional Cantonese food and dim sum. According to
BlogTO
, Stewart ordered Peking duck, stir-fried long beans with black bean sauce, pan-fried hockey pucks, spinach and shrimp dumplings, and soup dumplings.
A post shared by José Andrés (@chefjoseandres)
Spanish-American celebrity chef and restaurateur José Andrés was also in town in February to shoot a television series, and
among the spots he dined
was Fisherman Lobster Club, the Scarborough seafood restaurant known for its gigantic platters of lobster and crab.
The Jonas Brothers pose for a picture with Adrak Yorkville co-founder Ambica Jain.
Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas
made an unexpected visit to Adrak
— a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Yorkville serving modern Indian cuisine — last January.
'All of the brothers said the food was amazing and that they really liked the Chai biscuit dessert a lot,' a representative for the restaurant told the Star. 'They were extremely friendly, kind and appreciative. No star-power attitude, and very humble.'
Other high-profile stars who have dined at Adrak since it opened include Jessica Alba, Oscar Issac, Daniel Boulud and Karan Aujla.
Chubby's, the vibrant Jamaican spot on Portland, has long been a magnet for celebrities (Sean Paul, Anthony Mackie) and athletes (Scottie Barnes, Penny Oleksiak, Brandon Ingram). Last November, Jamaican dancehall legend Buju Banton dropped by for a meal, and snapped a photo with general manager Daniela Chinchilla.