2025 TIFF Survival Guide
Quick lunches, reasonably priced beers and other essentials for getting the most out of the world's biggest brand activation masquerading as a film festival.
Few things sum up Toronto as well as the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s overpriced and getting more expensive every year. Tickets are nearly impossible to acquire and they all seem to be reserved for executives at banks or commercial real estate firms. The hype almost always surpasses the actual quality of what you’re seeing. The brands… the brands are everywhere. Lines snake around blocks for the most questionable of purposes. Guillermo Del Toro is here again for some reason or another. There are dozens of parties, and you’re not invited to any of them. And yet, it’s the most exciting time of year to be in the city, with dozens of weird and wonderful films poking through the studio sludge, debuting to rapturous audiences and occasionally catching the attention of distributors.
Through it all, you still gotta eat something. And given how much the average ticket costs these days ($36 and up, with some $27s still available to careful searchers), you’re going to want to eat for cheap—ideally quickly and in close proximity to the theatres between Queen, Front, Spadina and University.
If you’re looking for the trendy celeb-spotting destinations, Toronto Life has you more than covered. I’m here for the usual purposes: places you can grab a good bite for under $20, bars that will put a pint in your hands for $10, and some snacks to keep the blood sugar up for those four-movie days. Because these things are all still possible, dammit, if you know where to look.
Are you a map person like me? Just want to go straight to the goods and ignore all the hard work I’ve put into developing this post? Check out all these spots on my custom TIFF Survival Guide Google Map!
Eats
This Sri Lankan takeout counter pumps out kothu roti: a glorious mix of cut-up roti shell, vegetables, egg, a spice mix, and your choice of protein. My advice is to get the lamb, and add a scoop of eggplant curry on top—one of my quintessential Toronto dishes. At ~$15 after tax and tip, the serving size is enough for two people, so beware putting one of these back before you lock in for Alexandre Koberidze’s 186-minute Dry Leaf.
Directly across Queen Street from Saffron Spice Kitchen is Allwyn’s Bakery, the downtown outpost of a legendary Jamaican bake/jerk chicken shop. The jerk chicken is among the best you’ll find downtown, but I recommend going for the jerk pork. Get it in sandwich form on coco bread and coleslaw for under $10. Add a patty if you’re hungry and a Ting if you’re thirsty. That’s the real Toronto shit right there.
A couple doors down from Allwyn’s is Banh Mi Boys, erstwhile darling of the budget dining scene. $7 banh mi, bao of all kinds, and for the gluttony-curious, kimchi fries: a poutine-like situation with kimchi, pork, kewpie and a mess of other stuff. A small will run you about $10 after tax and tip. Pair it with the world premiere of Leon Le’s Ky Nam Inn.
This tiny storefront on Spadina does sandwiches (both of the breakfast and lunch varieties), sushi and some Korean classics like tteokboki. I don’t think there’s a single item on the menu that’s more than $10 and pretty much everything hits. Ideal either before or after the 11:30 AM screening of Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice (assuming you were actually able to get tickets, and don’t have other professional obligations on a Thursday afternoon).
I’ve already covered Cubano Kings in an earlier post, but it’s worth repeating here for the damn fine Cubanos and guava pastelitos. Another tiny storefront—just follow the sounds of salsa on Spadina and you’ll find it.
Another one already covered: IllStyl3 Sammies. Directly across from Scotiabank Theatre, pumping out the best cheesesteaks you’ll find in the country. A regular cheesesteak is going for $17 + tax and tip; open till midnight on the weekends, one of these bad boys plus an edible is the perfect appetizer for the Midnight Madness premiere of Ben Wheatley’s Normal.
For a somewhat less decadent sandwich experience, head on down to the King Street location of Belly Buster. There’s nothing especially noteworthy about Belly Buster—just consistent, quality, no-nonsense Italian-Canadian-style subs. Real sickos will add gravy to their subs. I’m not one to judge. A taste of Canadian nostalgia that might go well with Colin Hanks’ documentary John Candy: I Like Me.
I’m a certified The Well stan, and always encourage out-of-towners to take a stroll through the mall/condo complex/food court/commercial real estate behemoth if they need to kill some time while downtown. I’m probably in the minority here, but the food court standout for me is Japadog, the Vancouver-based chain of Japanese-style hot dogs. These mashups of bonito flakes, kewpie mayo, teriyaki and other Japanese flavours might not be to everyone’s tastes but I love the umami overload—and they have a huge range of veggie dogs, too. Consider one of these hybrid monsters before you plop down $200 on the resale market for tickets to GDT’s Frankenstein.
What was once a local mini-chain of excellent Sri Lankan-inspired soups and wraps has been reduced to the one location on Adelaide. Reliable, fulfilling, fresh, delicious. The lamb wrap is an institution of downtown lunch breaks, and the curried apricot lentil soup feels like a warm blanket on an early autumn afternoon. Serve with a side of Lawrence Valin’s Little Jaffna.
The hot table at Mike’s Independent City Market
Function over form. This compact grocery store boasts a suprisingly strong hot table with loads of wallet-friendly meals and snacks. Nothing here will blow your mind, but between the salads, potato wedges, sandwiches, empanadas, soups, proteins and noodles, you will find something to eat and it will probably run you less than $15. Maybe even less than $10. Does that money end up in the pockets of the Weston oligarchs? Sure! But you’re at TIFF. You’ve already been morally compromised more times than you’d ever think possible. Get something on the go before you sit down for some corporate fare like the new Knives Out instalment from Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man.
Pizza
While there are plenty of good slices of pizza to be had around Toronto, downtown is shockingly devoid of reliable slice-oriented parlours. Thankfully we still have Pizzaiolo. The John Street location of this chain that saw me through many, many lunch hours c. 2017–2020 is no more, so head over to the one at Spadina and Richmond and grab a slice for ~$6. It’s not exceptional pizza by any standard, but any true Torontonian would agree it always gets the job done (with a dozen veggie options as well). I’m partial to the Soprano, which comes with enough gorgonzola to give your breath the necessary je ne sais quoi to keep your seatmates at an appropriate distance while enjoying Richard Linklater’s latest Ethan Hawke venture, Blue Moon.
For something a bit more upscale, both General Assembly (Adelaide and Charlotte) and Pi Co. (numerous locations) pump out personal-sized Neapolitan-style pies for a shade under $20. Maybe these are better saved for Richard Linklater’s more high-brow TIFF pic, the Godard tribute Nouvelle Vague.
“Bowls”
The TIFF Zone was the epicentre of the great Bowl Boom of the late 2010s; by my count, no fewer than 10 bowl places managed to pop up here before Covid came and sent downtown Toronto into a death spiral. More than a few still persist, providing a much-needed green reprieve from the fried and fatty covered elsewhere here. My personal favourite is Flock on account of their decent rotisserie chicken (get the Power Greens Bowl). The cheap-and-cheerful option is the Freshii location on Spadina (get the Oaxaca Bowl). Really, any one of Harvest Grain, Kupfert & Kim, or Imperfect will get the job done; it’s all bowl slop in the end. Just don’t embarrass yourself by going to Calii Love on King, one of many, many things best left in the 2010s—unlike Charli xcx, who stars in two TIFF features this year, Erupcja and Sacrifice.
Street Meat
There is always street meat. Front Street or King and John. I dunno, let’s say The Smashing Machine.
Coffee
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Europe, Australia, Latin America, many parts of the United States, or BC knows that most cafes in Toronto are, in the parlance of the times, high-key mid. But you’ll need caffeine to get you through the TIFF gauntlet—so choose wisely from the list below.
De Mello in The Well
Maybe the best espresso-based beverages in the downtown core these days. Well worth your time.
Dark Horse Espresso in 401 Richmond (and also 230 Richmond)
A Toronto classic for years and years and years. Good cookies, too. 401 Richmond is also a lovely quiet space to get away from the crowds for a moment of respite.
Hot Black Coffee
Another institution. Lives up to its name. Good breakfast sandwich. Cute little back patio.
Mofer Coffee
Local chain of with a focus on Ethiopian roasts.
Sweets
Real cheapskates know the best strategy for snacks at TIFF is to hit up the candy aisles at the Bulk Barn on King West and then sneak your wares into the theatres. But if you want something a little more sophisticated, I have you covered.
Le Gourmand
You can’t visit Toronto for TIFF without hitting up Le Gourmand on Spadina for one of their chocolate chip or chocolate chip/walnut cookies. The single-greatest cookie shop in Toronto, and perhaps Canada, and perhaps the world. Just look at these beauties:
French Made
Can’t afford a room at the Bisha? Didn’t lock down a reservation at Kōst for the elbow-rubbing? Too broke to know what/who Akira Back is? Check out this cafe on the ground floor of the Bisha for some more quality cookie and pastry work.
What A Bagel
The bagels here are, well, they’re unremarkable, and they make for an acceptable sandwich when you want something completely middle-of-the-road. What’s worth the visit, though, are the rugelach and hamentashen. The apricot mini-rugelach in particular are a tidy little pick-me-up.
Drinks
You made it this far. Reward yourself with an ice cold beverage. Given the need for convenience, it’s acceptable to plop down on one of the big patios on the ground floor of condo developments. But you can do better—I believe in you.
The Rivoli
The Canadian premiere of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is a true full-circle moment: local hero Matt Johnson’s cult web series-turned-television series-turned-feature film validates the existence of every aging West End guy who has stuck it out here for the past decade-plus. Celebrate this special moment with a beer or four and a round of pool at the Rivoli, the bar/venue that served as the show’s raison d’etre.
The Rex
One of Toronto’s best jazz bars, with live music every of the week. Also a fine spot to post up and nurse a pint or two.
The Horseshoe Tavern
Another stalwart of live music in Toronto, with a no-frills bar appended to the front. The patio makes for decent people-watching along Queen.
The Town Crier
A bona fide Mikey Likey favourite; Belgian/German beers/grub with a good patio on John Street. The best beer list downtown.
Bar Hop
The better of the two Bar Hop locations, on Peter Street, sadly closed down this past year. Nevertheless, the King location’s beer selection is fantastic, and a great way for visitors to acquaint themselves with the world of Ontario craft beer.
Neverland
Normally this is where I’d recommend Varda or Luma at the TIFF Lightbox but they’ll be rammed with industry events and affiliated cretins. Assuming you’re adhering to the arbitrary boundaries prescribed above for some reason, check out this bookstore/cafe/wine bar next to the Peter Pan Bistro on Queen for a glass of something nice as an amuse bouche ahead of Nick Corirossi’s Sideways-spoofing The Napa Boys.
If you’re done at TIFF for the night, though, I recommend walking further to the West and dropping by some of the spots below.
Note: I’ve thoroughly aged out of the King West bar scene, and I was never really part of it even in my halcyon days, so do not look for my recommendations about that particular corridor of hell. Rest assured that there are a dozen bars and a dozen restaurants that will be more than happy to part you from your money. Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of thinking that Paris Texas is a Wim Wenders–themed bar.
La Palette : Pricier but excellent wine/cocktails/late-night French bites and vibes, with the best cheese plate in the city
416 Snack Bar/Short Turn: Sister bars at Queen and Bathurst with top-shelf small plates, well-curated beer list and great ambiance
Bar Wellington: Long-standing pub in the depths of King West with pints for under $10 and a glorious patio
The Paddock: Historic tavern at Queen and Bathurst with live music and zero pretension
Old York Tavern: Classic neighbourhood restaurant/tavern on a quiet stretch of Niagara Street
I ate Shelby's Schwarma which is just across the street from The Lightbox.