The foodies have spoken, once again crowning Toronto as the centre of the culinary universe.
The city is home to 40 of the country’s top 100 restaurants, according to a ranking released Tuesday by Yelp Canada.
“This year’s list shows that Toronto is one of Canada’s top foodie destinations,” said Yelp PR manager Brenae Leary.
Vancouver won 17 spots on the list, while Montreal landed 12. Two accolades each also went to Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax.
Many of the top-ranked restaurants have hundreds of Yelp reviews, and four or five star ratings. There was greater emphasis placed on more recent reviews while crafting this year’s list, according to Leary.
Toronto’s food scene is no stranger to praise. It scored the most (35) top places on OpenTable’s annual list, which was put out in December and was based on reviews.
It also dominated the rankings of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants magazine for two years in a row.
READ MORE: Canada’s best restaurants: Toronto dominates, Montreal earns top spot
So what makes Toronto such a hub for restaurant-goers? Well, their earnings, for one.
“I think that economically speaking Toronto is in a really good place,” said Evelyn Wiseman Akerman, the Toronto Community Manager for Yelp.
The fact that it’s the biggest city in Canada doesn’t hurt either.
“There’s a lot of room for small business owners… mom and pop shops, younger entrepreneurs,” Wiseman Akerman added.
“Some restaurants here only have four tables and they survive. People are adventurous eaters in Toronto, as well.”
For example, she’s noticed a big trend in unique approaches to seafood like sushi pizza, burritos and burgers.
READ MORE: 7 food and drink trends you can expect to see in 2017
Old favourites do really well too.
The restaurant with the highest Yelp rating is actually a creperie called Muncheez in Markham, about 30 kilometres north of Toronto. It’s up from no. 34 on the list in 2016.
Other returning favourites include Fable in Vancouver (up one spot after coming in tenth last year) and La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop (down 47 spots from no. 3 last year).
Wiseman Akerman’s personal favourite Toronto hotspot in The Shameful Tiki Room (there’s also one in Vancouver).
“It’ll warm you up, no matter what the weather is this winter,” she assured.
Here’s a look at Yelp’s picks for the best places to eat in 2017, broken up by province and in order of ranking (you can find the full list in chronological order at the bottom):
B.C.
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- Wild Thyme – New Westminster
- Fable – Vancouver
- Bread and Honey– Parksville
- Il Terrazzo – Victoria
- Corner Nook Cafe – Chilliwack
- Number e food – Vancouver
- AnnaLena – Vancouver
- Lazzez’s Grill Indian Cuisine – Coquitlam
- Miku – Vancouver
- Tour De Feast – North Vancouver
- Smithe Salad – Vancouver
- Indian Roti Kitchen – Vancouver
- La Taqueria – North Vancouver
- La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop – Vancouver
- Blue Water Cafe – Vancouver
- CHAU VeggiExpress – Vancouver
- Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen – Vancouver
- An Indian Affair – Langley
- The Rimrock Cafe – Whistler
- So Hyang Korean Cuisine – Vancouver
- Molli Cafe – Vancouver
- Banh Mi Bar Restaurant – New Westminster
- Tasty Indian Bistro– Surrey
- Jam Cafe on Beatty – Vancouver
- La Catrina Tacos – Vancouver
- Kingyo – Vancouver
Alberta
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- OEB Breakfast Co– Calgary
- Duchess Bake Shop – Edmonton
- Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant – Edmonton
- The Himalayan – Calgary
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Ontario
- Muncheez – Markham
- Baretto Caffe – Toronto
- Ay Caramba, Eh – Vaughan
- Alo Restaurant – Toronto
- Under The Table Restaurant – Toronto
- Chip+Malt – Newmarket
- Yasu – Toronto
- Sushi Wa – Vaughan
- Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos – Toronto
- New Orleans Seafood & Steakhouse – Toronto
- Kaiju – Toronto
- Stella Luna Gelato Cafe – Ottawa
- Tibet Kitchen – Toronto
- Antler Kitchen & Bar – Toronto
- Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse – Toronto
- Wilf & Ada’s – Ottawa
- Agio – Toronto
- Mystic Muffin – Toronto
- Mamajoun Armenian Pizzeria – Toronto
- Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro – Toronto
- Richmond Station – Toronto
- Huevos Gourmet – Toronto
- Ricks Good Eats – Mississauga
- Pai Northern Thai Kitchen – Toronto
- Banh Mi Boys – Toronto
- Byblos – Toronto
- Rasa – Toronto
- George – Toronto
- Nuit Social – Toronto
- Dac Biet Burger – Toronto
- One2 Snacks – Toronto
- Veggie D’Light – Toronto
- Sansotei Ramen – Ottawa
- Sanremo Bakery – Etobicoke
- The Veggie Thali – Toronto
- Fresco’s Fish & Chips – Toronto
- 541 Eatery & Exchange – Hamilton
- Maro’s – Oakville
- Petit Nuage – Toronto
- WaffleU – Vaughan
- Scaramouche Restaurant Pasta Bar & Grill – Toronto
- Boralia – Toronto
- French Corner Bakery & Patisserie -Mississauga
- Miku Toronto – Toronto
- Cafe Polonez – Toronto
- Tofu Village – House of Soon Tofu – Toronto
- Sunny Morning – Toronto
- Indian Grill – Toronto
- Cluck Clucks – Toronto
- Katsuya – Toronto
- Peter’s Fine Dining Steak and Seafood – Markham
- JaBistro – Toronto
- Budapest Restaurant – Toronto
- Ramen Isshin – Toronto
- Pita Golden Pocket – Vaughan
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Quebec
- Bouillon Bilk – Montréal
- Damas Restaurant – Outremont (Montreal)
- Cafe Frida – Montréal
- L’Avenue – Montréal
- Saint Sushi Bar – Montréal
- Kazu – Montréal
- Yokato Yokabai – Montréal
- Lola Rosa – Montréal
- Gus – Montréal
- Le Robin Square – Montréal
- Ma Poule Mouillee – Montréal
- Pizza Il Focolaio – Montréal
- Falafel St-Jacques – Lachine
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Nova Scotia
- The Bicycle Thief – Halifax
- Fredie’s Fantastic Fish House – Halifax
WATCH: Check out Canada’s 100 best restaurants, according to OpenTable in 2015
Here’s the full list of Yelp’s best-ranked restaurants:
- Muncheez – Markham, ON
- Baretto Caffe – Toronto, ON
- Wild Thyme – New Westminster, BC
- Ay Caramba, Eh – Vaughan, ON
- Alo Restaurant – Toronto, ON
- Under The Table Restaurant – Toronto, ON
- Chip+Malt – Newmarket, ON
- Yasu – Toronto, ON
- Fable – Vancouver, BC
- Bread and Honey– Parksville BC
- Bouillon Bilk – Montréal, QC
- Sushi Wa – Vaughan, ON
- Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos – Toronto, ON
- New Orleans Seafood & Steakhouse – Toronto, ON
- Il Terrazzo – Victoria, BC
- Kaiju – Toronto, ON
- Corner Nook Cafe – Chilliwack, BC
- Damas Restaurant – Outremont. QC
- Number e food – Vancouver, BC
- Stella Luna Gelato Cafe – Ottawa, ON
- Tibet Kitchen – Toronto, ON
- Antler Kitchen & Bar – Toronto, ON
- Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse – Toronto, ON
- AnnaLena – Vancouver, BC
- Wilf & Ada’s – Ottawa, ON
- OEB Breakfast Co– Calgary, AB
- Agio – Toronto, ON
- Lazzez’s Grill Indian Cuisine – Coquitlam, BC
- Mystic Muffin – Toronto, ON
- Mamajoun Armenian Pizzeria – Toronto, ON
- Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro – Toronto, ON
- Richmond Station – Toronto, ON
- Duchess Bake Shop – Edmonton, AB
- Miku – Vancouver, BC
- Huevos Gourmet – Toronto, ON
- Tour De Feast – North Vancouver, BC
- Cafe Frida – Montréal, QC
- Smithe Salad – Vancouver, BC
- Ricks Good Eats – Mississauga, ON
- Pai Northern Thai Kitchen – Toronto, ON
- Indian Roti Kitchen – Vancouver, BC
- Banh Mi Boys – Toronto, ON
- Byblos – Toronto, ON
- The Bicycle Thief – Halifax, NS
- La Taqueria – North Vancouver, BC
- Rasa – Toronto, ON
- Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant – Edmonton, AB
- L’Avenue – Montréal, QC
- George – Toronto, ON
- La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop – Vancouver, BC **
- Nuit Social – Toronto, ON
- Dac Biet Burger – Toronto, ON
- Blue Water Cafe – Vancouver, BC
- Saint Sushi Bar – Montréal, QC
- One2 Snacks – Toronto, ON
- Fredie’s Fantastic Fish House – Halifax, NS
- CHAU VeggiExpress – Vancouver, BC
- Kazu – Montréal, QC
- Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen – Vancouver, BC
- Veggie D’Light – Toronto, ON
- Sansotei Ramen – Ottawa, ON
- Sanremo Bakery – Etobicoke, ON
- An Indian Affair – Langley, BC
- The Himalayan – Calgary, AB
- The Rimrock Cafe – Whistler, BC
- The Veggie Thali – Toronto, ON
- Fresco’s Fish & Chips – Toronto, ON
- So Hyang Korean Cuisine – Vancouver, BC
- 541 Eatery & Exchange – Hamilton, ON
- Maro’s – Oakville, ON
- Petit Nuage – Toronto, ON
- WaffleU – Vaughan, ON
- Molli Cafe – Vancouver, BC
- Yokato Yokabai – Montréal, QC
- Lola Rosa – Montréal, QC
- Banh Mi Bar Restaurant – New Westminster, BC
- Tasty Indian Bistro– Surrey, BC
- Scaramouche Restaurant Pasta Bar & Grill – Toronto, ON
- Boralia – Toronto, ON
- French Corner Bakery & Patisserie -Mississauga, ON
- Gus – Montréal, QC
- Le Robin Square – Montréal, QC
- Miku Toronto – Toronto, ON
- Cafe Polonez – Toronto, ON
- Tofu Village – House of Soon Tofu – Toronto, ON
- Sunny Morning – Toronto, ON
- Indian Grill – Toronto, ON
- Jam Cafe on Beatty – Vancouver, BC
- Peter’s Fine Dining Steak and Seafood – Markham. ON
- Ma Poule Mouillee – Montréal, QC
- Cluck Clucks – Toronto, ON
- Katsuya – Toronto, ON
- JaBistro – Toronto, ON
- La Catrina Tacos – Vancouver, BC
- Budapest Restaurant – Toronto, ON
- Kingyo – Vancouver, BC
- Ramen Isshin – Toronto, ON
- Pizza Il Focolaio – Montréal, QC
- Falafel St-Jacques – Lachine, QC
- Pita Golden Pocket – Vaughan, ON
SOUND OFF: What’s your favourite restaurant in your city? Share your top picks with us in the comments section below!
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