Words and Photos by Ola Mazzuca
Welcome to Toronto, where the biggest celebration of the year is the colorful, enthralling celebration of Caribbean culture known as Caribana. Caribana might only happen every summer, but West Indian culture is celebrated year round in “The Six” through music, fetes and, of course, food.
Toronto is one of the best cities in the world for Caribbean cuisine. Jerk chicken and roti are the first dishes that come to mind when one mentions Caribbean food, but all of the dishes that reflect the true flavors of the Caribbean — pelau, ackee and saltfish, callaloo, bokit — are available in T-O. It’s a place where you can taste the flavor of almost every island. If you’re craving a five-dollar jerk chicken lunch special with rice ‘n peas packed up in a white Styrofoam box, there’s a good spot for that. If you’re searching for authentic Trinidadian doubles, reminiscent of those sold outside Piarco airport, a flight isn’t necessary.
Toronto is more than a ‘melting pot’ of cultures – it’s a place where people share and explore different parts of the world. The city cherishes facets of the Caribbean and the Diaspora, which is why many of the restaurants in our list have been serving the city core and Greater Toronto Area for years. They are preserving culture, straight from the kitchen, and onto piping hot plates.
Click here, or scroll through the thumbnails above, to check out our 10 favorites—in no particular order— from Trini roti kingpins in the suburbs to the finest Jamaican joint in the downtown core.
