Little India Toronto: what to eat at the Gerrard India Bazaar

Toronto's Little India is a stretch of Gerrard Street East in the east end, known locally as the Gerrard India Bazaar. It has been a hub for the city's South Asian community for decades, with restaurants, sweet shops, sari and jewellery stores, grocers and street food. The food covers far more than one cuisine: North and South Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi dishes all have a home here.

Where is Little India in Toronto?

The Gerrard India Bazaar runs along Gerrard Street East, roughly between Coxwell Avenue and Greenwood Avenue. The 506 Carlton streetcar runs along Gerrard, and Coxwell station on Line 2 is a short walk north. Leslieville and the Beaches are nearby.

What should you eat in Little India?

Dish	What it is
Butter chicken	Tandoori chicken in a mild, creamy tomato sauce
Biryani	Spiced rice layered with meat or vegetables
Chaat	Tangy, crunchy street snacks with chutneys and yogurt
Dosa	Thin, crisp South Indian rice and lentil crepes
Paneer kathi roll	Spiced paneer wrapped in a flatbread
Samosas and pakoras	Fried snacks, ideal to eat while walking
Kulfi	Dense Indian ice cream, often on a stick
Mithai	Indian sweets such as gulab jamun, jalebi and barfi

In summer, look for corn roasted over coals and sold on the street, a long-time Gerrard tradition.

What is the difference between North and South Indian food?

North Indian food, the most familiar in Canada, is built around wheat breads like naan and roti, creamy curries, tandoori cooking and dairy such as paneer. South Indian food uses more rice, lentils, coconut and tamarind, with dishes like dosa, idli, vada, sambar and coconut chutney. Little India has both, plus Pakistani grills and Sri Lankan dishes, so it is a good place to compare.

How do you buy Indian sweets?

Sweet shops display rows of mithai behind glass, priced by weight. Point at what you want, or ask for a mixed box. Popular choices include gulab jamun (fried milk dumplings in syrup), jalebi (crisp syrupy spirals), barfi (milk fudge) and ladoo. Sweet shops get very busy before Diwali, when families buy boxes as gifts.

Is Little India good for vegetarians?

It is one of the best areas in Toronto for vegetarian food. Many dishes are built on lentils, chickpeas, vegetables and paneer, and some restaurants are fully vegetarian. South Indian restaurants in particular have long vegetarian menus. If you are vegan, ask about ghee (clarified butter), yogurt and cream.

What is chaat and how do you eat it?

Chaat is a family of tangy, crunchy, spicy street snacks from North India. Popular versions include pani puri (hollow crisp shells you fill with spiced water and eat in one bite), bhel puri (puffed rice with chutneys and onion), aloo tikki chaat (potato patties topped with yogurt and chutneys) and samosa chaat (a broken samosa smothered in chickpeas and sauces). Each bite should be sweet, sour, salty and spicy at once. Chaat is best eaten immediately, before the crisp parts soften, so eat it at the counter or right outside.

Is Little India good for halal food?

Many Pakistani and some Indian restaurants in the area serve halal meat. Practices vary, so ask restaurants directly about their meat and certification.

When is the best time to visit Little India?

Summer weekends are the liveliest, with street food and festival events. The area has hosted a South Asian festival over a summer weekend, with music, Bollywood screenings and food; check current listings. Before Diwali in the fall, sweet shops and clothing stores are at their busiest.

Are there festivals in Little India?

The Gerrard India Bazaar is at its liveliest around festivals. Diwali, in the fall, brings sweet shops their busiest weeks, with special boxes of mithai for families and gifts. In summer, the neighbourhood has hosted an outdoor street festival celebrating South Asian food, music and culture, with stalls along Gerrard Street East.

Holidays and celebrations from many communities are marked here, including Eid, when restaurants and sweet shops are busy with families. If you want the atmosphere, visit around a festival; if you want a quiet meal, avoid those weekends. Festival dates move from year to year, so check the current listings.

How much does food cost in Little India?

Snacks, chaat and thali-style meals are among the best-value food in the east end, and portions are generous. Ontario adds the 13 percent HST to restaurant bills. Tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount at table service; at counters and sweet shops, tipping is optional.

How to plan a visit to the Gerrard India Bazaar

1. Take the 506 streetcar or walk south from Coxwell station.
2. Start with chaat or samosas from a counter.
3. Have a sit-down lunch of curries or dosa.
4. Pick up sweets to take home.
5. Walk south to Leslieville or the Beaches to finish the day.

On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the dishes you ordered, with photos, and share a list of Little India favourites with friends, so the next person knows which sweet shop to visit first.

More guides to read next:

• Mississauga and Brampton food guide: Punjabi, Pakistani and Caribbean food in Peel Region
• Little Italy Toronto: where to eat on College Street and in Corso Italia
• Markham and Richmond Hill food guide: Highway 7, Pacific Mall and regional Chinese

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.