Feeling hungry? There are plenty of places to eat in and around U of T. We’ve divided the food options on and near campus into four categories: campus dining halls, food spots inside campus buildings (perfect for a quick meal between lectures or when the weather doesn’t lend itself to a trip outside), food trucks on St. George Street, and food spots near campus for when you have time for a longer walk or want to explore downtown Toronto’s food scene.
Check out the U of T food map.
U of T Mobile Order
U of T Mobile Order is an app on which you can order food from on-campus locations for in-person pickup. Mobile Order is compatible with locations including Sid’s Cafe, Medical Sciences Building Food Hall, and the residence dining halls. Some items, such as fried rice or burgers at Sid’s Cafe, can only be accessed via Mobile Order. Mobile Order can be used with Meal Plan Dollars or other forms of payment; we encourage you to install the app and scroll through the various options.
On-Campus Dining Halls
If you’d like to spend some of your meal plan balance, or have a craving for some classic cafeteria food, you might want to check out an on-campus dining hall. Dining hall menus have a variety of options to complement all your dietary wants and needs. For more information, check out the U of T Food Services website.
Chestnut Tree
The Chestnut Tree is the dining hall for Chestnut Residence, one of the main residences for engineering students. It works on an “All- You-Care-To-Eat” basis, meaning that you swipe your T card once when entering the hall and leave with as much food as you’d like. Since Chestnut’s full of engineering students, the Chestnut Tree’s a great place to make new friends and hang out while eating.
CampusOne Dining Commons
The CampusOne Dining Commons operates on a system and menu similar to Chestnut but does not allow non-residents of CampusOne to use their meal plans; they must instead use TBucks or external payment.
Audrey Taylor Dining Hall
The Audrey Taylor Dining Hall is New College’s dining hall and offers more or less the same menu as the Chestnut Tree. Most importantly, you can use your meal plan at both locations.
Howard Ferguson Dining Hall
Howard Ferguson Dining Hall is located in Morrison Hall, which is a part of University College. There are a variety of food options here; there are also a couple of cafés within the building which make for a nice dessert.
Food Spots Inside Campus Buildings
The Hard Hat Café, located in the Sandford Fleming basement (a.k.a. the Pit), is run by students, for students. Hard Hat Café is currently under renovation and will return as a food hub once the renovations are complete. Read more here.
Second Cup Coffee has multiple locations throughout campus, with the one at Myhal being especially notable among EngSci students given its proximity to the famous MY150 lecture hall (this is where you’ll have your Praxis I, II, and III lectures, along with many others). You can also find Second Cup Coffee at the Athletic Centre, Rotman, New College and Sid Smith. Most of these locations accept TBucks and Meal Plan Dollars and serve a range of coffee, tea, snacks and baked goods.
The Medical Sciences Building (AKA MedSci or MSB) is located extremely close to the engineering buildings and contains various food spots including Fresco Fresca (salads and grilled meat), Burger House (burgers/sandwiches, fries/poutine/chicken, and more), Pasta Pappardelle (pasta), The SUSHI BOWL (sushi bowls), Stone Oven Pizzeria (ready-to- go pizza slices),SMART CHICKEN (chicken sandwiches), Tortillas Cantina (Mexican-inspired dishes), GRAB ‘N’ GO (prepackaged salads and sandwiches, fruit, and other snacks), SNACK BAR, and Breakfast 101 (range of breakfast items).
MSB’s acceptance of Meal Plan Dollars and its proximity to the engineering buildings make it a popular location. However, the cafeteria is often busy around noon and is closed on weekends, so plan accordingly.
The Arbor Room is a café/restaurant located downstairs in Hart House. It offers a variety of food and snack options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while also providing a space to study or socialize with your peers. They accept TBucks and are also available on the aforementioned U of T Mobile Order app. For more details regarding their menu and hours of operation, please refer to their website.
Sid’s Cafe, located in Sidney Smith Hall (near Myhal and Bahen) hosts a variety of options such as Gourmet Burger House, Kung Fu Tea, Ramen Ya!, Tortillas, and many other options through Mobile Order. This cafeteria is a relatively underrated location amongst EngScis!
Robarts Cafeteria, located on the second floor of the John P. Robarts Research Library, offers a range of food options, including Grab ‘N’ Go, Kung Pow, The SUSHI BOWL, Tortillas Cantina, and more. The cafeteria is a great option when you need a quick meal during a long study session at the library; however, some locations may not be open on weekends or during the summer.
Food Trucks on St. George Street
Several food trucks are conveniently located along St. George Street, stretching from Bahen all the way to Innis College. You’ll notice that students often refer to food trucks by their color – e.g., “Green Truck”, “Pink Truck”, etc. This is more-or-less a convention among students, although the food trucks do have official names.
The trucks offer a range of food options. Some trucks sell shawarmas and salads, some sell hot dogs, burgers, and fried chicken, some sell a wide variety of Chinese rice and noodle dishes, while some exclusively sell drinks. You’ll also see a hot dog stand in front of Sidney Smith, often with long lineups.
Note that these food trucks don’t typically stay open late, and even the ones with the latest hours usually close around 11 p.m.
Food Spots Near Campus
*Note: we do not endorse any particular eating location off campus.
Toronto is one of the food capitals of the world. There are so many incredible restaurants that are within walking distance of campus that we couldn’t name them all. Some popular restaurant clusters near campus are located at:
- College St. opposite the main gates on King’s College Rd.
- College St. and Huron St.
- College St. and Spadina Ave.
- actually basically all of Spadina Ave.
- Spadina Ave. and Dundas St. West
- and more…
You can also choose to visit some iconic local locations. For example, Kensington Market, known for its many restaurants and dessert places is within walking distance from campus, and Chinatown is located a couple blocks south of campus on Dundas St. West.
Monika’s Experience:
My favorite place to eat – and the place I usually take visitors – is St. Lawrence Market. I love getting a large tropical juice from downstairs, picking up some good cheese, meat, fresh bread, and a chocolate croissant, and then exploring all the small shops throughout the market.
Monika at St. Lawrence Market
Cooking for Yourself
If you have access to a kitchen, then cooking at home is a great option. Some grocery stores located close to campus include:
- T&T Supermarket College Store
- Metro (northwest)
- Metro (southeast)
- Farm Boy
Being in a class with students from around the world is also a great chance to learn how to cook tasty dishes from each other. If this is your first time cooking for yourself, check out the University of Toronto Cooking & Food Club or ask a dietician for some help with meal planning.
Monika’s Experience
A lot of my friends save money on food by shopping at Costco or ordering groceries online (often from Walmart). I think placing one grocery order each week is a practical way to stay organized without having to think about food every day.
As a busy university student, I have to admit that I spend more money on prepared food than I should. Comparing myself to friends who meal prep made me realize how much money I could save with a little more planning. At the beginning of Semester II, I tried preparing all my meals for the week every Sunday. I kept it up for about three weeks. I think meal prepping an entire week of food was a bit much for me. It took a lot of time, and by the end of the week I was not very excited about eating vegetables and leftovers that had been sitting in my fridge for seven days.
Right now, I think the best balance is somewhere in the middle. During long days on campus, takeout is sometimes the most practical option, especially when there is not enough time to go home between classes or when I am studying late in the library. At the same time, I try to keep my fridge stocked with foods that are quick and easy to eat.
Lately, my go-to breakfast has been Greek yogurt with protein muesli. I am always looking for foods that are affordable, reasonably healthy, and require very little preparation – so you can also tell me all your tips 😊
If you’re looking for good deals and want to explore new places to eat, check out Campus Cravings.