Greektown's most consistent taverna. The mezze spread here — tzatziki, spanakopita, saganaki — is as good as it gets outside of Athens. In summer the patio on the Danforth is where Toronto comes to pretend it's Mediterranean.
Neighbourhood: Danforth · Address: 456 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Sun 11am–11pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 465-5500 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Mezes is where Torontonians go for communal plates of Greek mezze that actually rival what you'll find in Athens, with a buzzing patio scene on warm evenings. The spanakopita and grilled saganaki are always spot on.
Unlike most Greektown spots, Mezes serves a huge variety of share plates—think more than a dozen hot and cold mezze—making it perfect for groups who want to try a bit of everything. Service is refreshingly brisk, and their summer patio is one of the Danforth’s most fun people-watching perches.
Mezes on the Danforth is the Greektown restaurant that does the summer patio experience best — which is the relevant metric for a neighbourhood where every restaurant has a summer patio and the competition is accordingly fierce. The patio is large, the service is warm, the saganaki is flamed tableside, and the Danforth in July at 7pm has a specific exuberant quality that makes dinner feel like a celebration regardless of the occasion.
The mezze spread is the correct way to eat here. Tzatziki (house-made, thick, properly garlicky, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with dill), hummus (smooth, properly lemony), taramosalata (roe-based, lighter pink rather than the lurid commercial version), and a basket of warm pita. Then the spanakopita (spinach and feta phyllo, shatteringly crisp when fresh from the oven, worth the five-minute wait for it to come out hot). Then the saganaki — a slab of kefalotyri or kasseri cheese, flamed tableside in brandy, pressed to the pan until the surface caramelizes, served with lemon. The server calls "Opa!" when it flames. The table applauds. This happens every time without irony and is the correct response.
The lamb souvlaki (marinated skewers, cooked over charcoal, served with pita and tzatziki) and the lamb chops (grilled, herb-rubbed) are the main course options worth ordering over the chicken. The galaktoboureko dessert — custard cream in phyllo, soaked in lemon syrup — is the end.
The Danforth Taste of the Danforth festival in August turns the street into an enormous open-air food event; Mezes is one of the central participants.
Mezes is a Greek taverna at 456 Danforth Avenue in Greektown, known for mezze spreads (tzatziki, spanakopita, taramosalata, saganaki flamed tableside), lamb souvlaki, lamb chops, and a large summer patio. It's one of the Danforth's most consistent Greek restaurants and the correct introduction to Greektown dining. Open daily 11am–11pm.
Start with a full mezze spread: tzatziki, hummus, spanakopita (ask for it fresh from the oven), and saganaki (the tableside-flamed cheese is mandatory). For mains: lamb souvlaki on charcoal or lamb chops over chicken. End with galaktoboureko (custard cream in phyllo with lemon syrup). Order in rounds so each item arrives fresh. A patio table in summer is worth requesting in advance.
Greektown is the stretch of Danforth Avenue between Broadview and Woodbine, hosting the highest concentration of Greek restaurants and businesses in Toronto. The neighbourhood has a strong Greek-Canadian community history and an authentic Hellenic dining culture — not tourist-facing but community-rooted. The Taste of the Danforth festival in August turns the street into Toronto's largest outdoor food event. Nearest subways: Chester and Pape (Line 2).
Saganaki is a Greek fried cheese dish — typically kefalotyri or kasseri cheese pan-fried until the surface caramelizes, then flamed tableside in brandy or ouzo before serving with lemon. The tableside flaming (accompanied by the call 'Opa!') is the theatrics; the food itself is a crispy-surfaced, molten-interior cheese dish served hot with lemon juice squeezed over it. It's one of the defining dishes of Greek-Canadian taverna culture.
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