The Ace

The Ace, Roncesvalles: A Michelin Bib Gourmand Gastropub Worth Returning To

Book The Ace. At the $$ price point, with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, this Roncesvalles gastropub offers one of the clearest value propositions in Toronto's dining scene. It is not a special-occasion restaurant; it is the kind of neighbourhood place that rewards regulars, the multi-visit strategy here is deliberate: one visit tells you what it is, two or three visits tell you why it holds the Bib.

The Room

The address on Roncesvalles Avenue puts The Ace in one of Toronto's most walkable west-end neighbourhoods; a strip defined by low-rise storefronts, a strong local customer base, a sensibility that skews independent over corporate. Visually, expect a gastropub interior that reads as lived-in rather than designed for Instagram: the kind of room where the light is warm, the seating is practical, the focus is on the table in front of you rather than the backdrop behind you.

Why the Bib Gourmand Matters Here

Michelin's Bib Gourmand designation is awarded to restaurants offering good food at a price Michelin considers reasonable. In Toronto, where the $$$$ tier is well-stocked with technically ambitious restaurants, Alo, Sushi Masaki Saito, Aburi Hana, the Bib tier is smaller and more competitive than it looks. Holding the designation for two consecutive years is not an accident; it reflects kitchen consistency over time, not a single strong service. For a $$ gastropub in a residential neighbourhood, that credential carries real weight.

A Multi-Visit Strategy for The Ace

The PEA-R-16 framing applies directly here: The Ace is a place that reveals itself across visits, going once without planning a return is leaving value on the table.

First visit: Treat it as reconnaissance. Order broadly across the menu. At the $$ price range, the risk of over-ordering is low. The goal is to identify which corner of the kitchen's range connects with your preferences, the gastropub format means the menu will span comfort-leaning plates and more considered cooking, what you want to return for will depend on which direction speaks to you.

Second visit: Come back with a smaller group or as a pair and go deeper on the items that worked the first time. A Bib Gourmand kitchen at this price point typically has two or three dishes that justify the credential on their own. Your second visit is where you find them. If you are coming from outside the neighbourhood, pair it with a walk along Roncesvalles before or after, the strip earns the trip on its own terms.

Third visit: By this point you know the menu well enough to use it as a regular. The Ace, given its neighbourhood positioning and $$ price range, is the kind of restaurant that functions better as a local anchor than a one-time destination. If you are not already west-end adjacent, this is the visit where you decide whether it earns a cross-city trip on its own, at this price and quality tier, it does.

For broader context on Toronto's dining options across categories and price tiers, see our full Toronto restaurants guide.

How It Compares to Peers in the Gastropub Category

Against other North American gastropubs with serious credentials, The Ace holds up well. Camden Spit & Larder in Sacramento and Damn the Weather in Seattle operate in a broadly similar register, neighbourhood-rooted, quality-focused, accessible pricing, but The Ace carries the Michelin credential that neither does. Within Canada, the gastropub format at this price point is less common among Michelin-recognised venues, which makes The Ace a relatively clear choice if the format matches what you are after.

If you are planning a broader Toronto dining itinerary, see also DaNico and Don Alfonso 1890 for higher price-tier options in the city. For travel beyond Toronto, AnnaLena in Vancouver and Tanière³ in Quebec City are comparable in their commitment to serious cooking at accessible price points, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Lincoln is worth the drive if you are pairing dining with Ontario wine country. For Ontario dining further afield, The Pine in Creemore operates in a similar neighbourhood-pub-with-ambition mode. In Quebec, Jérôme Ferrer - Europea in Montreal and Narval in Rimouski round out the Canadian picture for travellers eating their way across the country.

Practical Details

For more on Toronto's hotel, bar, winery, experience options, see our Toronto hotels guide, our Toronto bars guide, our Toronto wineries guide, and our Toronto experiences guide.

The Verdict

The Ace is one of the easier yes decisions in Toronto dining. The price is accessible, the Michelin Bib Gourmand is held for two consecutive years and is not a fluke, the multi-visit format works in its favour: this is a place that improves with familiarity. If you have been once and liked it, go back. If you have not been, start soon, this is the category of restaurant Toronto does not have enough of at this credential level.