Restaurant in Toronto, Canada
Michelin value in Kensington Market. Book it.
Two back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024–2025) make Sunnys Chinese one of the clearest value plays in Toronto's Chinese dining category. Chef David Schwartz runs a compact, no-frills room in Kensington Market at a $$ price point that makes multiple visits practical. Easy to book and worth returning to.
If you are comparing Sunnys Chinese to Toronto's $$$$ tasting-menu circuit, you are asking the wrong question. The real comparison is against the city's other Michelin-recognised casual spots: Sunnys wins on price, atmosphere, and repeat-visit appeal. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) confirm what regulars in Kensington Market already knew: this is one of the most consistent value propositions in the city's Chinese dining category. At a $$ price point, it is easy to say yes to a second visit before you have even finished the first.
Sunnys Chinese sits inside Kensington Market at 60 Kensington Ave, a neighbourhood that rewards curiosity and punishes anyone looking for a polished hotel-restaurant experience. The space reflects its surroundings: compact, lived-in, and built for eating rather than performing. For food-focused visitors, that is the point. The room is not large, and the physical setup means you are close to other tables and to the kitchen's energy. If you are coming for a quiet, spread-out dinner, reset your expectations. If you are coming to eat well in a space that feels genuinely local rather than tourist-facing, Sunnys fits the brief precisely.
Chef David Schwartz has built a Chinese kitchen in one of Toronto's most eclectic neighbourhoods, and the result reads as a serious cooking project rather than a concept exercise. The Bib Gourmand designation, awarded in back-to-back years, signals consistent execution at accessible prices — Michelin's specific shorthand for good food without the high-end bill. That consistency across two award cycles matters more than a single-year recognition, and it positions Sunnys as a dependable destination rather than a flash-in-the-pan opening.
For the explorer who wants to understand a city's dining identity across multiple visits, Sunnys is the kind of place that earns a slot on every Toronto trip. The $$ pricing means you can return without the planning weight of a splurge booking, and the Kensington Market location pairs naturally with a wider neighbourhood exploration. For context on how Toronto's Chinese dining compares at this price tier, Mimi Chinese operates in a similar register and is worth a direct comparison visit. House of Chan offers a different Chinese-Canadian register if you want to map the full range of the city's Chinese dining options.
The $$ price point and Kensington Market location make Sunnys one of the few Michelin-recognised spots in Toronto where a multi-visit approach is genuinely practical rather than aspirational. Here is how to think across visits:
For Toronto-based travellers building a broader restaurant itinerary, cross-reference with Mother's Dumplings for a different point on the Chinese dining spectrum, and consult our full Toronto restaurants guide for how Sunnys fits into the city's wider dining map. If you are building a Canada-wide food trip, Tanière³ in Quebec City, AnnaLena in Vancouver, and Jérôme Ferrer - Europea in Montreal each represent their respective cities at the higher price tiers. Closer to Toronto, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Lincoln and The Pine in Creemore are worth considering for day-trip dining outside the city. For international Chinese-restaurant benchmarks at a different price point, Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin and Mister Jiu's in San Francisco offer useful comparison frames.
Reservations: Easy to book — this is not a hard-to-get table by Toronto standards, but the room is small and the Bib Gourmand recognition has raised its profile, so booking ahead is smarter than walking in. Booking window: A few days to one week out is typically sufficient, though weekend evenings may tighten. Budget: $$ , one of the more accessible price points among Michelin-recognised venues in the city. Location: 60 Kensington Ave, Units 6-14, Kensington Market, Toronto. Dress: No formal code expected given the neighbourhood and price point; come as you are. For Toronto hotel context to pair with your visit, see our full Toronto hotels guide. For pre- or post-dinner drinks options, see our full Toronto bars guide. Broader Toronto planning resources: Toronto wineries and Toronto experiences.
Rated 4.4 out of 5 across 785 Google reviews, which is a healthy signal for a casual spot in a competitive neighbourhood. The volume of reviews confirms it is a well-trafficked destination rather than a niche find.
Yes. The compact room and casual format make solo dining comfortable rather than awkward. At a $$ price point, you can eat well without the commitment of a longer tasting menu. If you are comparing options for a solo meal in Toronto's Chinese category, Sunnys is a stronger pick than most in this price tier, and easier to execute alone than a larger group-format venue.
A few days to one week ahead is typically enough for weekday dinners. Weekend evenings, particularly given the back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, may fill faster. This is an easy booking by Toronto standards , nothing like the months-out lead time required for the city's $$$$ tasting-menu rooms , but do not assume you can walk in on a busy Friday night.
The space is compact, so large groups will feel the squeeze. Groups of two to four are the natural fit for this room. If you are planning a larger gathering, confirm capacity directly with the venue before committing, given the Kensington Market setting and the physical scale of the space. For larger group dining in Toronto's Chinese category, Mimi Chinese may offer more flexibility.
For Chinese dining in Toronto, Mimi Chinese is the closest direct comparison at a similar price register. House of Chan covers a different Chinese-Canadian angle. Mother's Dumplings is the right pick if your priority is dumpling-focused eating at the lowest price tier. If you want to step up to the $$$$ bracket, Alo and Sushi Masaki Saito are the city's benchmark tasting-menu rooms, but they serve entirely different functions.
The database does not confirm whether Sunnys operates a formal tasting menu, so avoid booking on that assumption. What the two Michelin Bib Gourmand awards do confirm is that the kitchen delivers strong value at its $$ price point , that is the specific credential Michelin attaches to the Bib designation. If a structured tasting format is your priority, Alo is Toronto's clearest answer at the $$$$ tier.
It depends on what you mean by special occasion. If you want a Michelin-recognised meal in a genuinely local setting without a $$$$ bill, Sunnys is a strong choice , the Bib Gourmand credential gives it credibility without the formality. If you need a polished, high-service environment for a milestone dinner, the Kensington Market setting and casual format are not the right fit: consider Alo or Sushi Masaki Saito instead. For a birthday dinner where the food matters more than the ceremony, Sunnys is worth the booking.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnys Chinese | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | $$ | — |
| Alo | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Sushi Masaki Saito | Michelin 2 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Aburi Hana | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Don Alfonso 1890 | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Edulis | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Sunnys Chinese and alternatives.
Yes, it works well for solo diners. The casual format at 60 Kensington Ave suits single covers without the awkwardness of a tasting-menu counter, and the $$ price point keeps a solo meal easy to justify. The room is small, so you will be close to other tables, but that suits the Kensington Market energy. Sunnys is a more comfortable solo option than somewhere like Aburi Hana, where the omakase format is calibrated for pairs.
A few days to a week ahead is enough most of the time, though the back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions in 2024 and 2025 have pushed demand up. Weekend evenings warrant earlier action. This is not a 30-day-out reservation like Alo or Sushi Masaki Saito — it is still a genuinely accessible table by Toronto standards.
The room is small, which makes large groups a tight fit. Parties of two to four are the natural format here. If you are organising a group of six or more, check directly with the venue before assuming availability, as the space at 60 Kensington Ave Units 6-14 has real physical limits. For a large group celebration, Don Alfonso 1890 or Alo are better equipped to handle the logistics.
For other strong-value Chinese dining in Toronto, Aburi Hana sits at a higher price point with a Japanese-Chinese omakase format. If you want Michelin-level ambition at the $$$-$$$$ range, Edulis offers a similarly chef-driven approach but in a European idiom. Sunnys Chinese is the clearest answer in Toronto for Michelin-recognised cooking at $$ pricing in a casual neighbourhood setting — there is no direct like-for-like in the city at that combination.
The venue database does not confirm a tasting menu format at Sunnys Chinese, so this cannot be verified. What is confirmed is a $$ price range and back-to-back Bib Gourmand recognition from Michelin in 2024 and 2025, which signals strong value relative to quality regardless of format. If a set menu is available when you visit, the Bib Gourmand credential suggests it is priced to deliver.
It depends on what kind of occasion. Sunnys Chinese at $$ in Kensington Market is a good call for a birthday or casual celebration where the priority is great food without formality or a large bill. It is not the right venue if you need a private room, a long wine list, or a polished service register — for that, Alo or Don Alfonso 1890 are better fits. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition gives you a credible story to tell at the table.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
