Restaurant in Toronto, Canada
Two Michelin Bibs. $$ prices. Easy yes.
The Ace holds Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition for 2024 and 2025 — two consecutive years — and delivers at the $$ price point on Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto's west end. With a 4.5-star rating across more than 1,000 Google reviews and easy booking, it is one of the clearest value calls in the city's Michelin-recognised dining tier. Plan multiple visits: the menu rewards familiarity.
Book The Ace. At the $$ price point, with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, this Roncesvalles gastropub offers one of the clearest value propositions in Toronto's dining scene. It is not a special-occasion restaurant — it is the kind of neighbourhood place that rewards regulars, and the multi-visit strategy here is deliberate: one visit tells you what it is, two or three visits tell you why it holds the Bib.
The address on Roncesvalles Avenue puts The Ace in one of Toronto's most walkable west-end neighbourhoods — a strip defined by low-rise storefronts, a strong local customer base, and a sensibility that skews independent over corporate. Visually, expect a gastropub interior that reads as lived-in rather than designed for Instagram: the kind of room where the light is warm, the seating is practical, and the focus is on the table in front of you rather than the backdrop behind you. At 4.5 stars across 1,051 Google reviews, the consistency of the experience is documented at scale , this is not a venue coasting on a single good year.
Michelin's Bib Gourmand designation is awarded to restaurants offering good food at a price Michelin considers reasonable. In Toronto, where the $$$$ tier is well-stocked with technically ambitious restaurants , Alo, Sushi Masaki Saito, Aburi Hana , the Bib tier is smaller and more competitive than it looks. Holding the designation for two consecutive years is not an accident; it reflects kitchen consistency over time, not a single strong service. For a $$ gastropub in a residential neighbourhood, that credential carries real weight.
The PEA-R-16 framing applies directly here: The Ace is a place that reveals itself across visits, and 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 $$ price range, the risk of over-ordering is low. The goal is to identify which corner of the kitchen's range connects with your preferences , the gastropub format means the menu will span comfort-leaning plates and more considered cooking, and what you want to return for will depend on which direction speaks to you.
Second visit: Come back with a smaller group or as a pair and go deeper on the items that worked the first time. A Bib Gourmand kitchen at this price point typically has two or three dishes that justify the credential on their own. Your second visit is where you find them. If you are coming from outside the neighbourhood, pair it with a walk along Roncesvalles before or after , the strip earns the trip on its own terms.
Third visit: By this point you know the menu well enough to use it as a regular. The Ace, given its neighbourhood positioning and $$ 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 , and 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.
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, and 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.
| Detail | The Ace | Alo | Edulis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | $$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
| Cuisine | Gastropub | Contemporary | Canadian / Mediterranean |
| Michelin recognition | Bib Gourmand (2024, 2025) | Michelin Star | Michelin Star |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Hard | Moderate |
| Google rating | 4.5 (1,051 reviews) | N/A | N/A |
| Neighbourhood | Roncesvalles, west end | Summerhill | Niagara Street |
For more on Toronto's hotel, bar, winery, and experience options, see our Toronto hotels guide, our Toronto bars guide, our Toronto wineries guide, and our Toronto experiences guide.
The Ace is one of the easier yes decisions in Toronto dining. The price is accessible, the Michelin Bib Gourmand is held for two consecutive years and is not a fluke, and the multi-visit format works in its favour: this is a place that improves with familiarity. If you have been once and liked it, go back. If you have not been, start soon , this is the category of restaurant Toronto does not have enough of at this credential level.
The Ace is a Michelin Bib Gourmand gastropub on Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto's west end, priced at $$. It is one of the more approachable entry points into Toronto's Michelin-recognised dining scene. The format is casual, the price is low-risk, and 1,051 Google reviews at 4.5 stars suggest consistent execution. Go in expecting a quality neighbourhood pub, not a fine dining room, and it will exceed those expectations.
Ace's seat count is not published, but the Roncesvalles Avenue footprint suggests a mid-size room typical of neighbourhood gastropubs in Toronto's west end. For groups larger than four, contact the venue directly to confirm capacity and whether reservations are required. At the $$ price point, group dining here is cost-effective compared to most other Michelin-recognised options in the city.
Dietary accommodation details are not available in the public record for The Ace. Contact the venue directly before visiting if you have specific requirements. As a gastropub format, the menu will typically include meat-forward dishes, but most kitchens at this credential level are accustomed to handling common restrictions. Call ahead rather than assuming.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in the public record, so Pearl will not invent them. What the Bib Gourmand credential does confirm is that there are dishes on the menu Michelin inspectors found worth returning for at the $$ price point. On a first visit, order broadly. On a second visit, focus on what stood out. The multi-visit approach is the most reliable way to identify the menu's strongest offerings.
Yes. The gastropub format is one of the most solo-friendly dining categories: counter or bar seating is typically available, the casual atmosphere removes the awkwardness of a table for one, and the $$ price point makes a solo visit low-commitment. The Ace's 4.5-star rating across over 1,000 reviews suggests the room is comfortable for regulars and solo diners alike.
Bar seating is standard for gastropubs of this type, but the specific layout of The Ace is not confirmed in the public record. If bar seating is a priority, call ahead or arrive early. In the gastropub format generally, bar seating is a good way to eat solo or as a pair without a reservation.
Booking difficulty at The Ace is rated Easy, which means same-week reservations are typically achievable. That said, the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025 will have increased demand. For weekend evenings, a few days' notice is sensible. Weekday bookings are likely available with less lead time. This is a direct contrast to $$$$ Michelin venues in Toronto like Alo, where booking windows run weeks or months out.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| The Ace | $$ | — |
| Alo | $$$$ | — |
| Sushi Masaki Saito | $$$$ | — |
| Aburi Hana | $$$$ | — |
| Don Alfonso 1890 | $$$$ | — |
| Edulis | $$$$ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Come expecting a neighbourhood gastropub that punches above its weight: The Ace holds Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in both 2024 and 2025, which means Michelin considers the food quality strong relative to what you pay. At the $$ price point on Roncesvalles Avenue, it is one of the more approachable entry points into Toronto's credentialed dining scene. Arrive without a long agenda — this is a casual, repeat-visit kind of place, not a special-occasion set-menu restaurant.
Groups are workable here given the gastropub format, but larger parties should check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity and any reservation requirements. The $$ price range makes it a practical choice for a group dinner without a per-head budget conversation. For groups wanting a private dining room or a more structured experience, Alo or Don Alfonso 1890 are better fits.
Specific menu details are not available in current records, so contact The Ace at 231A Roncesvalles Ave directly before booking if dietary restrictions are a firm requirement. Gastropubs at this price point generally offer enough menu range to accommodate common restrictions, but confirmation ahead of the visit is the practical move.
Specific dish details are not documented here, and fabricating menu items would be doing you a disservice. What is documented is that Michelin awarded The Ace its Bib Gourmand in consecutive years — meaning the food quality is the reason to go. Check current menus directly with the venue before visiting.
A gastropub format at the $$ price point is one of the more comfortable solo dining setups in any city. You are not committing to a long tasting menu or an awkward table-for-one at a formal room. If bar seating is available, solo diners are well served here — see the bar seating question below for more.
Bar seating specifics are not confirmed in available records for The Ace, so it is worth calling ahead or checking on arrival. Gastropubs of this format typically offer bar or counter seating, which works well for solo diners and walk-ins. If bar seating matters to your visit, confirm directly with the venue at 231A Roncesvalles Ave.
Back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025 means demand has increased, and booking a week or more ahead is the safer approach for weekend visits. Weeknight tables may come available with shorter notice, but do not count on a walk-in on a Friday or Saturday. Reservation hours and booking channels are not confirmed in current records, so check directly with the venue.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
