Amazing! I got a…read morereally good onion and parsley cheese from here. In my week long stay I visited 3 times! I wish they stayed open later or else I would have visited more. Everyone who works there is friendly but I liked the lady. She was so sweet and genuinely seemed to care about my trip to Toronto. I love this shop! The smell is really cheesy so be prepared!

After cleaning out my fridge this morning, from a 13.5 hour power outage, I needed to stock up on…read morecheese. Since I was in Kensington I decided to check out this place. A pungent odor hits you in the face as you open the door. It is a narrow shop not well suited to those ignoring the limits on number of customers at a time. Service is friendly. They have a small but good selection. I grabbed gruyere, emmenthal, Bonne Maman strawberry jam, Italian prosciutto and oddly some of my favourite chocolate dipped Hobnob cookies.

Just fantastic! We had gone a few days prior to this to Frankenmuth and saw an advertisement for a…read morecheese shop, which was an utterly disappointing tourist trap. This place is a cheese temple. The beautiful aroma of all sorts of cheeses, the warm and welcoming staff. This is a beautiful spot, and I wish it were closer to me. Every single person here was amazing, friendly, helpful and made great recommendations. I highly suggest a stop here if you are in the area, and sample and purchase some lovely cheese!

Know your stuff otherwise they'll lie and try and sell you something that is not Wensleydale…read morecheese. Misery in make up at the cash, leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Amazing selection of all kinds of meat, deli, sausages, sauces, condiments, broths, prepared and…read morefrozen foods. Expect to pay more than the regular grocery store but you know you're getting good quality. Sanagan's Meat Locker is not just another butcher shop, it's a meat lover's paradise. They cater to diverse palate ensuring there's something for everyone including offering seasonal and local game meats. But beyond the exceptional quality of their meats, what truly elevates Sanagan's is their outstanding customer service. The staff is not only knowledgeable but also incredibly friendly. They take the time to understand your needs and preferences and provide personalized recommendations. This is my go to place for when I need to buy quality meat to make a perfect dinner at home or impress guests for that special occasions.

I absolutely love Sanagan's Meat Locker. I've been going to Sanagan's for 5 years now and I can't…read morebelieve I've never reviewed it. Sanagan's Meat Locker is not just a Butchery, but also a market that showcases many high quality artisanal and local products. Their meats are always high quality and enhances whatever recipe you are using. There's also an educational aspect to Sanagan's. If you subscribe to their newsletter, or buy Peter Sanagan's book, you learn so much about what cuts of meat to use with what types of dishes, you discover hidden gems in cuts of meat, not to mention fantastic recipes. I had never heard of flat iron steaks (one of the most tender cuts of beef and very affordable) before Sanagan's and now it's a staple in my household. You are also able to order cuts of meat that are not available at the counter (I ordered duck hearts once) as well as order ahead online. The housemade sauces and charcuterie made by Sanagan's are also delicious. They might be slightly higher priced than supermarket brands, but they're highly worth it. Everyone is also super friendly and helpful at Sanagan's, you just know that they're being treated well there.

I have lived near Kensington Market for 5 years, and have shopped at all three cheese stores in the…read moremarket. I will no longer be patronizing Mendels Creamery. I have been attracted to their prices for cheese, but find that the perceived value is not actual. I suspected this for a while, but only gave in to confirming my suspicions after I acquired a calibrated digital scale. I weighed the cheese at home and found that on my last 3 purchases, I have been short-changed. The first time, I thought it might be a mistake, but this shortfall has been consistent. On my last [now final] visit, I asked for some of their "crumbled feta" and received a tub of cubed feta that was mostly brine. Yes, the whole weight *almost* reflected the quoted price, but paying 88 cents per hundred grams for mostly salty water guarantees that I will be shopping elsewhere from now on.

A great store. Perhaps it's not as big as some of the other cheese stores at Kensington Market,…read morebut the customer service is far better and the prices are quite good. Although Mendels was quite busy when I walked in today, the woman helping me was very patient and answered all of my questions, gave me samples of cheeses, and gave advice based on my preferences. I love that when I asked for 200 gramms of cheese, I got 200 gramms of cheese -- this is not true with some of the other cheese stores in the area...they give you more than you asked for so you pay more.

Tried the pizza and banana & dulce de leche empanadas. Both were fried. Most of the empanadas here…read moreare baked. Pizza was pretty good. Though pre made it still had some crispness. It was thin but was generously and tastily stuffed. The crust had a good texture - light & flaky. Banana had the same good crust and was also generously stuffed with rich, creamy banana & dulce de leche goodness. They also have cold baked empanadas to bring home, but they're the same price and have tax just like the hot ones. Go figure.

We walked past the counter and we loved seeing the empanadas…read more So we got a fried chorizo and cheese empanada and a fried corn Colombian empanada. Both were super greasy. The Colombian empanada was supposed to be chicken and she gave us beef. Not great. I have a stomach ache due to the greasy food.

We enjoyed an excellent meal at Cumbraes today. We suggest a sign telling us to order and pay…read morebefore sitting down. . Patrick was attentive, not intrusive, just spot on. Hope he is there when we return. Carole Mann

If you like to pay for average to poor meat in a fancy store and pay a premium for it - Cumbraes is…read morefor you. I bought a Cowboy steak - yes a cowboy steak - for $88 last night thinking it would be enough for 2 people. For whatever reason (probably poor aging) cooked medium rare it shrank to barely being able to feed us. and if am honest it was flavorless and tough. Very very underwhelming for whiat is meant to be a premium cut. I will never go back. Frankly the premium cuts at any one of the superstores are of higher quality and grade - but if you like saying you got your meat there and impressing the neighbors - this review will mean very little to you.

I've been a patron of Dainties for years and I always get their Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches! We're…read moretalking about a 1-inch slab of ice cream between two flawless palm-sized macarons. You can't go wrong with any of their premium flavours. Each one of them is tuned to perfection, with an emphasis on Asian flavours. I always feel like a kid in a candy store here. Perhaps it's because of the colourful display from the moment you step inside, or the seemingly endless list of flavours on the wall staring back at you, or maybe it's because the moment you swing open the door, a friendly storeowner readily appears at your service? Hm... what will I have today? Pro tip: as the store owner would tell you, wait a few min for the ice cream sandwich to thaw before biting in. About 5 min is good and enough time to take Yelp pics. The only unfortunate thing for me is that they're downtown and I'm uptown! Regardless, I always make an effort to drop by whenever I can. Their opening hours are not too friendly though... But I guess you can say that adds to their appeal. This little shop could really use more publicity. I believe we have to get more people eating macaron ice cream sandwiches this summer. I highly recommend!!!

I've been meaning to try out this place for the longest time, but since this is their only location…read moreand I live quite far away I was super excited when I was nearby one day. I got 6 macarons, hk milk tea, black sesame, Oreo, creme brûlée, matcha and pistachio. Came to $21, but 6 no taxes. Every bite was delicious as the next. I really enjoyed the black sesame. I also wanted the ice cream sandwich but decided against the mess my kids would make in the car so I will get it for sure next time! I love the variety of their flavours. Definitely made it hard to choose!

The owner put me in my place, and, to be fair, I was asking for it…read more There are very few restaurants where you can walk in, order a sandwich, get reminded that you are not the main character, and leave thinking, "I fucking love this place." Illstyl3 Sammies is one of them. Sammy has something that feels almost contrarian in Toronto now: an actual personality. Not the carefully curated, Instagram ready kind, but the kind where you get the sense he genuinely couldn't care less about making you comfortable if it means compromising the way he wants to run his place. And I mean that as the highest compliment. Toronto has become saturated with copycat smash burgers, boba, matcha, and restaurants that seem to have been conceived from the same nauseatingly uniform Pinterest mood board. Illstyl3 feels like it was dropped here from a city where a little abrasion is part of the charm, and simply never received the memo about Toronto politeness. There's an irreverence to it that I adore. A little Soup Nazi. A little "you'll get your sandwich when you're ready to behave." And somehow, instead of being off putting, it makes the whole thing feel authentic. If your feelings get hurt because a sandwich shop owner didn't treat you like a valued shareholder, that's probably something you should unpack. Give me more places with this much chutzpah. More personality. More edge. More people who aren't afraid to be a little out there. More sammies. Food was solid too.

This small joint serves up some tasty subs! We got the option 1 - beef steak w.choice of cheese…read moremalted over top, Provolone or American Cheddar. CHEF SAYS YOU GOTTA DO AMERICAN CHEDDAR! Will note that for next time! Additionally, you can dress it up with some ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles and/or bbq sauce. Thank you Chef and Team for a delicious bite! See you again soon! PS because the space is really small, you may have to wait outside ~5-10 mins as these babies are fired up as you order them! Dress warm and dont take offense to Chef asking you to wait outside! Haha

Probably my favourite fruit stand in The Market. Prices are usually good, produce is pretty good…read more(sometimes on sale), and the little Asian ladies are wonderful! Just make sure to go in at least 1/2 hour before closing, as sometimes they start to prep close then and you may not get what you want/may get shooed out or get grumbles if you get there too late. If you've gotta eat on the cheap and need fruits and veg, this is the place to go. I've made quite a few amazing soups from the produce here, with no regrets whatsoever.

"Oxford Fruit" is one of my nicknames actually, because I am from Oxford in England, and well,…read moreanyway. In the heart of the overpriced and hipstery Kensington Market, this large and noticeable fruit shop with an awesome name, has plenty of good products. Their oranges and bananas were tasty and fresh, and their kale was crisp and not at all wilted or mouldy. I really appreciate that. It's certainly not cheap, but it's worth it considering the quality of what they are selling.

I have been going to Essence of Life for years - literally probably 16 years at this point. Which…read moreis crazy! They have never lost their Kensington vibe or decent prices! You can always find a ton of products in here that are better priced then other health food stores. Staff are always lovely. I stop in here all the time even when I don't need anything. They have everything from fresh veggies, to dairy (and vegan dairy), meats (and vegan meats), drinks, snacks, oils, bulk pantry items, household cleaning and toiletries, and a large supplement section. It's amazing that they can fit all of this in one seemingly small store!

I randomly was looking for rosemary oil because I saw a trending video by a dermatologist that…read morerosemary oil is effective for hair growth?! (do your own research). A natural way to promote more hair growth? I'm down to try. I am amazed this little store in Kensington has so many essential to trendy natural products at such reasonable prices. You'll find anything from natural deodorant to vegan nail polish, essential oils, natural beauty products, cleaning supplies, and a grocery at the back. Wow! I can see why they are so busy. It can be tricky to find things you need through all the aisles of products, but the staff knows where everything is when you ask. Purchased Neem oil 100ml (Unbranded) $5.99 Rosemary oil organic 30ml (Now brand) $17.99 Their Dr. Bronner's Castile soap is a great price compared to buying online through Amazon. It's always a great bonus to save money while supporting local.