Lobster rolls are having a moment in Toronto — here are five worth trying

Toronto's lobster-roll moment is here. After years of watching people in coastal towns enjoy them from picnic tables, Toronto restaurants are stepping up with their own versions — some seasonal, some permanent.

The Annex bagel shop with a ramshackle wood exterior that wouldn't look out of place in Maritime Canada expanded to dinner service this summer. Their lobster roll leads the menu: a quarter-pound of lobster hacked into hefty chunks served on a buttery bun for $45, or a half-pound for $79. If you're on a tighter budget, the Nordic shrimp salad roll runs $21.

In Leslieville, a neighbourhood watering hole swapped its usual Sunday roast for lobster rolls this summer. They're served on homemade buns with generous Nova Scotia lobster for $27 — but there's a catch: they make only 60 a day and they're only available Sundays starting at 3 p.m.

A food court stall might seem like the last place you'd expect a serious lobster roll, but the rolls here come in multiple preparations: cold or warm, spicy or sweet, even deep-fried. The buttery buns on the griddle smell so good you can catch the aroma upstairs.

St. Lawrence Market has been serving lobster rolls for over 30 years. The rolls come heaped with East Coast lobster and thin, crispy fries, and the experience of eating them while watching the market crowds ebb and flow makes the whole thing feel like the waterfront itself.