World Cup dining: spots within walking distance of stadium
If you scored World Cup tickets, here's where to eat near Toronto Stadium without fighting Uber traffic after the final whistle.
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Forty-five thousand fans will flood the area around Toronto Stadium for each World Cup match, and finding a bite within walking distance could be the difference between catching the next game and spending two hours in traffic.
Hotel X, sitting on the CNE grounds just 5 to 7 minutes' walk from the stadium, is doing triple duty. Valerie on the 28th floor offers sweeping lake and skyline views with Japanese-inspired dishes—Wagyu tataki, tempura cod bao—and creative cocktails like the Kyoto Sour, a bright mix of Tanqueray, pandan-infused mezcal, Domaine de Canton, melon liqueur, yuzu, sesame syrup, grapefruit bitters and egg white. Roses Social slings classic North American comfort, and Playbook Commons on the ground floor pairs giant screens with truffled pasta and tableside smoked scotch.
Left Field Brewery in Liberty Village, a 10- to 12-minute walk, is throwing Liberty Matchdays in the courtyard for all six Toronto game days. Sony Music has partnered with them to bring DJs, grilled hot dogs, and cold beer. Their new Home Turf North American Lager—a crisp blend of Canadian pilsner, Mexican barley and US-grown Oaxacan green corn—is on tap.
Mildred's Temple Kitchen, also 10 to 12 minutes away, is famously rammed during weekend brunch and daily "b'lunch." Their iconic blueberry pancakes alone are worth the walk and the wait. Walk-ins on weekends; reservations available weekdays.
The area around the waterfront corridor stretches from Exhibition Place east along Bremner Boulevard and Queens Quay, with programming and fan zones extending five kilometres. Between Hotel X, Left Field, Mildred's, and dozens of other spots within a 30-minute walk, there's no reason to skip eating near the action.