The top 50 catering options in Toronto

Toronto catering options abound, whether you're looking for full-service party planners able to staff and decorate your next event, office lunch options, or pick-up platters of prepared foods. There's something for everyone on the list no matter personal preference or dietary restrictions.

Here are my picks for the top catering options in Toronto.

FORMAL FUNCTIONS

Daniel et Daniel

The off-site caterer has established itself as a pro at pulling off distinct weddings, corporate events and private functions. Use their services for planning, staffing, even, locating a venue - they can accommodate everything from cocktail receptions to sit-down dinners, buffets, or dinner stations.

Marigolds & Onions

In business since 1991, this experienced team of event planners boasts a portfolio of big corporate clients and successful 5,000-person events. From weddings and special occasions, to corporate orders for breakfasts, sandwich luncheons or a la carte meals.

Elle Cuisine

Chef Lauren Mozer and team gained acclaim at the Toronto Underground Market and continues to create elegant and memorable events through their full service operation. Event coordinators can help plan and execute weddings, parties and sit down dinners, but most fun of all are interactive food stations that let guests build their own tacos or sundaes, and chow down on fun street foods like poutine or mac and cheese.

A La Carte Kitchen

Since 1981, this Catering's company has amassed a reputation for its multi-course player dinners, buffets, passed hors d'oeuvres and more. Currently operating the bistro at the Gardiner Museum, they are also on the preferred caterer lists at other notable Toronto venues like the Toronto Botanical Gardens and Roy Thompson Hall.

The Food Dudes

This large scale catering operation has the capacity for massive events and proven track record for producing all types of functions from start to finish. They'll serve intimate sit down dinners, lavish weddings and corporate events with panache, but most fun and unique options include interactive stations like a stuffed baked potato bar or s'more buffet.

Toben Food By Design

The Cordon Bleu trained chef and team produce corporate and private events and can look after everything from rentals to staffing. No matter if the guest list is 10 to 1000 strong, expect beautifully presented food be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a cocktail affairs.

WORKING LUNCHES

Cafe Plenty

While pretty much every other place on this list will do lunch, Cafe Plenty makes it their niche. Group lunch orders can enjoy a scrupulously crafted sandwich, salad, dessert and a drink for a set price.

Petit Four Bakery

Working lunches don't get much better than this, with the menu featuring fresh-made focaccia sandwiches, salads and hot entrees like grilled salmon over quinoa, and slice flat iron steak with couscous.

Acqua Fine Foods

A retail space on The Queensway stocks prepared foods for walk-ins but does the bulk of its business in catering orders. Sandwich platters for corporate lunches, and a party starting lineup of hors d'oeuvres keeps its steady clientele satisfied.

McEwan Catering

While McEwan will arrange for servers if necessary, what this catering operation does best is boardroom ready, self-serve platters piled with sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, apps, and even large format entrees.

Pusateri's

The chain of fine foods shops will cater banquets complete with hors d'oeuvres, multi-course menus or ambulatory food stations, but where they really excel is with their catalogue of easy to order catering options for the business set featuring continental breakfast platters and corporate lunches.

Art of Food

No matter the type of event or type of service style sought, this events caterer can deliver. Corporate clients looking to spice up the boardroom should look no further than the vast lunchtime offerings including boxed lunches, deli and antipasto platters, and hot seasonal entrees.

VEGETARIAN

The Goods

The all-vegan, all-raw lunch delivery service based on Dundas West can easily cater groups of 10 to 400 people with its made-from-scratch menu featuring salads, grain bowls, smoothies and soups.

Doug's Public Kitchen

Specializing in organic, plant based cuisine like vegan comfort foods, gluten-free, macrobiotic, or raw living cuisine, Doug and his team will create custom menus for private events from date-nights to galas.

Karma Chamealeon

The Hamilton-based food truck is 100% vegan and is available for hire for private events. The fun menu features street foods like jerk jackfruit tacos, chili fries and Cajun tofu po'boys.

Veggie D'Light

This meat-free caterer can accommodate orders for small group functions, up to 20 people with just 48 hours notice. Menus offer apps like lettuce wraps, spring rolls and samosas, and vegan entrees like lasagna or crispy Thai-style seitan.

FLEXITARIAN

Urban Acorn

Catering to dietary restrictions of all types, this catering company makes it their mission to accommodate meat-eaters, vegans and gluten-free eaters all at once with farm to table fare. Corporate events, private functions and weddings all welcome.

Lisa Shamai Cuisinière

Parties of up to 1,000 can enlist this east-side kitchen to satisfy vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous guests with diverse menus that offer a little something for everyone.

The Steady

The Bloor Street home for dance parties and brunch is where meat-eaters and vegans can unite. The catering menu from The Steady is just as inclusive, offering finger foods, family-sized food stuffs like chips and guac by the litre, and enchiladas by the dozen, plus there's donuts, specialty cakes, and other confections.

COMFORT FOODS

Parts & Labour

Expect a wide range of catering styles from this Parkdale kitchen which can produce everything from casual street food stations, to elegant canapé receptions and seated multi-course dinners. The catering company operates three downtown venues while also offering a planning division to coordinate off-site events including street fests, outdoor function (even picnics), weddings and corporate events.

Barque Smokehouse

Catering menus by this smokehouse on Roncy offer options for elegant full service including plated appetizers and meat carving stations. For corporate luncheons and casual events opt for self-serve platters of appetizers or sandwiches, and piles of barbecued meats, sides and salads.

J.K Fries

Chef Jamie Kennedy still hosts private parties at his Gilead Cafe, but it's the french fry operation that's available for hire at private events. Served in paper cones, or as poutine, these promise to be a delicious and unique addition to any function.

Calabria Bakery

Need a whole tray of veal cutlets, entire lasagnas, salads, pizzas or sandwiches? This Italian bakery can cater homestyle favourites for parties of ten or more.

CLAM BAKES & SEAFOOD BOILS

Rodney's Oyster House

Aside from delectable oyster bars, this seafood purveyor offers catering packages featuring lobster boils and clam bakes with salads, corn on the cob, and all the fixins.

Smoked & Cracked

The restaurant on Mount Pleasant is still young but owners Michael Kash and Ron Rayner have over 40 years catering experience. The passionate seafood chefs can turn an office party into an East Coast lobster shack, or serve surf and turf dinners to 100 wedding guests.

Feast Your Eyes

Among the many different catering packages offered by this full service event planner, the

Down East Lobster Boil and Seafood Buffet is easily one of the standouts. The all-out seafood feast opens with apps like steamed mussels, crab cakes and chowder then features steamed crustaceans with drawn butter, salads, sides and desserts.

WHOLE HOGS

Rui's Roasted Piglet

Order online for $149.99, traditional Portuguese leitao a bairrada (roasted piglet), that will arrive to the party all crispy, juicy and warm. Servicing the GTA, this butcher and BBQ caterer will carve the beast before delivery, or present it whole in all its glory.

Culinary Artistry

A division of this Toronto catering company is devoted entirely to rotisserie roasted pigs. Order a piggy in a box for pick-up, have it carved on the buffet line, or even opt to have the whole hog cooked on a spit on site.

See also: The top 10 BBQ Caterers in Toronto

FILIPINO

Lamesa

The catering service offered by this restaurant on a Queen West is completely customizable to suit intimate dinners to weddings. Keep to the traditional, or opt for a modern take on Filipino cuisine offered in varied service styles ranging from buffet, to food stations, passed hors d'oeuvres, or plated dinners.

Tita Flips

The Market 707 vendor offers party trays of spring tools, noodles, rice, and crowd pleasing pork dishes like adobo pork or pata.

Chef George

Custom menus for any occasion are available whole there's also convenient and easy-to-order party trays that can be ordered in advance and picked up the day of your event. Chef's suggestions include chicken fried rice, miki bihon, bihon guisado, and pancit luglog.

LATIN

Sabrosito

Cordon Bleu chef, Carlos Fuenmayor specializes in small in-home parties of up to 20 people, though he has catered larger affairs, including dinners for up to 60 and canapés receptions for 125. His repertoire is expansive but Latino fare is a favourite to cook.

JD Best Fine Foods

Latin American baker, and owner of El Cafetal on, Julia Salcedo brings family traditions to Toronto events with staple menu items like cocktail sized empanadas, bite-sized quiches and mini affajores.

D.Kinnas Lanchonete

Providing parties with finger foods, 100 mini snacks at a time, find the menu featuring Brazil favourites like mini pastels stuffed with chicken or beef, cheese balls, heart of palm pie and kibe beef rolls.

CARIBBEAN

King Catering

Personal chef services and corporate and event catering will satisfy guest appetites with diverse offerings from Trinidad and Tobago-born chef, Deon King. Recent party menus have featured braised jerk pork ravioli, deep fried breadfruit with spicy Trini meatballs, and a coconut sorrel mousse.

Randy's Roti

Two food trucks can roll up to any corporate event, outdoor wedding or curbside event. Party down with doubles, jerk and fried chicken, stews and roti.

Jan's Catering Service

Bring a taste of the islands to your next party with cocktail-sized beef (or veggie) patties or pholourie balls. This Caribbean caterer in Markham is a good source for stacks of dhalpuri served with curry chickpea or goat, jerk chicken or shrimp fried rice.

SOUTH ASIAN

Babu Catering & Delivery

Spicy, exotic flavours including a wide assortment of authentic Indian, Sri Lankan, South Asian and Thamil foods are the specialty from this Scarborough take-out counter with the capacity to take large orders. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike will spicy or mild options from snack foods like vaipan, vadai and soosiyam

to curries, biryani and items from the tandoor oven.

Nantha Caters

The Sri Lankan takeout shop in Scarborough deals in paruppu vadai, samosa, koththu roti, curries that can feed large groups at remarkable value.

PERSIAN

Torsh

This catering kitchen operates from a second floor unit in little Italy, serving up beautifully presented Persian staples miniaturized for cocktail hour (think, mini noon paneer sabzi and kashke bademjan bites. Dips, stews and trays of chargrilled kebabs are excellent to order for mass consumption too.

Baran Catering

Based in Richmond Hill, this catering operation from chef Nader Taheri specializes in Persian and Mediterranean cuisine. Kebab platters and trays of

KOSHER

Zutcher Berk

Count on this kosher cater for any Jewish occasion, the company offers complete event planning for weddings and bar mitzvahs, plus shiva orders on short notice (24 hours requested).



Ely's Fine Foods

The retail counter on Bathurst stocks a wide array of salads and dips along with traditional Jewish staples like matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, roast beef brisket, and er, loads of kosher Chinese foods. It's easy to order pick-up meals for parties or shivas, while the full service caterer is happy to assist planning weddings, bar mitzvahs and corporate events.

Milk N' Honey

The catering menu from this Kosher restaurant in North York boasts trays of cheese blintzes and platters packed with sandwiches, bagels, cheese, or smoked fish, plus a wide array of sharable salads.

Yitz

Specialties from this Jewish deli counter include deli buffets, bagel and schmear brunches, and hot roast brisket family dinners for ten with all the traditional accompaniments like matzoh ball soup, chopped liver and roast potatoes.

Mitzuyan Kosher Catering

This strictly kosher mobile kitchen means any beautiful venue can be matched with freshly prepared kosher food cooked on site. They do multi course menus in a variety of styles, as well as interactive stations showcasing sushi boats, hot smoked meat carving stations, and chef-carved shawarma and falafels with DIY fixin's.

ECO-FRIENDLY

10tation

From menus to venues, this Etobicoke-based company has got you covered. Not only is it among the most experienced and most capable at handling large events, it's also abides by its own green mandate that includes diverting and reducing waste, sourcing local food and refusing to supply plastic water bottles.

Yorkshire Pudding

Guests tend to rave about the parties and events this full service Etobicoke-based caterer puts on. Among their many merits is their initiatives to become a sustainable catering company which includes extensive recycling and composting programs, seasonal local menus, and reusable or biodegradable service pieces.

Vert Catering

Vert services corporate clients with breakfast buffets, sandwich platters and bistro menus, as well as weddings and private functions with passed apps, and sit-down or buffet dinners. The company is committed to producing less landfill waste than any other caterer in Toronto.

L-Eat

The catering company services weddings, social functions and business clientele with custom menus. Past events have showcased antipasto food stations, multi-course plated feasts, and a vibrant array of cocktail party chic finger foods. The L-eat Group also cultivates a 3,000 sq. ft. urban garden in North York while practicing green initiatives that don't just include recycling and composting, but also using fryer oil for bio-fuels.

What did I miss? Add the catering companies that have rocked your past parties in the comments section.

Lead photo from Daniel et Daniel.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO