Hawker

Name: Hawker
Address: 291 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 2M2
Telephone: (416) 628-1905
Price range: CAN$31 to CAN$50
Rating: 4.8

4.8

257 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Tapas / Small Plates

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2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Experiences are available.

Vegan-friendly
Charming
Vegetarian-friendly

At Hawker, Chef's Jeff Merkel and Leah Steduto spotlight their naturalistic worldview with beautifully composed plant-based small plates, cocktails, and a thoughtfully curated list of vegan wines.

Located in Kensington Market, the cozy dining space features an earthy, palette of dark wood and moss. A picturesque, romantic back patio is naturally decorated with ivy. A front patio lets you enjoy the lively sights and sounds of the market.

All reservations have a 15 minute grace period. Please call us if you are arriving later than 15 minutes. Your table will be reserved for 1 hour 45 minutes for parties of 1-2; 2 hours for parties of 3-6; 2 hours 30 minutes for parties of 7 or more. If arriving late, we may not be able to extend your seating time if there are reservations scheduled after your allotted timeframe.

Please note, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to the bill for groups of 6 or more.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Tapas / Small Plates, Indian, Vegan
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00–15:00 Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00–15:00 Dinner Wed, Thu 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–23:00 Sun 17:00–21:00
Phone number
(416) 628-1905
Website
http://www.hawker.to/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Jeff Merkel
Catering
Enjoy Hawker's naturalist cuisine for various events, from casual to formal gatherings. Our catering services adapt to different settings, ensuring a memorable meal at any venue. With a customizable menu, we accommodate your event's needs, providing a fitting and delightful dining experience.
Private party facilities
Host your private event in our cozy dining room and savour our artful vegan creations with your guests. Our intimate setting can comfortably accommodate up to 18 guests across our intimate dining room. Cherish an exclusive dining experience amidst an earthy decor and inviting setting.

Location
291 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2
Area
Chinatown / Kensington Market
Cross Street
College and Augusta Avenue
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wine

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Experiences

Hawker Wala: $10 Gourmet Sandwiches, & Street Eats
CA$10.00 - CA$22.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Our weekly lunch popup Hawker Wala is serving up the ultimate lunch experience—$10 hearty & gourmet sourdough sandwiches in 7 knockout varieties, including the must-try Wala Banh Mi! Choose from 7 different sandwich flavors to satisfy your cravings. Hungry for more? Dive into our crispy Oyster or Lion's Mane mushroom wings with sauces that slap, or grab a bowl of our fragrant, flavourful biryani. Open Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 3pm, you can walk in, self-seat, take out, or order on Uber Eats, Ritual or DoorDash - no reservations, just big flavours and unbeatable prices!
Chef's Table Tasting Experience
CA$85.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Join and watch us prepare a Chef's choice six-course tasting menu for you, inspired by our à la carte menu. Each course will be served and explained to you by our Chef while seated at the bar style counter overlooking our open kitchen. The fine print: Your seating is for 2 hours. We will hold the table for 15 minutes before your reservation is released. Give us a call if you're running late! Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will result in a $25 per person charge being applied to the credit card used at the time of booking. The tasting menu is offered at $70 per guest and does not include beverages, gratuity, and tax.
Indian-Inspired Brunch
CA$40.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Enjoy our 5-course Indian-inspired tapas style brunch featuring dishes from our small plates menu as well as some brunch exclusives.

Offers

50% off Wine Bottles, Cocktails & Mocktails
Multiple dates available
Wed - 17:00 - 20:00, 20:00 - 21:00
Every Wednesday enjoy half price bottles from our vegan wine selection, cocktails, and mocktails with your small plates or tasting menu experiences.
Hawker Wala: $10 Gourmet Sandwiches, & Street Eats
Multiple dates available
Tue - Fri - 11:00 - 15:00
Our weekly lunch popup Hawker Wala is serving up the ultimate lunch experience—$10 hearty & gourmet sourdough sandwiches in 7 knockout varieties, including the must-try Wala Banh Mi! Choose from 7 different sandwich flavors to satisfy your cravings. Hungry for more? Dive into our crispy Oyster or Lion's Mane mushroom wings with sauces that slap, or grab a bowl of our fragrant, flavourful biryani. Open Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 3pm, you can walk in, self-seat, take out, or order on Uber Eats, Ritual or DoorDash - no reservations, just big flavours and unbeatable prices!

SummerCA$14.00
papadam, chickpea ferment, cherry tomatoes
AutumnCA$14.00
shishito peppers, smoked tomato sauce, spruce
EarthCA$15.50
oyster mushrooms, smoked corn broth, sesame
SpringCA$16.00
dosas, fava beans, mango, avocado
God's WorkCA$18.00
romano beans, pepper paste, pine nut
Starry NightCA$15.50
biryani, smoked poblano, lavender
DawnCA$14.00
yucca, herbs, radish reduction
SolsticeCA$15.00
parsnip, cedar, tomato jam, sweet chestnuts
SunriseCA$17.00
cedar roasted grapes, fermented cashew, crispy brussels sprout leaves, flatbread
SunsetCA$14.50
butternut squash, mushroom broth, spices
FloraCA$13.00
red cress salad, fermented blackberry and birch syrup dressing, plums
BushfireCA$15.00
eggplant, rosemary smoke, roti

Sweet

Nature CakeCA$10.00
breadfruit, sweet fern, coconut cream
WinterCA$11.00
ice cream, thyme, hazelnut
Ice CreamCA$7.00
our weekly churn

Pantry

Yaga Hot Sauce
roasted carrots, spruce tips, scotch bonnet
- Bottle (236ml)CA$10.00
Chickpea Ferment
our in-house chickpea cheese
- 126gCA$9.00

Wine

Red

Tradicional TintoCA$16.00
vines grown on volcanic soil - notes of smoke, blackberries & pepper
Le Rouge 2020CA$18.00
aromas and flavours of small berries - with floral, spicy, peppery notes
Bierzo RedCA$76.00
dark, red fruit notes, plum, blackberry and cherry, vanilla spice, cocoa and anise

White

Meldville, RieslingCA$14.00
notes of lemon, lime, plum, honey, and an intoxicating funk
Txakolina BlancCA$17.00
notes of citrus and crisp red apple; herbs, flowers & minerals
Island CaféCA$13.00
a fresh, unoaked and mineral driven wine with juicy acidity

Rosé & Sparkling

Meldville Rosé, Pinot NoirCA$16.00
wild strawberries and raspberries - picnic energy
Dominio de Tharsys Brut Nature CavaCA$14.00
bone-dry, persistent bubbles, apple, pear, toasted notes

Cocktails

ResonanceCA$17.00
strawberry, lavender, earl grey, tequila blanco
Resonance MocktailCA$12.00
strawberry, lavender, earl grey
BotanyCA$17.00
coconut water, Vietnamese mint, cucumber, tequila blanco
Botany MocktailCA$12.00
coconut water, Vietnamese mint, cucumber
EpiphanyCA$17.00
pear, chamomile tea, gin
Epiphany MocktailCA$12.00
pear, chamomile tea
DuskCA$17.00
old fashioned with smoked cardamom, curry leaves, 2.0oz
Spruce NegroniCA$17.00
cedar & spruce infused whiskey, campari, sweet vermouth, 3oz
MimosaCA$12.00
cava with a choice of guava or grapefruit juice

Beers

Revivale Lagered AleCA$8.00
Lost Craft
Old School PilsnerCA$8.00
Lost Craft
GhostCA$8.00
Hazy IPA
Black MagicCA$9.00
Dark Raspberry Sour
Tequila Soda LimeCA$8.00
Dejado

Drink

ChaiCA$6.00
house-made unsweetened chai with oat milk, served hot or cold
Hibiscus TeaCA$3.00
iced hibiscus tea sweetened with thyme syrup
SustenanceCA$6.00
house kombucha; japanese green tea, foraged sweet fern
DeliveranceCA$6.00
hot chaga tea with spruce syrup
Boylang Sugar Cane SodasCA$5.00
ginger ale or black cherry soda
Sparkling WaterCA$6.00
750ml

What 257 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Toronto / Ontario
Healthy
Toronto / Ontario
Vegetarian-friendly
Toronto
Healthy
Toronto
Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Hawker offers a vibrant dining experience with "delicious food" and "extraordinary service." Guests rave about the "phenomenal creativity" in dishes, especially the vegan options. The ambience is inviting and perfect for intimate gatherings. The tasting bar is a highlight, with "unique and satisfying" plates. A must-visit for culinary adventurers!

257 Reviews

A
Adrian
Toronto
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is the place I take all my vegan and non-vegan friends and family when they visit the city. The tasting menu with wine pairing is an awesome price for the quality and thoughtfulness of everything Hawker offers, I’ve never had someone not say it was at least in the top 5 best meals they’d ever had! The cocktails are also wonderful across the board
1 person found this helpful
H
Himanshu
Montreal
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I had a wonderful time at Hawker! The food was quite tasty, simple but flavourful and I loved the play on sounds Asian food they did. Although not really south Asian food (especially with spice level and the spices combinations) it was still super enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful
J
Janu
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We tried the tasting menu for my husband's birthday and loved every bite, flavor, and presentation. Lion's mane mushroom dish was fantastic! Our servers were courteous and friendly, and both the cocktails and mocktails were delicious. It was a wonderful evening that exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended!
1 person found this helpful
L
Lisa
Toronto
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 15 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
I’m almost apologetic as I wrote this as all other reviews seem to be glowing. We ate at Hawker last night and were disappointed. We had high expectations based on the Google reviews and the score (4.8/5) but the food didn’t quite measure up. The oyster mushroom dish was very good but then our next two dishes weren’t great. For $100 including tip we got three small plates and a glass of wine each. Pricey and not filling. Everything works well on paper but didn’t quite deliver on the taste and flavour we were expecting. Wont return sadly. Really wanted to like it!!!
Is this helpful?
P
Patricia
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 7 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Highly recommend. A group of us went for dinner so we ordered all the plates on the menu. Each dish was delicious, beautifully presented and described in just enough detail by the servers. While each of us had a few favourites, all of us thoroughly enjoyed every single dish. The service was attentive and generous. It felt that they were happy to tell us about the dishes and that we were in a friends' kitchen. This is a place that demonstrates care and creativity in each plate, a magical spot for anyone (plant forward or not) who loves good food.
Is this helpful?
R
Ray
Toronto
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 30 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Family style dinner of elevated small plates. Everything was exquisite
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 12 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
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G
Giuliana
Toronto
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 7 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent elevated cuisine in a laid back environment. Enjoyable for omnivorous as well as plant-based diets. Fully plant-based restaurant, which is fantastic. Service was fantastic.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
London
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 5 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
I really loved the food here. Delicious vegetable first plant based food. Some of the best oyster mushorooms I’ve had. Even the garnish added to the experience of the dishes we had where it feels totally redundant in most places.
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KM
KirstenM
New Mexico
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on 3 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
A celebration with two friends who are vegetarians. We all found the small plates very innovative and would return.
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FAQs

Hawker is rated 4.8 stars by 257 OpenTable diners.

Hawker does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.