Your go-to guide for Toronto student life.
Top 5 Student Friendly Restaurants in Downtown Toronto
Eating Out on a Student Budget
“I wish I knew a great restaurant in downtown Toronto that’s affordable as a student.”
If you’re anything like me, this thought has slammed into your head like a freight train as you struggle to come up with a source of delicious sustenance.
Don’t worry, eating out affordably as a student is a daunting endeavor for many.
Many of my friends have told me that they simply can’t afford to eat out in Toronto, as the prices downtown are far beyond their budget. That may be true for most places, but I’ve found that there are exceptions, you just have to know where to look.
Fortunately for you, avid student readers, I’ve found 5 awesome spots that don’t break the bank and are a great option for you and your friends.
Disclaimer: I go to TMU, so I mention their proximity to that campus. However, they are all centrally located downtown and therefore great options for all Toronto students!
1. Spring Sushi
Location: 10 Dundas St E
Hot Tip: All you can eat sushi for $21.99 at lunch time!
There you go, that’s all you need to know.
Okay beyond that though, the quality of the sushi options on their menu cannot be understated. I’m not a sushi connoisseur per say, but I have to say the difference in quality compared to other places I’ve been is evident.
Also, you get to order on iPads and I think that’s kind of fun.
In regards to Spring Sushi, there isn’t much to talk about aside from the absurdity of all you can eat sushi for that cheap, let alone in downtown Toronto right beside TMU.
Discounts
- Turns out they have 10% off student discounts – which I somehow only came to learn as I was writing this post…
- There are also birthday discounts and movie ticket discounts if you go to the cineplex on the same floor.
2. Salad King
Location: 340 Yonge St (Right beside TMU campus)
Hot Tip: 20% student discount, 2-5pm every weekday
To me, Salad King is one of the premier restaurants in the downtown core. Honestly, can’t tell it’s a chain; the menu is fantastic, hosting a wide variety of delicious Thai food. And when I say delicious, I mean it; their Bangkok stir fry, Thai Basil noodles, and Phud Thai are standout options in my opinion. Without exaggeration, I’d consider them genuinely some of the most delightful, heart-warming meals I’ve had in a restaurant.
Also if you’re a spice buff like I am, then Salad King’s chili system – where you can vary the spiciness of each meal by 1-20 chillies – is a perfect fit. Be warned, anything over an 8 is very hot, and may enflame your whole system (if you know what I mean). You are free to experiment with the spiciness of any dish that you desire free of charge.
Their portions are great too, with certain menu options like the aforementioned Phud Thai serving as 1.5-2 meals.
The atmosphere of the place is great too. They typically play classic rock and pop hits from the 80’s, and it has a really awesome interior design with cool glass light fixtures. The staff are super friendly, especially the store’s manager who just has the vibe of someone who is able to connect with anyone in a rare, genuine way.
Discounts
Perhaps coolest of all, Salad King offers tons of discounts.
- Most notable is the student 20% off discount 2-5pm every weekday, putting its otherwise restaurant tier pricing into a much more affordable range, which has made me swing by an embarrassing number of times before, after, and between classes.
- They also have an awesome free meal system, where if you get 9 stamps on your card, you get an entire free main meal of your choice.
- Holiday Promotions – They often do double stamps, or potentially let you have a full meal with only five stamps. I’ve also experienced several 50% off meal deals during the holiday season or if you bring a friend.
It’s truly a pro consumer experience. But even without a promotion, for the quality and quantity of food you’re getting, it’s awesome, especially with friends.
3. 555 Boat Noodles
Location: 2 Grosvenor St
Hot Tip: Amazing quality and huge portions
Do you like noodles? And I’m not talking about your standard, add hot water ramen noodles, I’m talking about, absolutely fantastic, premier quality, authentic Thai noodles with portions so big that you can barely finish. Noodles that are fully customizable to your liking both before and even while eating them, due to the awesome staff and service.
Okay, I’ll admit, 555 Boat Noodles isn’t the most student friendly option in terms of pure pricing on this list. You can get meals for about $15, which is still average pricing for what you’d expect from a downtown restaurant. However, the sheer quality and quantity of the large potions make it feel well worth it.
What this means is that if you’re planning on going out to treat yourself, especially with friends, you may as well go here because this place blows all of them out of the water. Seriously, I didn’t really understand going out for noodles before this place. I’d go out with friends and kind of feel like I was wasting my money or paying for the atmosphere. 555 boat noodles, on the other hand, prioritizes what I love most about restaurants, the FOOD.
If you need anything more to sweeten the deal, the restaurant is immediately accessible on the TTC – it’s a five-minute walk from College station.
So there, literally no excuse now.
4. Manpuku
Location: 105 McCaul St. unit 29-31
Hot Tip: full meals for $9-12
Have you ever wanted delicious home-made Japanese cooking at a price that’s cheaper than a McDonalds combo? And an even more delicious assortment of sides and entrees? Of course you have, that sounds awesome!
Manpuku is one of those restaurants that I’m so glad I learned exists through a friend, as its sheer existence baffles me.
It’s admittedly a bit out of the way from student campuses, being a 15–20-minute walk from TMU, and it’s located in what otherwise seems like a fairly unimpressive food court. But to me, especially with friends, it’s worth it for the prices.
The menu is quite diverse too. Not everything on here is an outstanding 10/10 option, but the stuff that’s good is good, and you’ll definitely walk away full.
I highly recommend checking it out at least once.
5. Oakham Cafe House
Location: 55 Gould St (on TMU’s campus)
Hot Tip: cheap sit-down student experience
Alright look, yes, I am putting TMU’s student cafe on here, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless this place wasn’t in fact student friendly. Honestly, it might be the definition of student friendly on this list. It’s run by students for students, and that isn’t their slogan, but it probably should be.
First things first, the price – with its all-day breakfast, you can get fairly standard full meals for under $10. Now I’d be lying if I said the quality was anything to write home about; it’s made by students after all, not highly trained chefs. But it’s hard to screw up egg-based meals, and I’ve never had anything even close to bad in my time ordering there.
Plus, the staff are all super friendly and willing to assist you with anything about your order that you may take issue with, checking in on you and your meal as you’re eating it.
The food comes pretty fast too, and coupled with the nice sit-down experience and the fact that it’s literally on TMU campus, Oakham makes a pretty convincing argument for a restaurant you should visit at least a few times if you go to TMU.
Conclusion
There you have it. 5 awesome student-friendly restaurants for the next time that, “I wish I knew somewhere affordable to eat out right now” thought hits you. So, get out there, bring a few friends, and enjoy some awesome, affordable, Toronto cuisine. I promise you won’t regret it.
