The hottest restaurants in Toronto right now are dishing out beef tartare and vegan meatloaf, Thai dumplings and thousand-layer lasagnas, and coveted bowls of ramen and rice noodles. To get into these places, you’re either going to need a reservation or a superhuman amount of patience, but just tell yourself: the cheesecake is worth it.

Here are my picks for the hottest restaurants in Toronto right now.

Cheesecake Factory

Chances are you’re reading this while standing in line for hours to get into the first Canadian location of the U.S. chain located inside Yorkdale Mall. Everything and Chicken Parm Pizza as well as Tex Mex and Avocado Egg Rolls await along with dozens of flavours of cheesecake: Oreo, red velvet, birthday, and strawberry, to name a few.

Mythology Diner

Vegan cocktails and wines accompany a menu of entirely plant-based burgers, sandwiches, poutine, mac n’ cheese and other diner classics from the chef behind Doug’s Public Kitchen in collaboration with the folks responsible for Doomie’s and The Imperative at this Parkdale restaurant. Hungry herbivores are beating down the door to give it a try.

La Palma

You’ll likely need a reservation for weekend brunch or dinner at this round-the-clock Italian spot on Dundas West, especially if you have a larger party. Booths and bar space where patrons devour pizza, pasta, grilled steak, cocktails, coffee and baked goods like grilled donuts are hotly contested.

Kiin

Torontonians are dying to try the lettuce wraps, intricate technicolour dumplings and rainbow salads at this elegant Thai spot in the Entertainment District from the people behind Sukhothai, Sabai Sabai and Pai.

Brothers

Space at this narrow restaurant is nearly as tight as the subway cars that pass through Bay Station directly below it. Precious plates on a perpetually changing menu rarely contain more than a few ingredients, but they’re impeccably prepared and are well accompanied by one of the city’s best wine lists.

Pinky’s Ca Phe

It’s been said the College and Clinton corner this place is near is cursed, but that doesn’t appear to be the case when it comes to the crowds that pack this dim, secretive, kitschy hangout serving Vietnamese bar food.

Konjiki Ramen

Ramen fans are salivating to get into the new North York location of this Japanese chain. The restaurant comes with a Michelin recommendation and fans line up in Tokyo for hours, so one can only imagine what wait times will be like in Toronto.

Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen

By the beloved Gusto 54 restaurant group comes this King West establishment serving island classics like saltfish fritters, jerk chicken, slaw and other bar fare like burgers along with refreshing pineapple-carrot cocktails.

Dagu Rice Noodle

The Bay and Dundas location of this restaurant enjoys lineup only surpassed by The Cheesecake Factory. Find bowls of slippery, soupy rice noodles in prescribed combinations or put ingredients together yourself “Crossing The Bridge” style.

Aloette

This little sister restaurant to equally popular Alo upstairs at Queen and Spadina has already been featured in many an Instagram story, and more are clamouring to snap the beautifully presented burgers, beef tartare, sundaes and cocktails here.