10 no-tipping restaurants to check out in Toronto

Many restaurants in the city are dropping tipping. Here’s why they’re doing it — and where you can find them.

There’s a shift happening in Toronto’s dining scene. While general default tip percentages continue to rise on pay terminals at the end of meals, spawning a ton of discussion about “tipping fatigue,” there is a simultaneous group of restaurants going the opposite way: doing away with tipping entirely.

“There’s 101 reasons why [tipping] should go,” says David Neinstein, owner of Barque Smokehouse, a Roncesvalles BBQ restaurant in business for more than a decade. “I just think tipping is wrong on so many levels. And I think it’s bad for the industry. I’ve been wanting to do it for years, but you need full buy-in from the staff.”

Neinstein finally got that during the pandemic, when a major disruption of dining culture exposed the flaws of many normative practices.

Tipping is a controversial topic for both restaurant workers and diners. It drives inequality that creates conflict between front- and back-of-house workers (i.e. cooks and kitchen staff), unpredictable wages and working conditions, and power imbalances between workers and customers, who control the amount of money restaurant staff end up making. That can ultimately reinforce racist and sexist norms that already exist in restaurant work.

As flawed as the practice might be, though, the fact remains that some servers and bartenders can make more money with tips than without.

What’s more, many customers are still more comfortable adding 18 to 20 per cent onto their bill than seeing that amount already built into menu prices. That’s why some spots have found a middle ground by automatically adding a gratuity and highlighting it on the bill.

So it’s a slow shift. Still, there are a good handful of places taking the leap into a new, gratuity-free world. Here is a roundup of spots in Toronto you can go eat a meal without having to decide on a tip.

Barque Smokehouse

Address: 299 Roncesvalles Ave.

Though this BBQ mainstay has been serving up brisket and wings since 2011, it decided to do away with tips last year. Inspired by Union Square Hospitality Group in New York and the now-closed Marben in Toronto, two of the splashiest no-tipping advocates on this continent, the restaurant hired Canadian food writer Corey Mintz (whose recent book, The Next Supper, is one of the best arguments for a post-tip future) to help transition away from reliance on tips.

After more than a year in action, owner Neinstein says, there’s been very little backlash either from diners or staff.

“I’m happy to say the impact has been minimal,” he says. “Customers don’t have complaints, and staff turnover has been next to nil.”

After raising prices to account for the no-tipping model, Neinstein now gives staff paid time off and full medical benefits (physical and mental). Their total take-home pay might be less per hour, but it’s predictable and professional, with labour benefits that are rarely experienced in the high-stress and under-protected restaurant industry.

Neinstein hopes more restaurants will adopt the model, or that the province legislates tipping out of existence.

“Unfortunately I don’t think this current government will have the appetite to do that,” he says.

Richmond Station

Address: 1 Richmond St. W.

This semi-upscale Richmond St. spot is very vocal about its model, which they call “Hospitality Included.” They’ve increased prices but removed tipping — including the prompts on their payment terminals.

So, while a burger (a very good burger) might be $30, you know that includes the tip and an assurance that everyone working there makes a living wage.

“Tipping culture has many insufficiencies,” they write on their website. “For starters, it leaves many employees living substantially on uninsured cash hand-outs. Tipping culture is also poorly legislated in Ontario and Canada — there is little guidance from the government on best practices and there is even less oversight. This means that tipping culture is often predatory, punitive and objectifying.

“Hospitality Included is a positive step towards improving the compensation model and work environment for all restaurant staff.”

Edulis

Address: 169 Niagara St.

This upscale seasonal-driven restaurant has been named one of the best in the world, and also accepts no tips. They made the change in 2021 upon reopening after a pandemic closure.

In a move towards “a more equitable, fair, and secure future” they explained on Facebook at the time, they began making all bookings pre-paid. This also allowed them to fully plan each menu in a sustainable way in accordance with Edulis’s suppliers, fishers, and farmers.

Lunch is $100 per person while dinner is $200, all in — including service.

Then & Now

Address: 1316 Queen St. W.

Like many others on the list, this Parkdale Asian-fusion restaurant agrees with the principle that minimum wage (especially the old lower bar and restaurant server–specific minimum wage that has thankfully been abolished) is not the same as a living wage.

The Ontario Living Wage Network factors in what it actually costs to live in the Greater Toronto Area, and as of 2022 determined it takes an hourly rate of $23.15 to meet the financial bar. Some new reports estimate it even higher, closer to $40.

As a certified living wage employer, Then & Now doesn’t require tips — but it does accept them if a customer really wants to offer one. It’s also the newest restaurant on the list, taking the no-tips-required risk right from opening.

Burdock Brewery

Address: 1184 Bloor St. W.

This Bloordale Village beer-and-bites favourite went no-tipping after a pandemic closure.

“It sounds radical, but it really shouldn’t,” Emma Herrera, head chef at Burdock Brewery, told me at the time in an article for NOW Magazine. “We’re just aiming for the most basic acceptable professional level, the same as all other industries. We don’t want our staff to have to rely on the whims of guests to make sure they can pay their rent.”

Now, once you’ve had your Tuesday Saison, you can pay a standardized bill and know that your server is getting paid a fair wage. And the practice seems to be paying off. Earlier this year, Burdock opened a new retail store and brewery in Kensington Market.

Bampot

Address: 201 Harbord St.

This cozy Harbord St. teahouse is a community hub as much as it is a restaurant — a spot to sip on a hot drink, play a board game, or just read a book and hang out. And you can stop in with peace of mind knowing that Bampot is a living wage employer, paying everyone $25/hour plus benefits — actually well above the Ontario Living Wage Network’s standard.

Tips are still accepted, but they’re not an obligation. A message right at the top of their menu tells you so.

Emma’s Country Kitchen

Address: 810 St. Clair Ave. W.

This brunch spot has been a leader in the push to treat restaurant workers fairly, and has often been the subject of backlash for it.

They’re a certified living wage employer, and have long searched for ways to properly pay and treat employees. In the past, they’ve added surcharges to help pay for medical benefits, for instance. Buttermilk pancakes taste even better with that knowledge in mind.

Avelo

Address: 51 St. Nicholas St.

This vegan restaurant, along with its former sister Awai and spinoff Pizzeria Du, have long been pushing the envelope when it comes to rethinking restaurant conventions and standards. Now, they are aiming to normalize service-included.

Avelo serves multi-course tasting meals with no menu — the food just comes to you. If you’re an adventurous eater, whether or not you’re a vegan, it’s an experience worth trying.

Beast Pizza

Address: 96 Tecumseth St.

Beast was a long-time local leader in the nose-to-tail food movement, but it’s now revamped into a pizza place — one that doesn’t mind putting beef heart on your pie.

Like their dedication to using the whole animal (whole animal dinners are still on the menu), they’re also dedicated to paying their staff a living wage. So Beast Pizza has jumped on the no-tipping bandwagon, and is now certified as an Ontario Living Wage employer.

Fix Coffee + Bikes

Address: 80 Gladstone Ave.

Cycling, coffee, and social consciousness — that’s the name of the game at this Gladstone combo bike shop/coffee bar. If you’re grabbing a latte or cold brew while getting your bike tuned up, know that hospitality is included, which they say is to provide wage stability for staff and a simpler process for customers.

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