Restaurant

Vagueira Grill

Name: Vagueira Grill
Address: 835 Runnymede Rd, Old Toronto, ON, M6N 3V8, CA
Price range: $$

Vagueira Grill is one of the best portuguese restaurants in Toronto for dinner, especially if you want a strong option in Little Portugal.

Editorial review•Jun 10, 2026

Little Portugal has always had a stronger claim to authentic Portuguese cooking than Toronto gives it credit for, and Vagueira Grill — owner-operated out of a tight room on Runnymede — is the kind of place that makes that argument stick. This isn't a restaurant chasing a downtown audience with petiscos and natural wine; it's built around family recipes passed down through generations, a dining room that diners describe as evoking the small neighbourhood cafés of Lisbon, and an owner, Sofia, who is known to personally walk tables through the menu and rearrange the space for private occasions. It moved from an earlier Weston location to Runnymede, and the regulars followed — which tells you something about what the cooking means to people who grew up eating this way. The menu centers on the canon of Portuguese home cooking done with intention. The pastel de bacalhau — salt cod cakes, one of the most unforgiving benchmarks in the cuisine — are a consistent draw; the kitchen's version is described as savory and well-balanced, and codfish cakes done poorly are mealy and bland, so the fact that diners return to this one specifically matters. The alheira, a Portuguese stuffed sausage with roots in the country's Trás-os-Montes tradition, is known here for its spice and juiciness — alheira has a longer and stranger history than most Toronto diners realize (it was historically made without pork), and a kitchen that takes it seriously signals real range. The bitoque steak and carne de porco Alentejana round out a menu that leans firmly toward the heartland of Portuguese cooking: pork, salt cod, and the kind of portions that reviewers consistently single out as exceptional value for the price. Vagueira is open Tuesday through Saturday until 9 pm, and Sunday until 4 pm — that Sunday lunch window is the move for the full experience without the weeknight rush. If you're coming with a group, Sofia has been known to accommodate private arrangements, but flag it in advance. The kitchen is small and the room runs on its reputation; show up without a plan on a Saturday and you may be waiting. Order the pastel de bacalhau to start, and let the alheira anchor your main — then decide from there.

Marcus Chen, Senior Restaurant Critic

Methodology•Toronto guides•Editorial team

grill portuguese low key dinner

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Taste ID

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Rating (Google) 9.6

182 reviews

Toronto

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

9.6

Rating

Based on 182 reviews

Best used for

dinner and grill

Price and pace

Moderate spend

Neighborhood

Little Portugal · 835 Runnymede Rd, Old Toronto, ON M6N 3V8, Canada

Price

Moderate spend

Google rating

9.6 from 182 reviews

Address

Little Portugal | 835 Runnymede Rd, Old Toronto, ON M6N 3V8, Canada

Photos of Vagueira Grill

What to order

Signature dishes at Vagueira Grill

Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake)

Alheira (stuffed sausage)

Bitoque Steak

Carne de Porco Alentejana

Prawns in piri piri sauce

Why go

What makes Vagueira Grill worth the move

Vagueira Grill is a reliable portuguese choice in Little Portugal in Toronto when you want something that tends to land well. Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake) and Alheira (stuffed sausage) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 182 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.6 from 182 Google reviews

Best used for

dinner and grill

Style

Portuguese in Little Portugal

Spend

Moderate spend

Best for

grill portuguese low key dinner

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.6 from 182 reviews

Price point: $$

Popular dishes: Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake), Alheira (stuffed sausage), Bitoque Steak

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Marcus Chen for Vagueira Grill

Google snapshot

9.6 from 182 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Marcus Chen

No diner notes for Vagueira Grill yet.

Every note in this section is written by a diner who actually ate here, so we leave it empty until there's a genuine one to share.

For now, Vagueira Grill holds a 9.6 rating across 182 Google reviews.

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Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Menu Directions

Address: 835 Runnymede Rd, Old Toronto, ON M6N 3V8, Canada
Price: $$
TastyPals score: Coming soon
Google rating: 9.6 (182 reviews)
Cuisine: Portuguese
Neighborhood: Little Portugal

Restaurants in Little Portugal

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Vagueira Grill serve?

Vagueira Grill is a Portuguese restaurant located in Little Portugal, Toronto. Little Portugal has always had a stronger claim to authentic Portuguese cooking than Toronto gives it credit for, and Vagueira Grill — owner-operated out of a tight room on Runnymede — is the kind of place that makes that argument stick.

What is Vagueira Grill best for?

Vagueira Grill is best for grill, portuguese, low key, dinner. Vagueira Grill is a reliable portuguese choice in Little Portugal in Toronto when you want something that tends to land well. Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake) and Alheira (stuffed sausage) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 182 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Vagueira Grill?

Vagueira Grill is in the Moderate spend price range ($$). Google rating: 9.6 from 182 reviews

What should I order at Vagueira Grill?

Start with Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake), Alheira (stuffed sausage), Bitoque Steak and Carne de Porco Alentejana. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Vagueira Grill worth visiting?

Vagueira Grill holds a 9.6 Google rating from 182 reviews. Vagueira Grill is a reliable portuguese choice in Little Portugal in Toronto when you want something that tends to land well. Pastel de Bacalhau (codfish cake) and Alheira (stuffed sausage) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.6 rating across 182 Google reviews.

Where is Vagueira Grill located?

Vagueira Grill is located at 835 Runnymede Rd, Old Toronto, ON M6N 3V8, Canada. Directions are available via Google Maps.

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