In the heart of Little Italy sits one of Toronto’s most iconic restaurants, Cafe Diplomatico. The now infamous restaurant first opened in 1968 by two brothers who envisioned having a typical Italian bar where Italian nationals could gather in the morning over a coffee. At a time in Toronto when outdoor dining was almost unheard of, the sunny patio quickly caught on and now almost four decades later what started out as an innovation in the neighbourhood has now set the standard.
It was the summer of 2008 when I popped by the Dip with my new friend Jonathan. I’ll never forget that date as we gobbled dup plates teaming with buttery noodles. I unscrewed the top to the parmesan shaker and let a hefty mound of cheese plop on top of my pasta (Jonathan looked on in horror).
Fun Fact: Cafe Dip was recently made famous as it was featured in Atom Egoyan’s film Chloe. I saw this fantastic film at its gala premier at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film plot takes place entirely in Toronto and uses local landmarks to celebrate the beauty of Canada’s largest city. The film stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried who you’ll find prancing through The Royal Ontario Museum, Allan Gardens, Cafe Dip, The Art Gallery of Ontario and several spots in Yorkville.
