The Best Dipping Sauces in Toronto Are Hiding on Bloor West

Ask most Toronto pizza places for a dipping sauce and you'll get a plastic cup of garlic mayo that tastes like every other plastic cup of garlic mayo in the city. We took a different route. At Levant, on the corner of Bloor Street West and Ossington, the dips are their own menu — seven of them, made in house, each one built to do something specific to a slice of four-day-fermented focaccia.

They're $2.50 each. We'd argue they're the best dipping sauces in Toronto. Here's the case.

Why the sauce matters more than you think

Our dough is made with '00' Italian flour and fermented for four days before it ever sees the oven. That long ferment gives it an open, airy crumb and a crust that's crisp on the outside and pillowy inside — the kind of edge that's built for scooping.

That's the whole point. A great dip doesn't cover up the pizza. It gives the crust somewhere to go.

The seven sauces, and what to dip in them

Garlic & Oregano

The classic, done properly. Sharp raw garlic, dried oregano, good olive oil. Pairs with the Cheese "Jibneh" or the Cheesy Garlic & Za'atar — it doubles down and it works.

Harissa Honey

Smoky North African chili paste cut with honey. Sweet first, heat after. Pairs with the Hot Honey Pepperoni, obviously — but it's even better on the Meat Habibi.

Roasted Tomato

Slow-roasted tomatoes, concentrated down until they taste like the best part of a summer. Pairs with the Sambousek, or any slice that needs a little acidity to cut through the cheese.

Shatta Chili

The Levantine hot sauce. Fermented red chilies, garlic, vinegar — bright, punchy, genuinely spicy. Pairs with The OG Shawarma or the Chickpea Fettet.

Tahini

Nutty, creamy, no dairy in sight. This is the sleeper favourite. Pairs with the Sumac "Musakhan" and the Syrian Chicken Shawarma — tahini and sumac is a pairing older than pizza itself.

Fennel Honey

Sweet, floral, faintly anise. The most unexpected thing on the menu and the one people come back for. Pairs with the Sweet Labneh, or a plain cheese slice if you want to see what it can do.

Mint & Parsley Labneh

Strained yogurt, fresh herbs, cool and tangy. The reset button between spicy bites. Pairs with the Hot & Fresh Labneh, or anything you've already hit with shatta.

Two slices, $7.50 — or $3 with a student ID

Here's where it gets easy. Slices are 2 for $7.50, and if you've got a student ID, it's $3 a slice.

With Bloor Collegiate, U of T's west end and a whole lot of students riding the Bloor line past Ossington every day, that's a full lunch and a dip for under ten dollars. Grab two different slices, grab two different sauces, and you've built something that costs less than a sandwich downtown.

If you want to go further, add Garlic & Za'atar Focaccia Sticks for $3 — they exist almost entirely for dipping.

How to build the perfect combo

A simple rule: match intensity, then contrast temperature.

Rich meat slice? Go bright and acidic — Shatta Chili or Roasted Tomato. Plain cheese slice? Go sweet or nutty — Fennel Honey or Tahini. Already spicy slice? Cool it down with Mint & Parsley Labneh. Can't decide? Two slices, two sauces. That's the whole reason the deal exists.

Frequently asked questions

How much are the dipping sauces at Levant? Every dipping sauce is $2.50.

Is there a student discount on pizza slices in Toronto? Yes — slices are $3 each with a valid student ID. Without one, it's 2 slices for $7.50.

Are the dipping sauces vegan? Several are. The Tahini, Roasted Tomato, Shatta Chili and Garlic & Oregano are all dairy-free; the labneh-based dip is not, and the honey-based ones aren't vegan. Ask us and we'll point you right.

Where is Levant Pizza? 899 Bloor St W, Toronto, at Bloor and Ossington. Call 416-901-4488.

Come find your sauce

We're open Tuesday through Sunday at 899 Bloor St W. Order a couple of slices, order a couple of dips, and figure out which one is yours. Most people leave with a favourite. A lot of them leave with two.