This was the year of the Latin invasion. It was the year of the taco, of Spanish-style taberna cooking, of patatas bravas and char-grilled, paprika-freckled octopus. But 2013 was a boom year for ramen, also, and for izakaya food, and for Osaka-style takoyaki balls, which are also made with octopus, come to think of it.

It was the year that Filipino, Persian, Malaysian and Haitian food, to name just four cuisines too long dismissed as "ethnic," and "suburban," made serious in-roads with Toronto diners. (My wish for 2014: great Portuguese.) The flow of ideas went the other way, also: In 2013, more and more urban food-lovers streamed into Scarborough, Markham, Brampton and Etobicoke to see what they've been missing. And it was a year when 70 per cent of restaurants were still too bloody loud—major progress, to my mind.

The most heartening dining trend, however, was that restaurateurs fought harder than ever for top service and kitchen talent. They had to, but not because there's less talent around the city all of the sudden. There's more of it — far more, I would argue. They had to because the competition's fierce out there, because the greatest restaurant boom of Toronto's history only gathered speed in 2013. They had to because above any other thing, this was the year of the diner.

These are my picks for the 10 best new restaurants of 2013.

(Share your pick and join the conversation on twitter with the hashtag #TOtop10 or in our online comments, and pick up the weekend Globe newspaper to see the list in print.)