How to Spend a Day in Toronto, Canada
Find out where to stay., Find a good place to eat (safe) cheap Chinese food - Lee Garden (331 Spadina Ave.) A clean place that serves top-quality Chinese., Look for places to eat modestly., Look for a very classy restaurant., Find out where to slum...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find out where to stay.
Drake Hotel
- A secret hideout for artists and indie musicians, the Drake Hotel has a sophisticated flavour and a cool nightclub.
Located in Toronto's arty design neighbourhood, where galleries, fashion boutiques and interior design shops abound. -
Step 2: Find a good place to eat (safe) cheap Chinese food - Lee Garden (331 Spadina Ave.) A clean place that serves top-quality Chinese.
Always packed.
Eat the steamed grouper with ginger and the hot-and-sour soup. , Ematei
- A slightly off-the-radar address doesn’t keep bargain hunters from finding this unpretentious spot where three-course dinners (beef teriyaki with soup, salad and rice, for example) can be had for as little as $22.
Divider walls framed in strips of dark wood nod to rice paper tradition; steel chairs and multiple bits of kitsch on the walls conjure more Bill Murray’s Tokyo. , Scaramouche
- After more than 25 years, the restaurant is still seducing diners with its luxurious food and understated but powerfully romantic setting.
Book early for one of the coveted window seats offering sparkling views of the skyline.
The menu luxuriates in delicacies: foie gras, truffle, lobster, veal — often combining many elements into a grand whole. , Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen St.
W.)
- A portal to the dark side, for a lot of good reasons.
And the dark side in Toronto is dark, like an LA, aluminum-foil-on-the-windows kind of dark.
Rock, punk and other happening sounds blare at ear-bleeding decibel levels, while TV screens show a wide range of films.
Everything a seedy Queen West bar should be and more, the 15-year-old Bovine has valiantly resisted the war on sleaze that’s been sweeping the rest of the neighbourhood.
Bolted to the ceiling is a collage of weird and wonderful knick-knacks, the pièce de résistance of the strange, even menacing décor: gold-painted cherub dolls grin creepily, hanging out among old tires and bicycle wheels. , Ted’s Collision (537 College St.) The best bar left on College, a house of refuge amid the dross.
Ted’s Collision is a great place to drink, but staff, we have a tip for you:
We are smart enough to carry on conversations, and we like the company, so lower the music.
It’s too loud and you’re driving people away. , Sweaty Betty’s (13 Ossington St.) A little hole-in-the-wall that serves imported absinthe, sake martinis, and Cheez Whiz on toast.
Get falling-down drunk and then wander over to a Vietnamese “karaoke bar” and puke on one of their couches.
That goes over really well.
They love that. , How about the name? Hippies founded it in the 60s (OK, maybe a bit later but the myth shall live on).
It’s family run.
The jewelry is one-of-a-kind.
Their cat loves to be petted.
This is a bit more than just a shop: it’s the closest thing we will ever get to that better time.
And go for a wander around Kensington, there are a lot of other great vintage shops in there like Flashback and Dancing Days. ,, A neighbourhood used as the backdrop of several Hollywood films.
Check out some local art and have a pint at the Mill Street Brew Pub or a latte at Balzac's Coffee shop. , (231 Queens Quay West Toronto)
- The Power Plant has three major exhibition galleries and smaller, adjacent indoor and outdoor sites which lend themselves to virtually any presentation circumstance.
The interior of The Power Plant is comprised of three major gallery spaces. ,
- Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel
- A serviced apartment, with kitchens and everything.
You'll feel right at home.
Another cool thing was the quietness of the hotel.
It's tucked in a small street by Yonge and Bay.
So, even though you know you are a block away from everything, it's quiet. ,
- Kensington Market
- Crammed with everything from a cheese store with every imaginable variety (and a few others) to handmade crafts straight out of Nepal to vintage clothing to authentic Jamaican fish vendors, Kensington showcases Toronto's many diverse cultures. ,
- The Toronto International Film Festival is the biggest film festival in North America and second to Cannes worldwide.
Head to restaurants like Bistro 990, Pangaea Restaurant, Sotto Sotto and the Four Seasons Hotel and see an overwhelming number of stars. , This downtown location is one of three large Chinese communities in Toronto.
Dundas Street West from University Avenue to Spadina Avenue and north to College Street are the boundaries of Chinatown.
As the Chinese community has grown, it has extended along Dundas Street and north along Spadina Avenue.
Here you'll see a fascinating mixture of old and new.
Hole-in-the-wall restaurants share the sidewalks with glitzy shopping centers built with Hong Kong money. ,
- CN Tower
- As you approach the city, whether by plane, train, or automobile, the first thing you notice is this slender structure.
Glass-walled elevators glide up the 553m (1,815-ft.) tower, the second tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The elevators stop first at the 346m-high (1,136-ft.) Look Out level. (It takes just 58 seconds, so prepare for popping ears.) , No food review would be complete without mentioning Little Italy.
With the highest Italian population outside of Italy the possibilities are endless, although you might want to start at The Sicilian Café for unparalleled gelatos and tiramisu. -
Step 3: Look for places to eat modestly.
-
Step 4: Look for a very classy restaurant.
-
Step 5: Find out where to slum it at a dive bar.
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Step 6: Find out where to drink with every kind of person.
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Step 7: Find the best small bar.
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Step 8: Find the best vintage clothing shop - COURAGE MY LOVE (14 Kensington Ave.) This place is epic.
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Step 9: Find Toronto's Best Art - Skip the hundreds of tiny galleries and go the The Art Gallery of Ontario - Picassos
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Step 10: photography
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Step 11: Renaissance
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Step 12: Group of Seven
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Step 13: Henry Moore gallery.....
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Step 14: Check out the historical Distillery District.
-
Step 15: Check out Harborfront and the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.
-
Step 16: Stay at a boutique hotel.
-
Step 17: Go to the most diverse neighborhood in North America.
-
Step 18: See the most celebrities in a two week period.
-
Step 19: Find Chinatown - Toronto's Chinatown is one of the world's largest.
-
Step 20: Stand in the tallest building in North America.
-
Step 21: Find Little Italy.
Detailed Guide
Drake Hotel
- A secret hideout for artists and indie musicians, the Drake Hotel has a sophisticated flavour and a cool nightclub.
Located in Toronto's arty design neighbourhood, where galleries, fashion boutiques and interior design shops abound.
Always packed.
Eat the steamed grouper with ginger and the hot-and-sour soup. , Ematei
- A slightly off-the-radar address doesn’t keep bargain hunters from finding this unpretentious spot where three-course dinners (beef teriyaki with soup, salad and rice, for example) can be had for as little as $22.
Divider walls framed in strips of dark wood nod to rice paper tradition; steel chairs and multiple bits of kitsch on the walls conjure more Bill Murray’s Tokyo. , Scaramouche
- After more than 25 years, the restaurant is still seducing diners with its luxurious food and understated but powerfully romantic setting.
Book early for one of the coveted window seats offering sparkling views of the skyline.
The menu luxuriates in delicacies: foie gras, truffle, lobster, veal — often combining many elements into a grand whole. , Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen St.
W.)
- A portal to the dark side, for a lot of good reasons.
And the dark side in Toronto is dark, like an LA, aluminum-foil-on-the-windows kind of dark.
Rock, punk and other happening sounds blare at ear-bleeding decibel levels, while TV screens show a wide range of films.
Everything a seedy Queen West bar should be and more, the 15-year-old Bovine has valiantly resisted the war on sleaze that’s been sweeping the rest of the neighbourhood.
Bolted to the ceiling is a collage of weird and wonderful knick-knacks, the pièce de résistance of the strange, even menacing décor: gold-painted cherub dolls grin creepily, hanging out among old tires and bicycle wheels. , Ted’s Collision (537 College St.) The best bar left on College, a house of refuge amid the dross.
Ted’s Collision is a great place to drink, but staff, we have a tip for you:
We are smart enough to carry on conversations, and we like the company, so lower the music.
It’s too loud and you’re driving people away. , Sweaty Betty’s (13 Ossington St.) A little hole-in-the-wall that serves imported absinthe, sake martinis, and Cheez Whiz on toast.
Get falling-down drunk and then wander over to a Vietnamese “karaoke bar” and puke on one of their couches.
That goes over really well.
They love that. , How about the name? Hippies founded it in the 60s (OK, maybe a bit later but the myth shall live on).
It’s family run.
The jewelry is one-of-a-kind.
Their cat loves to be petted.
This is a bit more than just a shop: it’s the closest thing we will ever get to that better time.
And go for a wander around Kensington, there are a lot of other great vintage shops in there like Flashback and Dancing Days. ,, A neighbourhood used as the backdrop of several Hollywood films.
Check out some local art and have a pint at the Mill Street Brew Pub or a latte at Balzac's Coffee shop. , (231 Queens Quay West Toronto)
- The Power Plant has three major exhibition galleries and smaller, adjacent indoor and outdoor sites which lend themselves to virtually any presentation circumstance.
The interior of The Power Plant is comprised of three major gallery spaces. ,
- Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel
- A serviced apartment, with kitchens and everything.
You'll feel right at home.
Another cool thing was the quietness of the hotel.
It's tucked in a small street by Yonge and Bay.
So, even though you know you are a block away from everything, it's quiet. ,
- Kensington Market
- Crammed with everything from a cheese store with every imaginable variety (and a few others) to handmade crafts straight out of Nepal to vintage clothing to authentic Jamaican fish vendors, Kensington showcases Toronto's many diverse cultures. ,
- The Toronto International Film Festival is the biggest film festival in North America and second to Cannes worldwide.
Head to restaurants like Bistro 990, Pangaea Restaurant, Sotto Sotto and the Four Seasons Hotel and see an overwhelming number of stars. , This downtown location is one of three large Chinese communities in Toronto.
Dundas Street West from University Avenue to Spadina Avenue and north to College Street are the boundaries of Chinatown.
As the Chinese community has grown, it has extended along Dundas Street and north along Spadina Avenue.
Here you'll see a fascinating mixture of old and new.
Hole-in-the-wall restaurants share the sidewalks with glitzy shopping centers built with Hong Kong money. ,
- CN Tower
- As you approach the city, whether by plane, train, or automobile, the first thing you notice is this slender structure.
Glass-walled elevators glide up the 553m (1,815-ft.) tower, the second tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The elevators stop first at the 346m-high (1,136-ft.) Look Out level. (It takes just 58 seconds, so prepare for popping ears.) , No food review would be complete without mentioning Little Italy.
With the highest Italian population outside of Italy the possibilities are endless, although you might want to start at The Sicilian Café for unparalleled gelatos and tiramisu.
About the Author
Jerry Murray
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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