The impressive cinema complex has retrospective programming that's super cool and new releases that aren't at your local cineplex. The space also hosts an international film festival, archival library, and programs (stop-motion filmmaking, screenplay writing) for kids.
350 King St. W.
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3X5
+1-888-599-8433
An old warehouse for refrigeration and heating equipment has been turned into a stunning contemporary art gallery with flexible exhibition space, lectures, and creative installations.
231 Queens Quay W.
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8
+1-416-973-4949
A whole micro neighborhood just west of Chinatown — with coffeehouses, fruit stands, and tons of ethnic foods from as far away as Portugal, Chile, and the West Indies. Be sure to check out Good Egg and the incredibly hip Sanagan’s Meat Locker.
67 Kensington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario M5T 2K2
+1-855-472-8687
A former quarry, now an incredibly forward-thinking environmental center and pinpoint for urban sustainability. There are eco expos, D.I.Y. workshops, educational activities, gardens for strolling, a jam-packed Saturday farmers' market, and beloved Cafe Belong.
550 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3X8
+1-416-596-1495
A curving glass and titanium building that holds the largest collection of Canadian art, along with works by Picasso, Monet, and Rothko; a Gehry-designed gift shop; and a beautifully off-kilter corkscrew stairway. Free Wednesday evening admission and a heavy online presence keep it fresh and accessible.
317 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, Ontario M5T 1G4
+1-877-225-4246
This might be the most perfect restaurant for world travelers. Take a look at the menu and you’ll see the words Japanese, Spanish, and Moroccan all on the same page. Your tastebuds will scream for joy.
307 Spadina St.
Toronto, ON M5T 2E6
+1-416-792-1784
Here’s a bit of insider advice: if you’re on the hunt for a Drake sighting in the 6 Gods' hometown, have a stakeout at Fring’s. While you’re at it, order the Korean marinated skirt steak. This restaurant/lounge, named by Drake himself, rolls out dishes at the sweet spot between comfort food and Asian fusion. It’s all the buzz (for your tongue, too).
455 King St. W.
Toronto, ON M5V 1K4
+1-416-979-9696
Toronto has a pretty good reputation for doing fusion (that dreaded f-word amongst culinary snobs) well; Barrio Coreano is no exception. Chef/owner Dave Sidhu playfully adds Korean flavor to classic Mexican recipes at his fourth Playa Cabana outpost. Expect bulgogi shrimp tacos or grilled galbi bocaditos topped with cucumber-radish kimchi. Don't forget the tequila!
642 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, ON M6G 1K9
+1-416-901-5188
Behind the beloved Rose & Sons, Anthony Rose opened a (soon-to-be-more-beloved) BBQ spot. It's cozy and local and always feels like you're at a neighbor's cookout at the communal picnic tables. Get a full rack of ribs and a generous side of cornbread (covered in sumptuous chili maple sauce). Don't eat meat? No matter, the red pine salmon poke (yes, poke at a BBQ spot) and the grilled fish are also great.
176 Dupont St.
Toronto, ON M5R 2E6
+1-647-748-3287
It's no surprise that Top Chef Canada's Carl Heinrich brings in crowds every night to his laidback downtown bistro; he and co-owner/butcher Ryan Donovan serve up the city's best burgers. You also can't go wrong with the ever-changing chef's menu.
1 Richmond St. W.
Toronto, ON M5H 3W4
+1-
Start with the Ploughman's Platter — a delicious dish of pork belly, duck confit, smoked salmon, cheese, breads, pickled vegetables, homemade mustard, and a soft-boiled egg. Follow up with rabbit pasta or roasted quail. And if you still have space, get the almond cake with seasonal berries for dessert. Reservations can be made by text or on Open Table.
1627 Dupont St.
Toronto, ON M6P 3S8
+1-416-561-9114
The menu, designed by a nutritionist and a homeopathic doctor, manages to do the impossible: delight vegans and meat-lovers and kids alike. Get the huevos rancheros (one of the city's best).
2968 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Y8
+1-416-762-0777
A little slice of Paris on this side of the Atlantic. The lunch and dinners are delicious, but come for the flaky whole wheat croissant sprinkled with sesame and fennel seeds. The interiors are a study in French chic (comfy bright blue banquettes by the windows, that marble wraparound bar), but if the weather's good, you'll want a seat on the prettiest sidewalk patio in the city.
550 Wellington St. W.
Toronto, ON M5V 2V5
+1-647-348-7000
Welcome to the sausage party! Grab a seat at one of the long wooden picnic tables, clink a frosty glass of German brew, and share plates of hand-cut fried potatoes while comparing bites of bratwurst, merguez, and Italian pork sausage under a string of twinkling lights.
609 King St. W.
Toronto, ON M5V 1M5
+1-416-703-7775
The second location of the popular Neapolitan spot (the first is at 221 Ossington Ave.) has a wood-burning oven built by an Italian craftsman that cranks out pies — thin, crispy, blistered, charred, artisanal, addictive — in 90 seconds flat. You can practically hear a choir of angels singing as you bite into the margherita d.o.p.
550 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, ON M6J 2Z8
+1-416-466-0400
Perfectly flaky croissants, miniature marshmallow clouds, delicate sandwiches, and other french confections are housed in a minimalist, squeaky clean white space.
780 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1G2
+1-416-368-2009
Considered by many aficionados to be the best dim sum on the continent. The soaring bi-level space inside the Metropolitan Hotel seats large parties hungry for a high Cantonese brunch blitz: colorful dumplings are crafted into whimsical shapes, Peking duck is fried to a crisp and carved at the table.
108 Chestnut St.
Toronto, ON M5G 1R3
+1-416-977-9899
The wait can be maddening, but it's all part of the fun, rowdy, boozy atmosphere. Japanese small plates are cheap and cheerful, the waitstaff is lively, and everyone’s sent out the door with a spirited sayonara.
398 Church St.
Toronto, ON M5B 2A2
+1-604-685-8678
A tiny dining room pumping out what is, quite possibly, the city's best fusion food. Asian-Latin ceviches, delicately steamed fish, and Japanese ingredients (yuzu, shiso) play nicely on your palate.
207 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, ON M6J 2Z8
+1-416-534-8520
Pace yourself for a rustic, three-course Italian meal in the heart of Little Portugal. Tuscan reds wash down oxtail stew, sweetbreads, zeppole, and local specialties from the restaurant's own cheese cave.
1288 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1X7
+1-416-534-1200
Old-world service, full of charm, and tucked into a quiet side street in the ritzy Yorkville neighborhood. After a treatment at the spa and a few laps at the fireside pool, continue with high tea or a nap under Frette linens.
18 Saint Thomas St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E7
+1-416-971-9666
The airport shuttle is a Porsche Panamera, a foreshadowing of what's to come: custom-built furnishings, Japanese-style spa, sandblasted swimming pool, and mini bars tailored to guest preferences.
348 Adelaide St. W
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R7
1-416-479-0847
A lovely, understated Québecois import in light wood and ceramic. The open lobby library has a double-sided fireplace, white daybeds, and a complimentary cappuccino bar.
30 Mercer St.
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1H3
+1-866 345-9501
Modern and masculine with a Yorkville address, five stars, and pet-friendly policy. The expense-account-driven restaurant offers steaks to suits. There are also mini stools for Birkin bags.
118 Yorkville Ave.
Toronto, Ontario M5R 1C2
+1-416-963-6300
Local talent designed every inch of the 37 eclectic rooms, in themes ranging from chinoiserie to white-washed geometrics. It's edgy and bohemian (see: mustache handkerchiefs, "art water" from suite 209) and usually hopping well into the night.
1214 Queen St. W
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1J6
+1-647-792-5957
The playful, 19-room crash pad serves as an anchor to the lively, artsy West Queen West neighborhood. The Drake General Store sources some of the best souvenirs in town. Happenings (hosted by artists, djs, and scene-makers) happen at the hotel almost every night of the week.
1150 Queen St. W
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1J3
+1-416-531-5042
Clothes, candies, cool home decor, the new standalone shop meets everyday needs with design-forward everyday products: an amalgamation of goods that speak to global culture and local, homegrown vibes.
1151 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1J3
+1-647-346-0742
A relaxes spot to have a bourbon, get a beard trim, and buy a Cuban cigar, maybe even a hunting and fishing license — it's one-stop shopping for the manly man.
2877 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Y9
+1-647-350-6446
One-of-a-kind hand-dyed indigo clothing and textiles reworked from vintage military fabric. The interiors are beautiful, with African and Native American art decorting the walls. If you’re lucky, you might catch owner Brian Vu in the backyard coloring his textiles.
2988 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Z3
+1-647-349-3503
An art supply store and gallery and workshop in one. Stop in to check out local up-and-coming artists at the Earl Selkirk gallery, pick up a new skill at the studio, and walk out with everything you need to make your own masterpiece.
2928 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Y8
+1-416-901-7464
A gallery and shop with a focus on Scandinavian and Japanese pieces. Everything in there is a work of art.
2959 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Z2
+1-416-551-9853
Three main buildings house specialty food vendors, local gallery works, and flea market wares. The Sunday Market is a rummage-lover’s dream. Push up your sleeves and dig in for antiquarian items, architectural salvage, treasures, trash, salt-of-the-earth dealers, and lots of well-worn storytelling. The Saturday Farmers' Market, which began in 1803, is the place to go for tasting and trying artisanal foodstuffs, produce, and more from Ontario vendors.
92-95 Front St. E.
Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
+1-416-392-7219
A warm and wallpapered interior stocked floor-to-ceiling with indie titles and a particularly nice selection of gardening and children’s books.
883 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1G3
+1-416-366-8973
A home, garden, and lifestyle shop curated with modern cake platters, Diana Vreeland coffee table books, ceramic desk objects, fresh flower arrangements, and other luxe bits for champagne tastes.
98 Yorkville Ave.
Toronto, ON M5R 1B9
+1-416-966-2227
Behind an unassuming glossy storefront is a hipstery eco flower boutique with a painted tin ceiling, shimmering chandelier, locally sourced flowers, and range of gifty items (cards, hand-sewn quilts, sachets, toiletries).
163 Roncesvalles Ave.
Toronto, M6R 2L3
+1-416-537-3700
A treasure trove of rare, bizarre, forgotten, and overlooked secondhand books. at the very least, check out their “remote window display” for entertainment value.
1229 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1X6
+1-416-531-2123
Retro fondue pots, ‘60s girlie magazines, colorful solair chairs, and a Japanese clamshell doll phone pluck at your mid-century heartstrings.
1160 Queen St. W.
Toronto, M6J 1J5
+1-416-533-6362
The best little vintage vinyl boutique in all of Toronto stocks a wide selection of soul, jazz, funk, and rare mint records. prices can be high, but the vibe is always down to earth.
607A / 652 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON M5V 2B7
+1-416-603-0254