Toronto
Art Gallery of Ontario by Frank Gehry
A quick 1-hour flight from Manhattan drops you in Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, with a core of soaring skyscrapers all dwarfed by the iconic, free-standing CN Tower.
STAY
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL TORONTO Located in the heart of Yorkville, one block from the original Four Seasons Hotel opened in 1960. The flagship property is fifty-five stories and offers incredible views from every floor. Chef Daniel Boulud’s onsite restaurant Café Boulud offers his signature upscale brasserie fare.
THE HAZELTON A member of the Leading Hotels of the World and designed by Yabu Pushelberg, this Yorkville option is in the heart of the shopping district, a mere blocks from Holt Renfrew. Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP has a marketplace in the lobby.
SHANGRI-LA One of our favorite hotel lobbies— perhaps because it includes David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar and Milk Bar Bakery, or perhaps it’s the famous designer gowns ensconced in glass on display, such as the safety-pin Versace number Elizabeth Hurley wore on the arm of Hugh Grant to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. Another draw is the Miraj Hammam by Caudalie spa, which fuses traditional treatments with vinotherapy.
SOHO HOUSE Located just next door to the Shangri-La in a three-story Georgian building from the 1840’s complete with comfortable sofas, a roaring fireplace, and wood paneling.
BISHA HOTEL The rooftop lap pool stares straight at the CN Tower and this new property also includes a Japanese restaurant, French cafe, and Baja-Mexican bistro.
BROADVIEW HOTEL Situated in an 1891 Romanesque revival building that previously operated as a strip club. The Broadview has been reborn into a trendy hotel with a glass-encased rooftop bar and 360-degree city views. The corner suites pay cheeky homage to the Broadview’s past life with retro-fitted, floor-to-ceiling brass poles that act as shelves.
THE IVY AT VERITY This European-style charming boutique hotel is in what was once an 1850s chocolate factory. Offering only four unique rooms and aptly named for its proximity to the Verity—a private, women's-only club.
WINDSOR ARMS HOTEL An old-world boutique hotel with twenty-eight suites, each appointed with a musical instrument. The Windsor includes a baby grand piano, fireplace, lounge, and an antique writing desk.
GLADSTONE HOTEL Housed in a 19th-century Victorian building with rooms designed by local artists and a rooftop bar.
DINE | DRINK
BAR RAVAL If you’re missing Barcelona, post up at the winding wooden bar with Gaudi-esque interiors and enjoy a selection of tapas from Chef Grant van Gameren who also owns Bar Isabel. Pintxos include salt cod, boquerones, and tortilla de patatas, croquetas, and jamón serrano.
CAFÉ BOULUD This classic French brasserie with a distinctly Lyon-inflected menu is inspired by Chef Daniel Boulud’s hometown. The main draw is the rotisserie that turns out the most succulent, rustic-style chicken served with crispy potatoes and country bread night after night in the Martin Brudnizki–designed interior. Aside from the chicken, menu standouts include duck confit, fish quenelles, and steak tartare finished with the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert.
GREY GARDENS This restaurant from renowned Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg is in Kensington Gardens and offers small plates and a large natural wine selection.
CHUBBY’S JAMAICAN KITCHEN Toronto’s diversity means having the best restaurant options specializing in various global cuisines, including Jamaican. Chubby’s is known for its jerk chicken, salt fish fritters with a mango-lime-papaya salsa, and plantain chips. The interior is bright and cheerful thanks to tropical floral prints.
MAHJOHNG BAR Hidden behind a nondescript storefront, entering into Mahjong is like stepping into another world. The walls are adorned with a vivid jungle scene by local artist Gabriella Lo, the floors have a black-and-white checkerboard pattern, and the apothecary-style glass cabinets hold bottles of wine.
BLACKBIRD BAKING CO With British chef April Bloomfield as an investor, no stone is left unturned in the quest for the perfect slice— Blackbird uses only the freshest stone-ground unbleached flour made from a heritage Canadian grain called Red Fife.
FIKA This Scandinavian-style café centers around the Swedish tradition of fika— taking time for a coffee and sweet snack. We love the nook lined with old books and the backyard garden.
BALZAC’S DISTILLERY DISTRICT This space is reminiscent of bistros surrounding the Saint Ouen Flea Market outside of Paris, and for that, we love it. Old posters line the walls and of all the unique coffee blends offered, our favorite is the Atwood (aptly named after Margaret the Canadian author).
ST. LAWRENCE MARKET A large covered food market, which includes the late Anthony Bourdain’s favorite place for a peameal bacon sandwich, Carousel Bakery, as well as other standouts including St. Urbain Bagels, cheesemonger Scheffler’s, and sweetshop Eve’s Temptations.
CLUNY BISTRO & BOULANGERIE A large, bustling French bakery and restaurant in the heart of the Distillery District. The perfect spot for a group reservation.
FAT PASHA Chef Anthony Rose was inspired by friend and fellow Chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, to open this Middle Eastern eatery.
DAILO Dai lo translates to "big brother" in Cantonese. Chef Liu cooks the food he grew up eating as the son of Chinese immigrant parents. Order the crispy octopus taco with sambal aioli, the miso salt cod, and the hakka wontons.
ALO An alum of Chef Daniel Boulud, Patrick Kriss serves up an inventive tasting menu of French fusion. We especially love the homemade freshly churned butter served with the bread course.
FOXLEY Chef Tom Thai emigrated from Vietnam in the late 1970s, and opened this South Asian fusion bistro.
TERRONI A classic choice for traditional Southern Italian fare on Queen Street.
CANOE Located high atop the TD Bank Tower, Canoe serves Canadian cuisine with breathtaking views from 54th floor.
SAM JAMES COFFEE BAR Founder Sam James is an award-winning barista, and apart from the excellent coffee, we love the grown-up versions of throwback treats like Pop-Tarts and Twinkies, all made in-house by pastry chef Lindsey Gazel.
R&D Owned by not one, but two celebrity chefs, Eric Chong and Alvin Leung— this large graffiti-covered industrial space serves modern Canadian-Chinese cuisine.
BANG BANG ICE CREAM Run by a brother-and-sister duo, Rosanne Pezelli makes the cookies, and her brother Arthur handles the ice cream. Homemade ice cream sandwich flavors include burnt toffee and cinnamon toast.
LE SWAN Canadian Chef Jen Agg’s French take on a classic diner— think Steak Frites instead of a Hamburger.
DARK HORSE Settle into the communal tables laden with newspapers and magazines and linger over an espresso or two.
BOXCAR SOCIAL A café and cocktail bar offering tasting flights with different blends of coffee.
KALENDAR A romantic bistro with outdoor dining.
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO A collection of more than 90,000 works of art are displayed in the AGO museum, which was designed by architect and Toronto native, Frank Gehry, making impressive use of glass and wooden beams.
BATA SHOE MUSEUM A unique museum of footwear and calceology displaying over a thousand shoes (from a collection of 13,000 objects) ranging from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamorous platforms in architect Raymond Moriyama’s iconic building.
GARDINER MUSEUM A historical and contemporary ceramics museum that also offers classes, lectures, and tours.
AGA KHAN MUSEUM Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Fumihiko Maki, and commissioned by Aga Khan, to highlight the creative contributions of Islam with a collection that comprises over 1,000 pieces of art, pottery, manuscripts, and drawings.
THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM The arresting design by architect Daniel Libeskind is the home to the ROM, which hosts many traveling exhibitions, including the recent Christian Dior haute couture retrospective.
KENSINGTON MARKET A maze of streets and alleyways are packed with brightly hued Victorian-era houses, vintage stores, and cafes including April Bloomfield's Blackbird Bakery.
GRAFFITI ALLEY The most concentrated display of colorful, whimsical, and sometimes macabre works are along Rush Lane.
CN TOWER The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower originally referred to as Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. Take an elevator to the top for scenic 360-degree views.
CENTRE ISLAND A 10-minute ferry from Toronto deposits you at Centre Island— home to an amusement park, farm, playgrounds, parks, restaurants, and bars.
DISTILLERY DISTRICT The 47 buildings that make up the Distillery Historic District, the oldest dating to the 1850s, make up the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. They are now home to boutiques, restaurants, and galleries.
DANIEL FARIA GALLERY Faria’s namesake gallery housed in what was once a body shop now plays host to Canadian and international artists.
CASA LOMA CASTLE A Gothic Revival-style mansion and garden turned museum and landmark.
TRINITY BELLWOODS A large public park perfect for picnics.
ROGERS CENTRE Home of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team near the iconic CN Tower.
SCOTIABANK ARENA Home of the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Team.
TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX A cultural center in the Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower premiering many of the films released during the Toronto International Film Festival.
SHOP
HOLT RENFREW The premier Canadian luxury department store, founded in 1837, and currently owned by Selfridges.
HUDSON’S BAY Another Canadian department store chain, the oldest and longest-surviving company in North America. Known for their iconic red, green, yellow, and blue block print pattern.
DAY & WEEKEND TRIPS
NIAGARA FALLS An hour and a half drive from Toronto takes you to the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls. Whether you get soaked on the Maid of the Mist boat tour or just admire from the top— it is worth the trip.
SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS High above Lake Ontario, a forty-five-minute drive from Toronto, the Scarborough Bluffs are a nine-mile-long stretch of glacial cliffs ideal for hiking, biking, or picnicking on a grassy lawn overlooking the water.
LAKE MUSKOKA Two hours north of Toronto lies a region of lakes and jutting granite cliffs that recall the breathtaking vistas of the Adirondacks. In fact, the popular wooden deck chairs known as Adirondack Chairs on the East Coast are known as Muskoka Chairs up north. Clustered around three lakes— Muskoka, Joseph and Rosseau, the region is dotted with maple trees and private islands, and filled with golf courses and lakeside cottages. In our opinion, the best time to visit is after the TIFF in September.
Text: Veronica H. Speck Photo: © Art Gallery of Ontario