Toronto is Canada’s most popular city (It has the largest population)! With so many different things to do, it is hard to decide on what to see while you are there. We flew over this spring to visit some close friends and they took us to some unique attractions and enjoy some delicious food! Check out my list below of exciting things to do in downtown Toronto.
Getting around
We used a combination of walking, Uber, and the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). The best deal was the TTC’s weekend day group pass. It was only $13 for the day and covered two adults with unlimited travelling. We mapped out each journey on Google to see the best route and planned accordingly.
Oretta — Food – Downtown — Fashion District
I instantly fell in love with this restaurant’s vaulted white ceilings and modern pink art deco décor. Oretta features this elegant restaurant in the front and a classic Italian café at the back. The café is the perfect place to enjoy a cappuccino and some food from their “grab and go” bistro with pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. We chose to eat in the restaurant, lured by the fact that any pizza on that side could be made gluten-free. I ordered the gluten-free version of Piemonte and my companions got the Capricciosa. We also shared a side plate of house-made Porchetta. Everything was amazing. The gluten-free crust had a great crispy texture and the Porchetta was deliciously seasoned and roasted to perfection. With everyone there being so warm and welcoming, it is definitely a place we will visit again.
Fahrenheit Coffee – Food – Downtown — Fashion District
Late one afternoon the urge to caffeinate hit us and we quickly searched for a nearby coffee shop with a good rating. Google did not steer us wrong. This little shop was so tucked in the corner that we missed it the first time we walked by. We were enthusiastically welcomed as we walked in and felt at home here instantly. We chatted with the two coffee masters excitedly learning about the different roasts they offered. It was like choosing a fine wine. With three different flavour profiles to choose from, we all decided on the “Diablo”, which featured notes of “70% cocoa, molasses, and hazelnut”. After ordering, they quickly served up our specialty coffees to go. Each cup was just the right temperature, silky smooth, and bang on for the flavour profile indicated.
Graffiti Alley — Attraction – Downtown — Fashion District
This iconic Canadian attraction was made famous by the Rick Mercer Report. Over a kilometre of ever-evolving art can be found in this area’s back alleys. We were on our way to the area when we stumbled upon it a few blocks earlier than we anticipated. I never realized just how far it went or that it branched off in multiple directions. When visiting this urban gallery, you will be amazed at how many Instagrammable walls are in one place!
Kensington Market — Attraction – Downtown
This spirited vibrant historical neighbourhood is full of an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants. Each street seemed to have its own mix of architectural personalities; old houses with small front yards were converted into shops and store fronts in some areas, while restaurants were pressed right to the side walk in others. As we walked along, there was so much to see! Down each street, there were different delicious international foods, fresh seafood and vegetable markets, and a wide variety of other wares for sale.
Daan Gao – Food – Downtown — Kensington Market
What caught our attention in this unique shop? All colourful macaroons made in countless cartoon characters and animals on display in the front window! It’s just big enough for 5 or 6 people inside with tons of macaroons and unique cute desserts to go. We bought a variety of flavours including; black sesame, white peach, roasted milk tea and Vietnamese coffee. They were all so cute and so yummy!
Film Café — Food – Downtown – Kensington Market
On one of the main corners in Kensington Market is this chill café with some unique dessert items. Here you can satisfy your sweet tooth in the classiest way possible. They offer 24K gold-covered ice cream and cheesecake. We ordered a half-covered soft serve vanilla and enjoyed every bite. By the end, all of our faces were sporting big smiles with gold speckled lips.
Cocktail Emporium — Shop – Downtown — Kensington Market
This brightly painted pink shop stopped me in my tracks; I had to go inside and explore. It was a bartender’s haven with mixing trinkets, colourful cups, and specialty bitters everywhere. The back area supplied everything that you need to host your own tiki party. There were so many great home bar and party inspiration ideas packed into this little store.
Assembly Chef’s Hall — Food & Entertainment — Downtown Toronto
This unique food venue has something for everyone. It features 17 different chefs located under one roof. It’s a food court style layout but merged with the popup model concept. It was nice to explore all the unique options, decide where we wanted to try, grabbing our food, and meeting up in the common dining area. The building is brightly decorated and has a stage set near the entrance for musicians. We got to enjoy a few great live performances while there.
Bulldog Coffee — Food — Downtown Toronto – Assembly Chef‘s Hall
The allure of having rainbow hearts in my latte enticed me to order one of Bulldog’s Rainbow Latte’s. This little shop held the title of the best coffee shop for 15 years and was dubbed ”the godfather of coffee” in Toronto. It was too good and beautiful not to try. They used a mix of different colours for each cup so your heart was uniquely made just for you.
Cherry Street Bar-B-Que — Food – Downtown Toronto – Assembly Chef’s Hall
The smell of their pit-smoked meats was the first thing that caught my attention when I entered the Assembly Chef’s Hall. We ordered up some Beef Brisket and Pulled Pork sans sauce (to ensure it was gluten-free). It was juicy and perfectly seasoned; it needed nothing else.
Roundhouse Park — Toronto Railway Heritage Centre — Attraction – Downtown Toronto
This preserved piece of history sits in the middle of downtown Toronto, perfectly placed in front of the iconic CN Tower. The roundhouse was built in 1929 and now functions as a museum with large locomotives and colourful cabooses. The park itself is free to visit and wander around the parked trains. It is only a small fee if you want to explore the museum and its attractions. The many historical information plaques make self-guided tours easy to do.
Distillery Historic District — Attraction Area – Downtown Toronto
Big beautiful brick buildings from the 19-century call this area home. Visitors can walk through the streets and alleys discovering shops, restaurants, patios, galleries, and art installations everywhere. The history of the area is featured inside the restaurants were you can appreciate the original interiors of the factories. Along the hallways, they have equipment from the original factories on display with information posted. Throughout the alleys are large pieces of steel art and pop up posters pasted on the brick walls.
Madrina — Food – Distillery Historic District – Downtown Toronto
If you are looking for the best place to find Spanish Tapas, look no further then this cozy restaurant. Enjoy their flower-filled patio during the summer months. Warm-up during the colder months inside their stone-walled restaurant. Inside is a mix of old and new with the original walls decorated by modern art. The menu has a large selection of meats (carved to order), cheeses, seafood, and vegetables. All of the dishes are unique in taste and creative in presentation with 80% of the menu available gluten-free. Some of our favourites were the Grilled Octopus that is presented in a cloud of smoke, Monkfish a “La Llauna” garnished with thin slivers of dried red pepper, and the Seleccion De Embutidos (fresh thinly sliced aged meat). Each plate was its own work of art.
Loga’s Corner — Food — Little Tibet — East of Downtown Toronto
This side street Tibetan restaurant serves up hot and fresh momos, a Tibetan style dumpling. I did not get to try them (not gluten-free), but I understand that both the Steamed Chicken and Fried Beef Momos were cooked to perfection and mouth-wateringly delicious. I did get to enjoy a glass of their Mango Lassi, which was smooth and full of flavour. This place is perfect if you are looking for a quick yummy bite.
Miss Things – Food – Little Tibet — East of Downtown Toronto
A classy Hawaiian style restaurant is decorated with painted flowers and pineapples everywhere. We grabbed a seat at the bar (dinner reservations recommended) and chatted with the friendly bartender. The menu is full of tropical drinks; we ordered a Southern Bae (citrusy and garnished with pineapple) and Dole Whip Margarita (half drink, half dessert featuring pineapple dole soft serve). I ordered a gluten-free version of Pineapple Fried Rice, a tasty sweet and spicy dish mixed up in a grilled half pineapple. For an epic drink, order up “Miss Thing’s Love Bomb” in a watermelon or “Waikki Do You Love Me?” in a pineapple.
High Park — Cherry Blossoms & Nature — East of Downtown Toronto
We visited Toronto just in time to enjoy the beautiful spread of cherry blossoms popping up around the city. With the season in full swing, we decided to check out High Park; its Toronto’s largest public park and features many cherry trees. This popular event had clear signs directing people to the rows of cherry blossoms making it easy for us to find beautiful views of the park. Seeing all these white and pink flowers was a lovely addition to our visit.
Casa Loma — Attraction – North of Downtown
This castle is situated in the middle of Toronto. Built-in 1914, it was the country’s largest private residence. Today you can tour the castle, eat at the luxurious BlueBlood Steakhouse, or try out one of the escape rooms run by Secret City Adventures. We booked the “King of the Bootleggers”, a theme based on local history and was set up like no other escape room we have done before. 20 people were able to book for the same slot and I was a bit unsure about trying to escape with strangers. However, the game went smoothly with its interactive experience featuring live actors that guided us along through the storyline. We all managed to escape at the very last second, which made the thrill even more exciting. I would love to go back and try all the rest of their escape rooms!
What are your favourite things to see and do in Downtown Toronto? Let me know in the comments below or tweet at me here.
