Toronto, Ontario Guide
Toronto has always been high on my list of cities I’ve wanted to visit, but it wasn’t until a close friend’s wedding that I finally made my way to the 416. Let’s just say, I fell in love within five minutes – as shown by the text sent to Joe shortly after getting in an Uber from the airport, “I think I belong here”. Toronto is more spread out than most cities and has a much more relaxed and calmer feeling to it than New York City, which I understand isn’t saying much since almost every city does, but that is my bar of comparison. The food scene was incredible, the streets were clean, and I felt like I could’ve spent multiple weeks there exploring. Plus, it is an insanely easy trip from NYC – flight time just over an hour. This recap includes all of the places I went and also many recommendations that were sent in by my amazing followers on Instagram. Safe to say, I will absolutely be back and checking off more of these restaurants, so stay tuned for continued updates. Until then, get your butt over the border!
Places that I went
Restaurants:
Nut Bar – café with healthy smoothies, toasts, bowls, and coffee & lattes. In house nut milk with minimal ingredients. Insanely delicious and highly recommend getting the vanilla smoothie with a shot of espresso – basically a healthified Frappuccino
Byblos – contemporary spin on Eastern Mediterranean with delicious food and drinks. Highly recommend getting the braised lamb for two
Animal Liberation Kitchen – a fully Vegan small hole in the wall with casual food options and also smoothies/juices
Soho House – global club that you must be a member to enter, this location has 2 floors for dining plus a rooftop and is known for their great pizza. My go to drink order: Eastern Standard sub casa amigos for vodka
Aloette – newer hip spot with French inspired food and absolutely delicious. Small, walk-in only, place that kind of reminds me of a train car trolley. Fried chicken entrée is a huge hit (and large enough for two)
Bar Reyna – Mediterranean food great for brunch. They have a few varieties of shoestring fry combinations and I highly recommend the Greek version with spices & feta. Very cute and cozy indoor/outdoor space in the back
Rasa – fusion food created by a team that used to have a famous food truck. Delicious chopped salad that I will be continuously dreaming of
The Greenwood – breakfast & brunch focused on sustainable fare. The hits at our table were the salmon rosti (potato latke with smoked salmon, cucumber, and poached eggs) and the cinnamon swirl French toast
Broadview Hotel – great hotel (where I stayed) with two popular restaurants and an awesome rooftop bar that gets pretty lively at night.
Ice Cream:
Bang Bang – handmade ice cream with deliciously wild flavors. Line can get crazy long so I recommend going after lunch vs dinner. I really loved the tortara (coconut ube) and the mud (chocolate with fudge covered almonds)
Sweet Jesus – crazy flavors of soft serve and a delicious vegan coconut sundae
Places that I did not visit but came recommended:
Restaurants:
Impact kitchen – gluten free fast casual spot with healthy options
Parallel – Mediterranean spot focused around the tahini made in house
Early Bird – breakfast café with healthy looking options
Fresh – two locations, healthy spot that looks like a good lunch / dinner casual option
Bar raval – tapas / small plates with great cocktails
Dailo – French inspired Chinese food & dim sum
Richmond Station – seasonal pantry menu with large daily special offerings
Wvrst – modern beer & cider hall specializing in sausages w/ two locations
Bar Isabel – contemporary Spanish dishes with French local ingredients
Giulietta – voted best new restaurant of 2018, wood fired pizza & house made pasta
Gusto – Southern Italian classic dishes with pizzas & pastas
La Palma – Italian eatery
Terroni – 3 locations within Toronto, casual Italian spot
Pearl diver – seafood focused spot with a homey casual feel & a seasonal menu
IQ – multiple locations; seasonal kitchen with sustainable and locally sourced food focusing on healthy bowls, snacks, and smoothies
Greenhouse juice – multiple locations, spot to grab a juice or smoothie
Baro – creative Latin dishes
Prohibition – speakeasy-esque style bar great for a night cap
Seven Lives – casual spot with great tacos
Snack Bar – Asian influenced small plates
Planta – high end vegan spot
Buca – Italian food in a large open space type of restaurant
Jimmy’s coffee – coffee shop with multiple locations
Almond Butterfly – gluten free bakery with a great paleo muffin
Boxcar Social – wine bar & cafe
Bonjour Brioche – French bakery for breakfast options
Lady Marmalade – breakfast & brunch with Mexican inspiration
Campechano – Mexican spot with great tacos
Ascari Enoteca – cozy Italian restaurant
Blondies – takeout pizza with GF options
Mamakas – Greek restaurant
Ice Cream:
Ed’s Real Scoop – handmade ice cream & pies with multiple locations (Leslieville right next to our hotel)
Bar Ape – gelato & soft serve
Sightseeing / shopping:
Distillery district: cute outdoor space with lots of shops, coffee spots, restaurants, and a few breweries. Great to explore on a gorgeous day
Brickwork market at Evergreen: open on Saturdays and the largest farmer’s market of Toronto. Lots of food stands for local groceries or spots to grab food for lunch.
Entertainment district
Kensignton area
Harbourfront
Bluboho – local handcrafted dainty jewelry with multiple locations
Black Market – vintage & alternative clothing
