Things to do in Toronto
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CN Tower
Though it’s been around for more than 30 years, the funky CN Tower still warrants ‘icon’ status. Its primary function is as a radio and TV communications tower, but relieving tourists of as much cash as possible seems to be the second order of business. It’s expensive, but riding the great glass elevators up the highest freestanding structure in the world (553m) is one of those things in life you just have to do. On a clear day, the views from the Observation Deck are astounding; if it’s hazy, you won’t be able to see a thing. Beware: two million visitors every year means summer queues for the elevator can be up to two hours long – going up and coming back d…
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360°
You don't need to tell us that dining at the top of the CN Tower is an obvious cliché, and it's damn pricey too, but come on, how can you compete with those views?! Even if the food was ordinary (which it most certainly isn't), there would be no better place in Toronto, if not Canada, for a high-class meal and a conversation about mankind's magnificent achievements. And the elevator ride is free!
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Art Gallery of Ontario
The AGO houses art collections both excellent and extensive (bring your stamina). Highlights include rare Québecois religious statuary, First Nations and Inuit carvings, major Canadian works by the Group of Seven, the Henry Moore sculpture pavilion, and a restored Georgian house, The Grange. There’s a surcharge for special exhibits.
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St Lawrence Market & Hall
Old York's sensational market has been a neighborhood meeting place for over two centuries. The restored, high-trussed 1845 South Market building houses more than 50 specialty food stalls: cheese vendors, fishmongers, butchers, bakers and pasta makers with lots of action and yelling of prices in silly voices. Inside the old council chambers upstairs, the St Lawrence Market Gallery (admission free; 10am-4pm Wed-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat, noon-4pm Sun) is now the city's exhibition hall, with rotating displays of paintings, photographs, documents and historical relics. Hordes of school kids laugh it up, perhaps not as enthralled as you might be. On the opposite side of Front St, the …
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Richtree Market Restaurant
Inside the skeletal BC Place, this rainbow-flag-dappled market-style eatery plates up generous serves to satisfy every whim – cakes, freshly made soups, pizza slices, pasta dishes, roast chicken, fried rice, baked goods, fresh juices and coffee. Contemporary adult Brit-rock (Sting, Clapton et al) lends an air of affluent self-satisfaction to themed eating areas. Most of the pot-plants are real; the parrot in the cage isn't. There's another branch in the Eaton Centre.
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Fressen
The zenith of vegetarian and vegan dining in Toronto, Fressen’s brilliant service and sumptuous brick-and-wood dining room make for an enjoyable night out (even for carnivores). A stylish organic menu picks through world cuisines, depending on season. Weekend vegan brunch is a hit.
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Casa Loma
The mock medieval Casa Loma lords over The Annex on a cliff that was once the shoreline of the glacial Lake Iroquois, from which Lake Ontario derived. Climb the 27m Baldwin Steps up the slope from Spadina Ave, north of Davenport Rd. The 98-room mansion – a crass architectural orgasm of castellations, chimneys, flagpoles, turrets and Rapunzel balconies – was built between 1911 and 1914 for Sir Henry Pellat, a wealthy financier who made bags of cash from his contract to provide Toronto with electricity. He later lost everything in land speculation, the resultant foreclosure forcing Hank and his wife to move out. Parking costs $3/9 per hour/day.
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Canoe
Toronto's definitive dining space may still be Canoe, and what a space it is! Sweeping views of choppy Lake Ontario and the Toronto Islands extend from the dining room, about half-mast to the CN Tower. Intriguing regional Canadian haute cuisine is on offer here. Find your sea legs after the elevator ride then tuck into a plate of pan-seared Yarmouth scallops ($23) or Nunavut caribou hind ($44). Reservations essential.
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Tacos el Asador
For an authentic taste of old Mexico, tether your horse to a bike rack and sit your saddle-sore behind down in this taco-sized Koreatown canteen. Burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tostadas and guacamole clatter across tiny timber tables beneath Mexican flags. Crane your neck to check the hockey score on the TV and swallow some cold Corona in the same movement.
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Phõ’ Hu’ng
Bloor-Yorkville ( [tel] 416-963-5080; 2nd fl, 200 Bloor St W; subway Museum) Clipped service and infernally busy tables are the price you pay for Phõ’ Hu’ng’s awesome Vietnamese soups. A few dishes may be a touch too authentic for some (what, don’t you like pork intestines and blood?). A fair-weather bonus is the patio.
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Saffron Tree
Readers rave about Saffron Tree, an unmissable saffron-hued bastion of spicy delight in the dull hospital wastelands north of Dundas St. Service is utterly polite, and classics like butter chicken and lamb vindaloo won't let you down. There's a 10% discount if you want to get take-out and impress your hotel's management with curry aromas.
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Le Gourmand
A nirvana for foodies, Le Gourmand is a classy grocery store stocking Napa Valley mustards, rare Mexican chocolates and jars of Italian eggplant pesto. Peruse the deli case and pastry shelves, sip a foamy cappuccino or cool off with a homemade gelato. As for breakfast, can we tempt you with a Portobello mushroom and goats' cheese omelette ($9) ?
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Bright Pearl
Walk by the stone lions up to the 2nd floor of Hsin Kuang shopping centre and discover this Cantonese-style banquet hall. Dim sum rules – dozens upon dozens of dishes (dumplings, wantons, satays, pork buns, spring rolls etc, including vegetarian) are wheeled out and enthusiastically proffered. The bathrooms are a source of much pride.
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Future Bakery & Café
Future Bakery stays busy selling budget dishes like cheese crepes and homemade borsht with sour cream. Out on the huge street-side patio, lecture-dodgers slap backs and chug pints or push through all-night study sessions with bowls of café au lait and slabs of caramel cheesecake. Twisted '60s psychedelic pop contorts the airwaves.
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Monsoon
Clean Zen lines, outrageous tropical flowers and mid-century modern designs mix harmoniously in this sexy subterranean lounge. The menu offers a downpour of flavors, listing the likes of halibut seared in ginger-saké sauce or Bangkok bouillabaisse along with lemongrass sorbet to refresh your palate between glorious courses.
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Goethe-Institut Gallery
This esteemed German cultural centre presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary fine arts emphasizing the avant-garde from Europe and across Canada. German language courses, German film screenings with English subtitles ($5 per person), concerts and dramatic readings are also on the agenda. Check the online schedule.
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Commensal
Cafeteria-style Commensal sells 100-plus buffet dishes from breakfast to dinner, many of them priced by weight (lasagna is $2.43 per 100g). Fresh salads, hot mains with international flavors, and naturally sweetened desserts are a step above normal cafeteria food. Also accommodates most dietary restrictions.
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Indochine
Simple and unpretentious, this discreet food room is a gem. Signature dishes include the likes of Vancouver crab sautéed in lemon, garlic and wine. Plenty of vegetarian, fried rice and stir-fry noodle options too. Finish with a Vietnamese coffee or a disconcerting-looking purple rice dessert.
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Toast
Beyond velvet curtains is an artsy, old-fangled bistro that’s best for weekend brunch: $12 for eggs Benedict or French toast with cranberries and cream cheese. Relax on the velvet antique couch or dine at one of the Formica tables, and if there’s a wait, check out the local art on the walls.
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Siddhartha
Siddhartha's special chicken korma (vegetables cooked with Indian spices and garnished with dried fruit; $9) may sound a bit weird, but it's delicious. So are its classic curries. They're also south of Queen West – same hours, but you'll pay a few dollars more.
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By the Way
An Annex fixture, this cheerful corner bistro has a fusion menu that leans towards Middle Eastern. Although there’s plenty of meat on the menu, vegetarians won’t go hungry. Service is A+ and the wine list features Niagara ice varietals and labels from far-flung Oregon and Australia.
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Dumpling House Restaurant
Watch dumplings being rolled in the window, then walk right in, sit right down and order a steaming mass of them. Impale steamed or pan-fried pork, chicken, beef, seafood or vegetarian dumplings on your chopsticks, dunk them in soy sauce and dispense with them forthwith.
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Ethiopian House
It’s a packed and popular place with African-inspired murals on the walls, but there’s no silverware in sight as sherro wot (seasoned chickpeas) and gored-gored (spiced beef) are slathered onto wonderful moist injera (bread).
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Saigon Sister
A stylish retreat from Yonge St’s subwoofer chaos. Head straight for the gorgeous garden patio, or position yourself amongst potted cacti to dine on soups, salads and stir-fries, memorable fruit drinks, teas and cocktails.
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University of Toronto – St George Campus
Life at the University of Toronto rotates around the grassy/muddy expanse of King’s College Circle, where students study on blankets, kick soccer balls around and dream of graduation day in domed Convocation Hall. Dating from 1919, sociable Hart House is an all-purpose art gallery, music performance space, theater, student lounge and cafe. Soldiers’ Tower next door is a memorial to students who lost their lives during WWI and WWII. A nearby mid-19th-century Romanesque Revival building houses the U of T Art Centre, a contemporary art |gallery for Canadian and world cultures. If you’re architecturally bent or have an inclination for urban planning, check out the Eric …
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