After our ceremony, explore Toronto's famous castle! Maybe we're the only city in North America to have a castle? Not sure - don't fact check me. Other than our ceremony (which you can take a tour of the castle afterwards), Casa Loma also usually has cool stuff here too, like a symphony orchestra performance in the gardens, or during Halloween they make the castle into a huge haunted house… check out what’s on!
Our neighborhood art gallery! And Toronto's finest! The AGO is right by our place, and Grange Park is right behind which is a lovely local family-oriented park with an avant-garde playground and Henry Moore sculpture. The AGO itself has a standing collection of classic “Canadian” art (think Group of Seven, indigenous artwork), along with some really wonderful visiting exhibitions. My absolute favourite is the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year, but there are so many interesting and relevant ones that come through. There are also several local galleries across the street and in the immediate surrounding area that are worth exploring. They also have times that are free to come, which is worth checking and potentially planning around.
This is one of our favourite spots in Toronto, and where we had our first "real" date. If the weather holds out, we'd recommend swinging by, and heading to Bandit Brewery afterwards!
A general all around great museum with leading exhibitions, but would mostly recommend going for Friday Night Live / ROM After Dark - this is essentially where they chose a theme and turn the ROM into a giant party at night, for one Friday a month.
A former revitalized quarry made into conservation area. The Brickworks hosts a mean farmers market Saturday mornings (ensure it’s the season), which boasts loads of local farmers and creators. And a nice hike in the back, with a connection to the belt line. You can walk or hike this!
Take the ferry or water taxi to the Toronto Islands, and rent some bikes and ride around! There are also lovely beaches (some are blue flag, if you feel like swimming [but not in April!!] - I like Gibraltar beach and snake island for the views) and an amusement park here.
Used to be the tallest in the world - now the tenth-tallest free-standing structure in the world and yet REMAINS the "tallest free-standing structure on land in the Western Hemisphere". Glass floor is cool, and EdgeWalk is also an option but only for the brave - it’s essentially walking out along the outer rims of the CN Tower.
Our largest aquarium, and a really fun and immersive experience. They host jazz nights some Friday’s, which are a different (read: better) vibe than going during the day with the hoards of school children.
A massive historic market that now boasts three buildings. It was even voted best market by National Geographic at one point! You won’t find bargains here, but you will find some awesome produce, seafood, exotic meats, and to-go foods like the famous peameal bacon sandwiches from Carousel. They’ve been around so long that even I’ve had this sandwich from when I used to eat meat!
Walk up and down Spadina, largely from College to Queen (with some diversions east along Dundas) for our bustling Chinatown (one of the largest in the world!). There’s a wide variety of things to do (eat) here. They are included in this list!! But you don’t need to even eat here, just walking around and exploring is plenty enough activity.
Just a short skip from Chinatown (walk a few blocks west on Dundas from Spadina) and you will hit Kensington Market. It’s a super cool and eclectic neighborhood, with lots of vintage stores, boutiques, and arts markets. In the summers they host Pedestrian Sundays, which close down the market to outside traffic completely and there are tons of local vendors set up, musicians, performers, etc. It is awesome. Also, if you are feeling snacky, do yourself a favour and go to Seven Lives and order the Gobernator. It is soooo good and worth the silly long line (would recommend going on off hours).
Ossington Street, Dundas to Queen, is a really lively spot to go at night. Lots of trendy spots, cocktail bars (both hidden and in plain sight), boutiques, etc.
Along Bloor, from Bathurst to Christie, is our original Korea town. Lots of cute shops and awesome spots to eat. Buk Chang Don Soon Tofu is a highlight. And for Korean BBQ, Korean Village Restaurant is a favourite.
Really up and coming, with awesome local spots that have tons of great restaurants, live music, and local life.
A Toronto classic! Great place to stroll around, with lots of local bars, restaurants, and shops.
So much to say about this street! Go west along Queen, and you’ll hit trendy Queen West, that ventures from big brand names that we know and love (e.g., Aritzia) to more local boutiques, the more you venture west. There are also great bars and live music spots along the way (The Rex, Drom Taberna). If you hit Trinity Bellwoods (a park), all the better - stop in for a walk in the park! If you keep going, you will probably hit West Queen West, and then Parkdale. I personally love Parkdale, mostly for the Momos (it’s also called Little Tibet), but it can get seedy. The further you go, you’ll hit Roncy (King and Queen intersect at Roncesvalles, and you can walk up - it gets better the more north you go).
Go East along Queen this time (passed the Don Valley), and eventually you’ll hit Riverdale and Leslieville. They are super cute and up and coming areas of the city, and definitely worth a stroll though. Marty wants us to move there eventually... I am not sure I'm convinced...
Just a little north and east of Leslieville is Little India. You will know when you’re there! Tons of shops, tends to be lots of local festivals around (in the summer mostly), and of course, great food. As a vegetarian, I love Udupi Palace, which is a no-frills South Indian vegetarian restaurant. But I don’t think you can go wrong in any restaurant here.
A high-end, historic, and artistic area of the city. Lots of glass blown art and others doing cool stuff. Also tends to be things happening here, mainly the Christmas market. I would personally avoid eating here - in my experience it’s mediocre and overpriced.
We haven’t taken care of our waterfront as well as other cities, but we do enjoy the shores of the Great Lakes. The Martin Goodman trail is an excellent biking trail if the weather permits, and a great way to explore our waterfront. You can rent the City Bikes - they are everywhere along this path, and it’s super easy to use and affordable. Also, if you venture east, you can explore Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street Spit) which is renowned for its birdwatching. It was even named a “Globally Significant Important Bird Area” by BirdLife International, which sounds like a big deal! If you venture even further east, you’ll hit our beaches, which are bustling with beach volleyball year-round (you heard me right - some people play in the winter), but are mostly enjoyed in the warmer months.
Looking for something quick, cheap, tasty, and en route between Casa Loma and Canoe? Look no further than Danielle's childhood banh mi spot. While they've doubled in price since she was a kid (which she will mention every time she goes in), a banh mi is still under $6. Cash only.
Looking for something to cure that hangover on Sunday morning? Look no further than this glorious dim sum spot, which Danielle and Marty, along with their family (Liz, Nicole) and friends often frequent. The pan fried shrimp and chive dumpling is a must.
This is Marty's recommendation. It is a pub by our place - also between Casa Loma and Canoe. I guess one benefit is that if you go, you might see one of us walking Bella along McCaul? I don't know. I have nothing more to add.
If you know Danielle, you know she loves Ethiopian food. Her favourite spot, Flavours of Sheba, closed down (Helen, if you are reading this, please come to my wedding!) and she has been searching for her new Ethiopian home (restaurant) ever since. Gursha is a spot that opened up near Nicole, and has potential to be there favourite. The owner, Mahi, is beyond wonderful, and will treat you like family. Get the veggie platter (with a focus on the shiro wat) and be mindful of the strange hours!
Featuring a Filipino Kamayan Feast - this wonderful meal involves eating with your hands on a banana leaf lined table. It typically involves lechon (roast pig) as well as various types of seafood, but you can skip the pork and get more seafood. Wouldn't recommend this for vegetarians or anyone kosher.
Lovely Malaysian street food restaurant on the Ossington strip, making it a nice spot to have dinner before an evening out. SOOS is the regular restaurant, and Fat Choi is their plant-based passion. Suitable for meat eaters and vegans alike.
Our local Thai spot! Reasonably priced and excellent Thai food - a hidden gem in Baldwin village and a nice stop-over between Casa Loma and Canoe.
When Marty lived in Parkdale, Danielle and Marty's diet consisted of 25% momo's - mostly from here and Garleek (another recommendation). This is a hole in the wall spot for cheap and cheerful momos - less than $10 (cash) for a bunch of momos, with a small selection of fillings (both meat and veg). Super authentic and really delicious. To-go only. Get the hot sauce.
OK another momo spot. Sorry not sorry. For here, you need to get the chili momos (steamed) and their Tibetan breakfast. The owners are also wonderful people.
This one is for the vegetarians! Udupi is a no frills spot located in a basement in Little India with a vegetarian menu. Known for their dosas, but their curries are also great. Very reasonably priced.
A nice spot in Little Jamaica for Caribbean cuisine (noting they also recently opened a chain on Queen West). Mostly choosing this place as its the most pescatarian/vegetarian friendly and they make a mean ackee and saltfish - but if you go to Little Jamaica along Eglinton West, there are cookouts all over and you can be drawn into any one of them by small alone. RAP'S is really popular for jerk chicken, but I've never tried - and my mom would say go to Mainsha!
An intimate venue serving Japanese comfort food in Baldwin village. A lovely date night spot, but on the pricier side.
Looking for a splurge? Come try one of Toronto's Michelin starred restaurants that was named top 50 in North America. All food is cooked on an open fire, and they feature traditional and creative Mexican flavours. Danielle went for her birthday just weeks before they were awarded a star, so we can't comment on food quality or value since!
Organized chaos embodied in a restaurant - we love House of Gourmet, and will go there to satisfy our Chinese fix. Danielle loves the lobster with ginger and garlic, and Marty is a fan of the Peking duck.
Is it snowing? We really hope it isn't snowing. But if it is, or if its cold, a nice bowl of ramen is a great cure. They have several locations, but our favourite is the one on College (and it is between Casa Loma and Canoe). It gets quite busy in the evening, so go early and just put your name down - but you should be fine if you're just stopping by between our Ceremony and Reception. They have the best ramen, and veggie ramen, in the city.
Toronto's FIRST shipping container market (*cough* stackt *cough*). It was meant as an incubator for up and coming chefs to try and bring their cuisine to market, and has produced some gems (Nom Nom Poutine is our guilty pleasure). A great place for street food, and also between Casa Loma and Canoe if you want to stop by for a snack.
Where our city hall is and the Toronto sign. Nice to go skating in the winter, and there tends to be events outdoors year round, like live music, arts fairs, etc. Eaton Center is right next door if you like malls and want to go shopping.
I just put one theatre here, but Toronto has world class theatres, both Main stage (via the Mirvish chains) and tons of local, awesome theatres. We also host Toronto Fringe Festival, which is geared to showcasing up and coming performers. And of course, for non-live performances, we host one of the best film festivals in the world - TIFF - which is excellent for “star gazing”. There are also great comedy spots, like Second City.
This is a tough one for us, and we debated even putting it on here. We loved Mizzica - it used to be located on McCaul and was a 30 second walk away from us. It was our little secret - we would go there for coffee every day (and a little scoop of gelato to wake up the mouth in the morning... don't judge until you've tried it), and knew all of the staff and rotating flavours... but then the masses found out about them and they got too popular. They were kicked out of their homey little spot on McCaul due to their long lines, and moved around the corner to Queen West. Now, there is never a moment when there isn't a line up around the block, and frankly, we don't think the quality of gelato is as good as it was before - but maybe that is because we are bitter that we're no longer locals there... anyways, rant over - it's good gelato, and also between Casa Loma and Canoe, so isn't a bad choice for a high quality treat.
With all the boutique, $5 cookie spots popping up, we wanted to put our stake in the ground and say that Craig's is the best. Yes, there are now a million locations, but there is a reason for that - because their cookies are amazing. We were among the earliest visitors at their Parkdale location, and we knew then that they were something special. Turns out everyone else agrees!
WE LOVE SOON TOFU! Ok, Danielle does - Marty will tolerate it. But he will NOT tolerate kimchi. Do NOT bring Kimchi to our wedding! Anyways - we (Danielle, Nicole, Liz) love this spot. It's always busy but the line goes down super quick. Danielle and Nicole get the veggie soon tofu (as spicy as they will give it to us) and our mom gets the kimchi soon tofu - mild (yikes!).
Creative and contemporary Thai fusion, located behind Sam James. Would recommend it for the vibes and the food!
A lovely splurge spot! Top notch service and lovely Mediterranean & French cuisine with great service. We went to celebrate our engagement and they gave us a free glass of bubbly :) You can't get better than that!
If you go out with Danielle often, you will know that she is very luke warm about going out for Italian food anywhere other than Italy. Annabelle is the exception. This is a super cozy & romantic pasta bar, and they make their pastas fresh in house every day. Locals know about it and love it - so make a reservation!
Do you love cheung fun? We love cheung fun! This is our favourite pure-play cheung fun spot. No frills, very reasonable, and all the fresh, goey cheung fun your heart desires.
Catalan inspired bar with great cocktails, wine, and pinxtos. Honestly this is just here because everyone thinks its really cool (and so do I) - but it is also the place where Marty realized he doesn't like cocktails... mostly standing room only!
A new(ish) cocktail bar hidden at College and Bathurst. Has great, swanky vibes, if not a little pretentious - but the quality of their cocktails makes up for this. While they are on the pricier side, they are the best in the city - do not leave without getting their espresso martini.
Come prepared with your flavour notes instead of your drink order, as there are no menus here. Just tell the bartender what you like, dislike, what flavour profiles you're feeling, and leave it up to them to create something for you. I don't think there's a sign out front, but they have a pineapple outfront and wording that says "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE" and it is. I also see that it was ranked a top 25 bar in North America for the past two years - good for them!
Eastern European vibes, with international live music! Turns into more of a party at night. We love this place!
More laid-back live music - think soft jazz and the like. Don't expect to get up and dance here, but rather enjoy some beautiful music while drinking a pint.
Our TSO is world class! Check for rush tickets! If this is out of range, but you feel like listening to some orchestral music in a vibey atmosphere, we also always have local quartet performances by candlelight, that take place in small event venues/churches.