Guidebook for Toronto
Food Scene
A bustling little place, great for picking up your coffee and baked goods.
24 locals recommend
The Sovereign Cafe
1359 Davenport RdA bustling little place, great for picking up your coffee and baked goods.
A nice place to sit and work, with great home-roasted coffee and some nice lunch offerings.
Crosscut Coffee
1142 Davenport RdA nice place to sit and work, with great home-roasted coffee and some nice lunch offerings.
The Davenport
440 Christie StNice atmosphere.
A neighbourhood gem, this place is on a residential street yet usually packed. Yummy and healthy local breakfast, lunch, and snack food, free wifi, and an outdoor patio. Great place to work, read or hang out with friends.
49 locals recommend
Contra Café
1028 Shaw StA neighbourhood gem, this place is on a residential street yet usually packed. Yummy and healthy local breakfast, lunch, and snack food, free wifi, and an outdoor patio. Great place to work, read or hang out with friends.
Pain Perdu
736 St Clair Ave WQuiet, with yummy French treats and popular for weekend bistro brunch.
It’s a popular, hip hang-out with fun décor, a great patio, a juke box, and variable food and service. Open from 5pm to 2 am Mon-Sat, 12pm to 2am Sun.
30 locals recommend
The Gem Bar & Grill
1159 Davenport RdIt’s a popular, hip hang-out with fun décor, a great patio, a juke box, and variable food and service. Open from 5pm to 2 am Mon-Sat, 12pm to 2am Sun.
Best value great food I’ve found in the city! Delicious Mediterranean food, friendly service, lovely ambience. Great for a cosy date or if you’re just in need of some good quality food.
Barista & Chef
1006 St Clair Ave WBest value great food I’ve found in the city! Delicious Mediterranean food, friendly service, lovely ambience. Great for a cosy date or if you’re just in need of some good quality food.
Charming, family-owned, quiet, pleasant feel, yummy food at reasonable prices.
12 locals recommend
Savera Indian Cuisine
815 St Clair Ave WCharming, family-owned, quiet, pleasant feel, yummy food at reasonable prices.
Great food, much of it locally sourced, live music, rotating local art exhibits, and a cozy vibe.
29 locals recommend
Dave's... On St. Clair
730 St Clair Ave WGreat food, much of it locally sourced, live music, rotating local art exhibits, and a cozy vibe.
Cozy atmosphere, and a really fun place to eat with friends. They have a selection of 40 appetizer-sized Middle-Eastern dishes, including 25 veg choices, that you can mix, match and share.
14 locals recommend
Mezzetta Restaurant & Tapas Br
681 St Clair Ave WCozy atmosphere, and a really fun place to eat with friends. They have a selection of 40 appetizer-sized Middle-Eastern dishes, including 25 veg choices, that you can mix, match and share.
El Rincon Mexicano
Authentic Mexican food, great back patio and friendly service.
Sightseeing
A mock medieval castle, this 98-room mansion has lovely grounds and can be a fun jogging destination and a place for kids to exercise their imaginations.
1217 locals recommend
Casa Loma
1 Austin TerraceA mock medieval castle, this 98-room mansion has lovely grounds and can be a fun jogging destination and a place for kids to exercise their imaginations.
Next to Casa Loma, an old Edwardian home that hosts strawberry festivals and summer concerts. Admission to the lovely gardens is free.
50 locals recommend
Spadina Museum
285 Spadina RdNext to Casa Loma, an old Edwardian home that hosts strawberry festivals and summer concerts. Admission to the lovely gardens is free.
If you’re visiting or new to town, this is a great way to get to know the city. 24 stops, 3 consecutive days, $35.
62 locals recommend
City Sightseeing Toronto
1 Dundas Street EastIf you’re visiting or new to town, this is a great way to get to know the city. 24 stops, 3 consecutive days, $35.
Parks & Nature
The park has a community garden, including a medicine wheel garden, tennis courts, a children’s play park and wading pool, and a relatively wild, treed hill.
12 locals recommend
Hillcrest Park
950 Davenport RdThe park has a community garden, including a medicine wheel garden, tennis courts, a children’s play park and wading pool, and a relatively wild, treed hill.
This is not so much a park as a secluded private municipality with some lovely winding roads, a pond, and a tennis court. A nice place for a stroll. Accessible from Davenport or Tyrrel.
29 locals recommend
Wychwood Park
This is not so much a park as a secluded private municipality with some lovely winding roads, a pond, and a tennis court. A nice place for a stroll. Accessible from Davenport or Tyrrel.
An Artscape development, it includes community gardens, volleyball grounds, an off-leash area, a play park and a farmer’s market.
85 locals recommend
Wychwood Barns Park
76 Wychwood AveAn Artscape development, it includes community gardens, volleyball grounds, an off-leash area, a play park and a farmer’s market.
Earlscourt Park
Lansdowne AvenueCommunity gardens, running track, pergola, indoor swimming pool.
outdoor swimming pool, rink, baseball and soccer fields, grassy expanses, treed areas and picnic tables, frequent community events, and great slopes for toboganning.
246 locals recommend
Christie Pits Park
750 Bloor St Woutdoor swimming pool, rink, baseball and soccer fields, grassy expanses, treed areas and picnic tables, frequent community events, and great slopes for toboganning.
This is the heart of a really hip, community-oriented neighbourhood. The park has some nice sitting areas, picnic tables, bonfire pits, a community oven, a reflexology walk, and a farmer’s market.
208 locals recommend
Dufferin Grove Park
875 Dufferin StThis is the heart of a really hip, community-oriented neighbourhood. The park has some nice sitting areas, picnic tables, bonfire pits, a community oven, a reflexology walk, and a farmer’s market.
This is a lovely ravine park about 2 km long, great for a run or a long walk. Includes open fields for flying kites, forested areas, hills, treed areas and playing fields and an arena.
Humewood-Cedarvale
This is a lovely ravine park about 2 km long, great for a run or a long walk. Includes open fields for flying kites, forested areas, hills, treed areas and playing fields and an arena.
This is a big city park in a hip neighbourhood, with grassy and treed areas, slacklines for tightrope walking, playground and wading pool, ice rink, playing and softball fields, volleyball court, and an off-leash area. The site of drum-and-dance circles (Hurray for Fun) in the summer.
590 locals recommend
Trinity - Bellwoods
This is a big city park in a hip neighbourhood, with grassy and treed areas, slacklines for tightrope walking, playground and wading pool, ice rink, playing and softball fields, volleyball court, and an off-leash area. The site of drum-and-dance circles (Hurray for Fun) in the summer.
One of the city’s largest parks, with a pond, zoo, café and restaurant, labyrinth, picnic areas, greenhouses, sports fields, gardening plots, hiking trails, playgrounds, off-leash areas and more.
494 locals recommend
High Park Subway Station
One of the city’s largest parks, with a pond, zoo, café and restaurant, labyrinth, picnic areas, greenhouses, sports fields, gardening plots, hiking trails, playgrounds, off-leash areas and more.
Arts & Culture
Lots to see here, from dinosaurs to Inuit art, art & design from many ages and cultures, and great special exhibits.
2332 locals recommend
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens ParkLots to see here, from dinosaurs to Inuit art, art & design from many ages and cultures, and great special exhibits.
The city's main art gallery. Great permanent and temporary exhibits.
2262 locals recommend
Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas St WThe city's main art gallery. Great permanent and temporary exhibits.
Essentials
Best full supermarket in the neighbourhood as far as I’m concerned. It’s on Christie S of Dupont, a 4-min drive or 6-min cycle. It’s family run and one of the few independent supermarkets in town. They partner with local entrepreneurs and community organizations and have lots of local, organic, eco-friendly products. Like Karma Coop, they make it easy to consume in a way that’s good for you, other living beings, and the planet. I enjoy the music, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the community feel. They also have a great garden centre.
184 locals recommend
Fiesta Farms
200 Christie StBest full supermarket in the neighbourhood as far as I’m concerned. It’s on Christie S of Dupont, a 4-min drive or 6-min cycle. It’s family run and one of the few independent supermarkets in town. They partner with local entrepreneurs and community organizations and have lots of local, organic, eco-friendly products. Like Karma Coop, they make it easy to consume in a way that’s good for you, other living beings, and the planet. I enjoy the music, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the community feel. They also have a great garden centre.
Loblaws
585 Queen St Wbanking, flowers, fresh bakery, sandwiches, salad bar, you name it…
Sobeys Dupont
840 Dupont StNearby.
Luciano's No Frills
243 Alberta AveClose by and cheaper.
Entertainment & Activities
Check out:
-Ecstatic Dance Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30 pm
-The Move on Fridays 7:30-9:30 pm
-Contact Improv Jam Sundays 11 am -1 pm
-Contact Improv Jam with live music Wednesdays 6-8:30 pm
They also are the site of 5 Rhythms, swing, salsa, tango, belly, 80's, country, Irish folk, English and waltz dances, capoeira, dance therapy, and expressive arts.
18 locals recommend
Dovercourt House
805 Dovercourt RdCheck out:
-Ecstatic Dance Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30 pm
-The Move on Fridays 7:30-9:30 pm
-Contact Improv Jam Sundays 11 am -1 pm
-Contact Improv Jam with live music Wednesdays 6-8:30 pm
They also are the site of 5 Rhythms, swing, salsa, tango, belly, 80's, country, Irish folk, English and waltz dances, capoeira, dance therapy, and expressive arts.
Part of the global Shambhala network in the tradition of Chogyam Trunga, this centre offers meditation instruction and group practice, contemplative arts (including photography, ikebana, Qigong) and wisdom teachings.
Shambhala Meditation Centre of Toronto
670 Bloor St WPart of the global Shambhala network in the tradition of Chogyam Trunga, this centre offers meditation instruction and group practice, contemplative arts (including photography, ikebana, Qigong) and wisdom teachings.
Getting Around
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
947 Dovercourt RdGood prices.