Where to Eat in Toronto

• Chakra

  This Indian restaurant is one of many that have cropped up serving refined versions of tandoori and Mughlai classics. In addition to the impressive cocktail and martini list, it offers a number of great little-known bottles from Canada’s own Niagara wine region.

  2497 Yonge St., 416-487-7188, chakra.toFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Gilead Café

  This Jamie Kennedy project discreetly tucked away in a former office space is a must for those who know his cooking – and is even more essential for those who don’t. If you enjoy peeking behind the scenes, you’ll love the open kitchen concept.

  4 Gilead Place, 647-288-0680, gileadcafe.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Gourmet Burger Co.

  The GBC offers quick, affordable and delicious burger-creations. A testament to their craft: they nail the tricky Aussie burger, with fried egg, bacon, braised beets and grilled pineapple. Nods go to the Works Burger & Mushroom Melt, not to mention the fries that combine just enough crisp with just enough squish.

  482 Parliament St., 647-344-5103, thegourmetburgerco.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• The Harbord Room

  Co-owners Dave Mitton (Czehoski) and chef Cory Vitiello (the Drake Hotel), along with sommelier Anton Potvin (Niagara Street Café), have brought a taste of Queen West cool to the Annex. Joining calamari, clams and chorizo with olives, stewed tomatoes and basil isn’t rewriting the rules of gastronomy, but it is a classic combination that works. When those flavours are paired up with the Aphrodisiac cocktail, an amorous blend of herbs, vodka, Chambord and lemonade, the combination takes on new dimensions.

  89 Harbord St., 416-962-8989, theharbordroom.comFrom: Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2008

• Amaya Bread Bar

  With its bold design and small, tapas-style plates based on the classic staples of Indian cuisine, this bistro is sure to impress. A new venture by the owners of Amaya and Amaya Express, two of Toronto’s hottest addresses for Middle Eastern flavours, the Bread Bar wins points for the best nan in the business.

  3305 Yonge St., 416-487-1100, amayasbreadbar.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Aspetta Caffe

  This friendly neighbourhood bistro offers simple, fresh Italian fare, such as panini, pasta and gelato. Chef/owner Samantha Biderman learned all the secrets while studying regional Italian cuisine in Florence.

  207 Augusta Ave., 416-826-2865From: enRoute's Top 25

• The Beet

  This organic café and market serves all-natural teas, smoothies, beer and wine. The selection of prepared foods, sourced from local farmers, is the perfect way to impress guests without getting burnout in the kitchen.

  2945 Dundas St. W., 416-916-2368, thebeet.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• C5

  The newly minted restaurant of the Royal Ontario Museum showcases the prodigious talent of young Executive Chef Teddy Corrado, who earned A-list status in his rookie season as Chef de Cuisine. Part of his success can be attributed to the care he puts into choosing his ingredients. The best example of his sourcing strategy is the bone-on 90-day aged beef tenderloin he gets from local Cumbrae Farms.

  The Royal Ontario Museum, 416-586-7928, c5restaurant.caFrom: Making the Grade-A

• FRANK

  Frankly, the AGO’s restaurant, FRANK, is an effort to cash in on its architect’s cachet. Executive Chef Anne Yarymowich collaborated with Frank Gehry in designing the space, with compelling and unexpected results. The wine list is exclusively Ontarian and the food is locally sourced, from the selection of Fred’s Bread to the succulent pan-fried lake trout.

  Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648, ago.net/frankFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Hank’s Café

  Jamie Kennedy is en route to ubiquity with his latest venue, which once again demonstrates his winning formula. Located next to the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, the low-key Hank’s features a soul-food menu with homemade granola for breakfast and a daily stew for lunch. It’s slightly friendlier on the wallet, though just as chic.

  9.5 Church St., 647-288-0670, jamiekennedy.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Kaiseki Sakura

  This refined restaurant is a haven of tranquility on an otherwise sketchy corner of downtown Toronto. Chef Daisuke Izutsu creates tiny, complex courses around seasonal ingredients and presents them like jewels. Squash soup with shrimp sautéed in sake is dense and light. Exquisitely fresh sashimi includes conger eel with umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) and comes with fresh wasabi, a little sharkskin grater and homemade soya sauce. An ingredient we love: sakura means cherry blossom, and they are served here in their sweet preserved form.

  556 Church St., 416-923-1010, kaisekisakura.comFrom: The Next 20

• Kultura

  Hanif Harji, one of Toronto’s most active restaurateurs (Blowfish, Doku 15 and, for a while, Colborne Lane), is the co-owner of one of the most beautiful restaurants in one of the city’s oldest buildings. The sprawling space houses a sleek bar on the ground floor, a vast dining area on the second and an intimate private room on the third. The dizzying array of global tapas touches on India (spiced tandoori beef), the Caribbean (shrimp with banana) and some hard-to-classify mashups (jerk chicken risotto and lemongrass pannacotta).

  169 King St. E., 416-363-9000, kulturarestaurant.comFrom: The Next 20

• Lucien

  Chef Scot Woods brings some of the lessons he learned from a stage at Chicago’s avant-garde Alinea restaurant to bear on this restaurant’s whimsical, adventurous menu. “Fried” organic hen is matched to buttermilk croquette, creamed collards and a roast onion jus. The chocolate complex is anything but: Pure chocolate from various regions is offered like a flight of wine to showcase their various qualities.

  36 Wellington St. E., 416-504-9990, lucienrestaurant.comFrom: Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2008

• Madeline’s

  Fans of the sublime Susur, rejoice! The owner, Susur Lee, has launched another venture, and this time he must be serious because he named it after his mother. From the Versailles-like opulence of red velvet and hardwood to the outstanding French cuisine, this place is continental to the core.

  601 King St. W., 416-603-2205, susur.com/madelinesFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Nota Bene

  Chef David Lee and his business partners Yannick Bigourdan and Franco Prevedello have created a restaurant that is both democratic and elite. Taking a cue from roadside diners, the menu offers daily specials that change with the seasons. The kitchen relies on Asian and Latin flavours for its inspiration, filtering and refining them in the process. 

  180 Queen St. W., 416-977-6400, notabenerestaurant.comFrom: Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2008

• Osteria Ciceri e Tria

  This venture by Cosimo Mammoliti, the man behind Toronto’s well-loved Terroni, brings its older sibling’s authenticity to a casual osteria (Italian for “tavern”). With a menu that changes on the chef’s diurnal whim, a look defined by salvaged wood and industrial lighting and a 20-seat communal table dominating the room, Mammoliti has succeeded in freshening his winning formula.

  106 Victoria St., 416-955-0258, osteriacicerietria.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Petite Thuet

  Rosedale natives are not accustomed to change. Their little strip of Yonge Street is populated with perennials like the Rosedale Diner and Patachou. But this upstart bakery/prepped food spot is shaking things up, and once you try the handmade cakes and truffles, you’ll understand how baked goods can be such a disruptive force.

  1162 Yonge St., 416-924-2777, petitethuet.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• School Bakery and Café

  This venture is setting set sail in the location that sunk the troubled Warehouse Grill. The name is the theme: grade-school nostalgia. Brad Moore, a restless talent who spends as much time cooking at top restaurants as most of us do eating at them, steers the ship.

  70 Fraser Ave., 416-588-0005, sbcto.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Z-Teca Gourmet Burritos

  Burrito lovers now have a place to unburden themselves of Burrito Boyz break-up traumas while they savour their favourite cylindrical meal. This California-style chain is on the march, aiming to be the Starbucks of haute-Mexican. Just surrender now.

  327 King St. W., 416-862-9200From: enRoute's Top 25

Where to Drink in Toronto

• Cornerstone Pub

  This upscale pub is ideal for an after-work drink with friends. Make sure to sample the rustic cuisine flavoured with regional ingredients. Plus, once a week, they clear a little space for local musicians to rock out.

  537 College St., 647-430-7111From: enRoute’s Top 25

• Crush Wine Bar

  This King West temple to vinophilia didn’t need a makeover, but it got one anyway, courtesy of famed restaurant designers Giannone Associates. Now when you walk in, you find yourself in a 50-seat lounge space with a gorgeous cork and granite bar. Don’t miss the famous brown-bag blind tastings.

  455 King St. W., 416-977-1234, crushwinebar.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Meating @ the Bottomline

  The upscale sports bar is an oxymoron no more. This bar, right next door to the Hockey Hall of Fame and owned by former NHL goalie Wayne Cowley, has been deemed “the city’s classiest steakhouse and sports bar.” Casual sandwiches and burgers rub elbows with a more exotic menu item: kangaroo.

  22 Front St. W., Toronto, 416-362-7585, bottomlinerestaurant.comFrom: All-Star Bars

• One

  “Is that who I think it is?” If you’re at One, the answer’s probably yes. Red hot from the moment it opened, the sleek grey and brown bar with its horsehair panels and flattering lighting continues to draw a glittering crowd. The drinks aren’t cheap, but the people-watching… Expect at least one pinky ring, acres of exposed chest (both women and men) and some very convincing plastic surgery.

  The Hazelton Hotel, 116 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-9600, onehazelton.comFrom: Canada's Top 15 Hotel Bars

• Senses Bar

  Some bars look good, some sound good – Senses actually feels good. Sipping champagne across from us, the well-heeled woman reclined on the plush couch slides her hand along the velvet walls and closes her eyes. Cheque, please.

  SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, 318 Wellington St. W., 416-935-0400, metropolitan.com/sohoFrom: Canada's Top 15 Hotel Bars

• SkyLounge

  Those hoping to see and be seen have plenty of options at this bar, while those looking for a little more privacy are likely to be tucked away from prying eyes at this stylish courtyard lounge – in the summer months, at least. The cocktail list runs the gamut from that most macho of martinis, the Rusty Nail, to its spiritual opposite: a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle that features abundant use of chocolate liqueur.

  InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, 220 Bloor St. W., 416-960-5200, toronto.intercontinental.comFrom: Canada's Top 15 Hotel Bars

• Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant

  This eponymous restaurant and bar may be a shameless shrine to the hockey god – serving up family recipes like Grandma Gretzky’s perogies with bacon and caramelized onions, and a slow-cooked, Dijon-rubbed meatloaf – but it also takes the classic Caesar recipe above and beyond.

  99 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, 416-348-0099, gretzky.comFrom: All-Star Bars

Arts & Culture

• The Art Gallery of Ontario

  Frank Gehry’s first-ever Canadian structure is an homage to his hometown – in fact, his first exposure to art and architecture was inside this very building. In modernizing it, Gehry has made extensive use of his favourite materials: there’s glass, to bring in as much light as possible, and titanium panels to create organic, moving forms. With 50 percent more space to play with, AGO curators have re-organized the museum collections thematically, from African art to the Group of Seven, by way of contemporary art and photography.

  317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648 / 877-225-4246, ago.netFrom: The New AGO Finally A-Go

• The Gardiner Museum

  Across from the ROM, this museum covers a broad range of ceramics, one of the oldest art forms. It showcases everything from ancient Mayan pieces to contemporary Canadian items to the lesser-known ceramic works of Picasso and Chagall. Meanwhile, Jamie Kennedy has bestowed his culinary gift upon the museum’s in-house restaurant.

  111 Queen’s Park, 416-586-8080, gardinermuseum.on.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• The Barbershop Gallery

  Formerly the Zippie Café, this spot has transformed into a bright gallery space with a small studio in the back. Exhibits have included the collaborative project in support of the War Child Canada campaign and a collection of works that paid tribute to Obama in honour of his first presidential visit to Canada.

  1718 Queen St. W., 416-535-2157, parishil.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

Shopping

• Ella + Elliot

  This large, airy shop displays a dizzying range of European-made children’s furniture, toys and strollers. Much of the merchandise is exclusive to the store, such as the Kidsonroof cardboard playhouse and replicas of Kay Bojesen’s beloved Danish wooden toys. We love the adorable J Schatz Star Egg nightlight, available in a rainbow of colours.

  188 Strachan Ave., 416-850-7890, ellaandelliot.comFrom: enRoute, December 2007: Top of the Shops

• Blackstone Organic Meats

  This fabulous butcher shop supports regional agriculture by buying local. In addition to a selection of take-home products, like olive oil, pasta and a wide variety of sauces, there’s a mouth-watering selection of marinated meats, including kebabs made with tandoori chicken or coconut-coriander beef.

  207 Danforth Ave., 416-463-3100, blackstoneorganics.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Bookhou

  Husband and wife John Booth and Arounna Khounnoraj run this home décor and design boutique, where pieces range from ethereal handmade wall hangings to minimalist furniture. Their natural fabrics have images that salute the Great White North, like adorable onesies with hand-printed drawings of moose, bunnies and beavers.

  798 Dundas St. W., 416-203-2549, bookhou.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Cartel

  This locale carries the same upscale skater duds as the Beaches flagship store, Identity, but it’s located in the heart of Queen West. Neatly framed or splashed all over the walls, the art contributes to the countercultural vibe.

  498 Queen St. W., 416-362-0220From: enRoute's Top 25

• Chabichou

  On top of gourmet cheeses, this shop also houses other fine foods like special spices and homemade pâté. To spruce up your sandwich, you get to choose from over 60 varieties of cheese. Also offered is a selection of baguettes and French pastries from the neighbouring Tati Bistro to seal the delicious deal.

  196 Borden St., 647-430-4942, chabichou.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Charlie Boutique

  Homegrown fashion prodigy Erin Swan’s first boutique pairs sleek lines with rococo, Marie Antoinette-style wallpaper. It’s the place to score a real find from a number of exclusive collections by talented Canadian designers.

  809 Queen St. W., 647-436-8452, iluvcharlie.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• David’s Tea Shop

  Browse the wide variety of teas (over 100 different types), from oolong to golden pu’erh. You can sip your selection in a porcelain cup or carry it home in pretty packaging, while custom tea kits make the perfect gift.

  336 Queen St. W., 416-506-0653 / 888-873-0006, davidstea.comFrom: enRoute’s Top 25

• Drake Hotel General Store

  Everyone’s favourite Queen West hipster hotel has launched a shop down the street, and it’s full of quirky gifts. The Drake’s in-house curator, Mia Nielsen, chooses a different artist to showcase in the store each month.

  1144 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042, thedrakehotel.caFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Harry Rosen

  Harry Rosen’s flagship Yorkville store has long been the clothier of choice for Toronto’s Bay Streeters, but an expansion – which made room for Canada’s first Tom Ford Boutique – has brought Harry some contemporary sartorial sophistication.

  82 Bloor St. W., 416-972-0556, harryrosen.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Jonathan + Olivia

  To the delight of fashionistas, the Vancouver-based men and women’s clothing store has set up shop in Toronto. It’s the perfect spot to score garments by Acne Jeans and Opening Ceremony, not to mention New York’s Pamela Love and Sweden’s Whyred.

  49 Ossington Ave., 416-849-5956, jonathanandolivia.comFrom: enRoute’s Top 25

• Made

  A showcase for young, cutting-edge Canadian designers, Made features home decor items crafted from that most Canadian of materials: wood. The Covello Reesor team creates chairs from reclaimed hardwood and used plywood. The Galiano light by Vancouver’s Propellor Design features a lampshade of Douglas fir; the switch is an arbutus twig taken from Galiano Island. Porcelains, pillows, mirrors – Made is full of objets that are as surprising and smart as they are ecologically sound.

  867 Dundas St. W., 416-607-6384, madedesign.caFrom: enRoute, December 2007: Top of the Shops

• MoRoCo Chocolat

  Following the customs of Parisian chocolate makers, this dessert oasis makes heavenly homemade chocolate and sinful macaroons. “Let them eat cocoa!” For an indulgence worthy of Marie Antoinette, complement the chocolate with their exclusive champagnes by the glass.

  99 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-2202, morocochocolat.comFrom: enRoute’s Top 25

• Noir

  Noir offers the poetic, pioneering designs of Yohji Yamamoto alongside the ultramodern minimalism of Raf Simons. But Noir isn’t only brainy fashion. D&G and Roberto Cavalli offer sexy styles with an Italian twist, while Vivienne Westwood’s diamanté costume jewellery is as fun – and stunning – as the store itself, a glittering space of steel and glass.

  151 Bloor St. W., 416-962-6647From: enRoute, December 2007: Top of the Shops

• Noor

  Nestled under the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, this gallery-cum-cosmetics counter carries cult beauty products and accessories, including Erno Laszlo’s legendary skincare line. Scents from Penhaligon’s of London may smell modern, but they have impressive pedigrees: The Blenheim Bouquet scent was worn by none other than Winston Churchill.

  176 Cumberland St., 416-928-0700, noorboutique.comFrom: enRoute, December 2007: Top of the Shops

• Over the Rainbow

  For denim aficionados, nothing compares to the wide range at Over the Rainbow. We especially enjoy choosing from Canadian premium denim brands like Fidelity.

  101 Yorkville Ave., 416-967-7448, rainbowjeans.com

• One 20 Modern

  Martin Myers, of Quasi Modo Modern Furniture (the second highest of Toronto’s high-design furniture shops), offers an impressive array of exotic items seemingly torn from the pages of Wallpaper. For the daring and wealthy, there’s Fernando and Humberto Campana’s Vermelha armchair. It’s shockingly comfy and appears to be made out of fuchsia spaghetti.

  120 Ossington Ave., 416-537-4400, onetwentymodern.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Swipe Books

  Specializing in books on graphic design, advertising and architecture, Swipe Books shares a restored factory space with other like-minded establishments. The dynamic space houses items like a handmade stool created from 500 balloons and a set of buttons that commemorates Toronto’s subway stations.

  401 Richmond St. W., Suite 121, 416-363-1332 / 1-800-56-SWIPE, swipe.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

• Type Books

  This cozy bookshop – possibly the world’s only store with a plotless fiction section (think Samuel Beckett) – is the brainchild of two University of Toronto PhDs. Their tastes run from the whimsical to the heady, as evidenced by the hand-lettered signage and Virginia Johnson’s custom bookbags.

  883 Queen St. W., 416-366-8973, typebooks.caFrom: enRoute, December 2007: Top of the Shops

• West Elm

  A limb of the sprawling Williams-Sonoma retail tree, this contemporary home furnishings chain has been solving the design dilemmas of chic, young stateside condo-dwellers for years. Its first Canadian store is ideally situated in the heart of King West loft land. Who can say no to Studio B(ish) style on an Ikea(ish) budget?

  109 Atlantic Ave., 416-537-0110, westelm.comFrom: enRoute's Top 25

Getting from the Airport

There are several different buses that run to and from the airport around the clock to different points in the city. To get downtown, expect travel time to be about 45 minutes. A taxi will get you there for a flat rate of around $40.

Taxis

Taxis are easily hailed anywhere in the city and abound in the downtown core. If you’re on a strict timeline, though, be sure to call in advance. Base rates hover around $4.00.

Public Transportation

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is undertaking a massive project to update and extend the streetcar system that will be known as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to allow better access to the north, west and eastern parts of Toronto. Regular fare is $2.75 and the current U-shaped subway line will generally get you within walking distance of anywhere centrally located. Maps and schedules are available online. ttc.ca