The view from the Thompson Toronto's rooftop pool.
Scenester? Design Fan? Foodie? Culture Vulture? Fashionista? There's more than one way to discover Toronto.
SCENESTER
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Weslodge Saloon. Photo by MangoStudios.
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WHERE TO STAY // Thompson Toronto
The art deco furnishings are fab, but the rooftop pool and VIP bar are getting the most buzz.
AFTERNOON // The Distillery District
Once home to the largest whiskey distillery in the world, this 14-acre complex of shops, restaurants and art galleries is the city’s newest cultural hot spot.
DINNER // Colborne Lane
A favorite for its unusual Asian-influenced combos, this remains one of the city’s most coveted reservations.
LATE NIGHT // Weslodge Saloon
This packed bar mixes Prohibition-style cocktails such as the Canadian Mutt—Hennessey with cherry vanilla bitters.
DESIGN FAN
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Momofuku's Noodle Bar. Photo courtesy of Momofuku.
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WHERE TO STAY // Gladstone Hotel
This funky 37-room Queen West hotel features guest rooms designed by Ontario artists.
LUNCH // C5 Restaurant
Refuel with a lobster BLT salad and spectacular views at the new Daniel Libeskind-designed addition to the Royal Ontario Museum.
AFTERNOON // Queen West
Browse retro furniture, handmade jewelry and selvage denim at the trendy boutiques lining this art and design district.
DINNER // Momofuku
David Chang’s hot spot is like four restaurants in one. Before dinner, start at the Nikai bar for a Momoiro sour.
FOODIE
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A peameal bacon sandwich at the St. Lawrence Market. Courtesy of the St. Lawrence Market.
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WHERE TO STAY // The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto
TOCA restaurant is one reason to stay here, thanks to the pastry corridor, glass cheese cave and global menu.
MORNING // St. Lawrence Market
This market features more than 100 local merchants selling everything from Malpeque oysters to the Carousel Bakery’s famous peameal bacon sandwiches.
AFTERNOON // Cheese Boutique
Sample unusual cheeses such as La Mont-Jacob (a hard, raw cow-milk cheese) at this 6,000-square-foot dairy lover’s haven on the city’s outskirts.
DINNER // The Harbord Room
Snag a patio table at this Harbord Street eatery and try the Japanese tacos with pork belly.
CULTURE VULTURE
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| TIFF Bell Lightbox. Photo by Charles Leonio. |
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WHERE TO STAY // Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Toronto’s newest luxury hotel houses a Daniel Boulud restaurant, the city’s largest spa and an impressive art collection.
AFTERNOON // Art Gallery of Ontario
The Frank Gehry-designed museum boasts 80,000-plus works of art, including pieces by masters such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol.
DINNER // Nota Bene
This eatery near the new Opera House features local, seasonal ingredients in intricate dishes such as wild Digby sea scallops with curry paste.
EVENING // TIFF Bell Lightbox
Catch films of all stripes at this theater and cultural center, which serves as the official home base of the Toronto International Film Festival.
FASHIONISTA
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| Take time to shop in Toronto's Blor-Yorkville neighborhood. |
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WHERE TO STAY // Templar Hotel
This hotel oozes style, with its Japanese-style spa, chef’s-table restaurant and eat-in Monk Kitchen.
MIDMORNING // Bata Shoe Museum
This is home to the world’s largest shoe collection, ranging from 19th-century Chinese silk slippers to Elvis Presley’s patent loafers.
AFTERNOON // Bloor-Yorkville
Window-shop in Toronto’s fashion mecca and stop by Holt Renfrew, stocked with local and international labels.
DINNER // ONE Restaurant
Dine on the street-side patio of this glitzy Yorkville restaurant, where the suede panels and leather ottomans are as sophisticated as Mark McEwan’s classic French and Italian cuisine.