Toronto Travel Forum

We're going to Toronto this July to spend a week, checking out Niagra, Casa Loma, etc. We'll be hitting all the major attractions of course. However, I always like to get advice on some great niche places, you know, the ones that aren't posted in the "Top 10 places to go in Toronto". I'm definitely looking for some great food, authentic to some culture, I'm not too picky. I'm not looking for the tourist-ready places, I'm definitely looking for some "off the beaten path" kind of places. I hope I've described well enough what I'm looking for.

I really appreciate it,
Gareth

PS - My first post!

It's been a few years since I was last in Toronto but I think you might enjoy the Greektown area of Toronto. We only ate at one of the restaurants one evening, but the area looked interesting. Welcome to VT.

Website is http://greektoronto.com/.

Try the Bar at The Hazelton Hotel

There's the well-known, but not particularly touristy, Chinatown on Spadina where there are some great restaurants and the markets are well worth a visit if you're interested in food. Or for somewhere less well-known - Koreatown on Bloor St West for some authentic tastes of Korea.

If you want to get out and about then the best way to get around by public transport is to buy a day pass (9 dollars) which is valid on all Trams, Buses and Metro in the city.

Enjoy Toronto!

there is 'little india' at gerard street east with its famous 'lahori tikka house' and many other pakistani, indian, bangla deshi authentic shops.

other than that, take time out to visit neighboring city of Mississauga where there are many places of authentic ethnic food from the world over - you name it, we have it here.

Toronto is known for being very multi-cultural. So basically any type of food/culture you're interested in, there's a "town" for it. Kensington Market is very interesting to check out, especially on sunday when they shut the roads to car traffic. Next to that is Chinatown, and the Queen street shopping district. Other areas to check out are Little Italy, clinton and college. Cafe Diplomatico (i think its called) is great. Also, St. Lawrence market in the east end is a giant indoor farmer's market. And then there's the more ritzy places like Yorkville, which good place to shop and to wander around. Otherwise, anything along the lake is great, including outside of toronto. Port credit, oakville....the whole drive to toronto there's a lot of places to stop and eat and view the lake. Even the Beach on the west side of Toronto is a great place to walk around in the summer. Check the events calendar for the city, because during the summer there are a lot of food festivals, hosted by each culture, that are great to go to.
Hope that helps.

In Toronto:
The Distillery District, Toronto’s first pedestrian only village. Old red brick buildings now offer upgraded shops/boutiques, cafés, restaurants, art galleries, culture and entertainment.

A little bit outside:
Kleinburg a small town, but it has its own charm and we liked the rural atmosphere so close to Toronto very much.
Due to a lack of time - we had to catch our flight back home - we couldn’t visit perhaps Kleinburg’s main attraction: The McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Unionville: a little charming town with - especially along its Main Street - several century homes, most of them dating back to the 1800's. Nowadays a number of shops, boutiques, galleries, cafés and restaurants occupy these different colored lumber buildings.

When visiting Niagara I highly recommend visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake and Thorold with the Welland Canal Center.

Happy travels
Jaap

Hiya.

If you are heading to the Niagara Region then I suggest you hit Niagara On The Lake. It's about a 20minute drive from Niagara Falls. Have an afternoon cocktail at The Pillar and Post lounge or grab a pint at The Olde Angel Inn. The latter being my favorite. Both places full of haunted history.

Check out my Niagara Falls pages for some more info.

Good luck and have a great time.

Guys, thanks SO MUCH! This is a great community and everyone has given me such excellent advice! I REALLY, REALLY appreciate it. My plan was definitely to check out Chinatown (I'm SO EXCITED about it!) and just peruse everything. I plan on grabbing anything that smells good :p Basically, there is a mini-'town' for every culture out there I see...And you've offered so much help with attractions and places to go...

The Kensington Market you were talking about, they close the roads? That sounds like fun, any more information on that?

You guys have given me enough information to find something great to do with all my extra time! I will definitely take the advice on the Metro system as well. Is there transportation from the airport to downtown, or should I take a cab? (I'm meeting a group when I arrive by plane, so I won't have a car immediately, that's why...)

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Gareth

Glad you found our info useful. Yes there's a regular express TTC bus service - the 192 Airport Rocket about every 12 minutes during the day with a transit time of about 20 minutes, details on the ttc.ca site.

As far as getting from the airport downtown there really aren't many options. The best is using the TTC as he said above, because a cab ride will cost you about $75 no matter where you're going in the city.
About kensington market, they have pedestrian sundays the last sunday of every month from 1-7pm. But even if you don't plan to go on these days, the area is pretty much a pedestrian zone and anyone would be crazy to try to drive through though streets (I know this from experience :D ) Kensington market is adjacent to Chinatown so you can see both areas within an afternoon.

If you do go to Kensington market, you MUST stop by at a place called 'Big Fat Burrito'. It has the best burritos in Toronto. I walk there at least once a month from my campus (UofT) to get one. It's on Augusta Ave.

Cool, I'll definitely check out the burritos. I'm so excited about the trip! I really appreciate the help. If you think of anything else, feel free to post. I'm doing lots of research based on what you guys have given me, and I think it's really opened up my trip. It's still a couple months away, so if I think of anything else, I'll let you guys know.

Cheers!
Gareth