TORONTO | ourwedding

Toronto tips

Welcome to Toronto! To help you enjoy the best of this awesome city, we put together a list of our favourite spots and things to do.

Getting around

The TTC - subways, buses and streetcars should be able to get you anywhere in the city. You need to have exact change ($3.25) or bring cash to a subway station and buy tokens (coins that get you onto public transit -- old school)
Uber/Cabs - Ubers are cheap and there are tons of orange and green taxis you can flag down
Bike Share - Great way to get around the city and really explore (details)
From the airports:
- Pearson (YYZ) airport - taxi/uber, there is also the Union Pearson Express, a new train that takes you right into Toronto
- The Island airport - grab an uber or taxi, there is also a free shuttle that will drop you right at Union subway station in the heart of downtown

Hoods to Explore

West Queen West and Trinity Bellwoods (Queen between Bathurst and Dufferin) - Our favorite part of town. Trinity Bellwoods is a nice and busy park. Start at Queen West and University Ave. if you want a longer walk. For a shorter walk, start at Queen West and Bathurst. You’ll walk west until you reach the Drake Hotel. Feel free to make a detour up Ossington Avenue for some other bars (e.g. Bellwoods Brewery), restaurants and vintage stores.
The Distillery (Entrance at Mill and Trinity) - Cool part of town with pedestrian brick roads and old buildings. Go to Soma chocolate for some delicious chocolates and ice cream.
Yorkville (Yorkville Ave. and Cumberland) - Elegant part of town with all the fancy stores. Not necessary to visit, but nice area for a quick stroll and right next to the Park Hyatt Hotel.
Kensington Market (Augusta Ave. between College and Dundas) -- Cool, grungy neighborhood. Good bars and good food (Seven Lives, Rasta Pasta, Blackbird Bakery, Nu Bagel, Trinity Commons) and good vintage shopping.

Things to do

Hang out in Trinity Bellwoods Park - Get a coffee at Tempered press, fish and chips at Chippys, a delish pastry at Nadege, something fresh and vegan at Fresh, a slice of pizza at North of Brooklyn
St. Lawrence Market - Go on Saturday. NatGeo called it the best market in the world. We think that's a huge exaggeration but still a very cool place. Also has an associated antique market.
AGO - Awesome art museum. Great permanent collection of Canadian artists and the rotating exhibits are usually good. The weekend of the wedding there is a cool photography exhibit there called The Outsiders. Highly recommended.
The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) - Currently has a cool tattoo exhibit. Across the street from the Park Hyatt.
Ferry to Toronto Island - Walk around, bike, have a picnic, etc.
Rent a bike and ride along the Toronto waterfront - You can go to the Bluffs or to Tommy Thompson park (The Spit).
Tour Steam Whistle Brewery
Watch a Blue Jays-Red Sox game - There’s a game on Saturday at 1PM. You should be able to get same-day tickets.
Hot Docs Cinema - The only theatre in the world dedicated to documentary filmmaking, always has something good showing.
Doors Open Toronto - The weekend of the wedding is when a lot of historic and architecturally interesting buildings are open for free (details).

Food

Dinner

Bar Isabel - Small plates, Toronto darling these days
Bar Raval - Spanish tapas, Barcelona feel, beautiful patio
Byblos - New and very hip Middle Eastern restaurant
Fat Pasha - Amazing Jewish home cooking/Middle Eastern
Grand Electric - Casual/hip fish taco spot
La Carnita - Another great taco spot, but louder than Grand Electric and usually more of a wait
Dailo - Asian fusion next door to La Carnita (if one is full, try the other)
Enoteca Sociale - Amazing pastas and wine
Buca - Great and interesting Italian
Libretto - Epic pizza, there are a few locations
Imanishi - Hip Japanese izakaya with AMAZING fish dishes
Hanmoto - Small, hip Korean restaurant
Bellwoods Brewery - Cool microbrewery with great beers
Bar Begonia - One of Anthony Rose’s new Toronto establishments (he’s a chef known for great comfort food)
Harbord Room - Best burger in Toronto and amazing ambiance (if no tables available, sit at the bar)
Campagnolo - Great Italian on Dundas West
Terroni - Good classic italian, great atmosphere, a few locations. The Yonge and Queen St. locations have great patios
Khao San Road - Amazing thai
Gusto 101 - Great italian on King St., cool industrial space
One of our favourite things about Toronto - the food diversity!
- K town - Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu is a cheap and amazing Korean resto
- Little Italy - Cafe Olympico has an awesome patio
- Chinatown- Mother’s Dumplings is the best dumpling place in the city

Brunch

School - One of our favourites. Located in Liberty Village, big patio
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen - Another great option in Liberty Village
Bonjour Brioche - Cute French brunch spot. Really good. And in a part of town called Leslieville, which is a nice area to check out and walk around
Lady Marmalade - Also in Leslieville, cute and charming
L’Ouvrier- Contemporary Canadian food
Auntie's and Uncle's - Cozy, kitschy diner, always a line if you don't get there early
NU Bagel - Montreal style bagels
Nadege - Great for a french pastry and a coffee, also really cute outdoor seating right across from Trinity Bellwoods park
Saving Grace - There is always a line here but worth a try if you are an early riser. Delicious!

Coffee

Rooster (on Broadview) - A little out of the way from downtown but very quaint, overlooking a park, great coffee, etc.
Sam James Coffee - Locations all over the city
Jimmy’s Coffee in Kensington Market - Cool outdoor patio
Casa Coffee in Kensington Market - A Kensington staple
Dineen Coffee Co - Nice open space downtown
Snakes and Lattes - Board games and coffees

Bars