Lonely Planet Pocket Toronto

By Liza Prado

Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Toronto:

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak

Full-color maps and travel photography throughout

Highlightsand itineraries help you tailor a trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Convenient pull-out Toronto map (included in print version), plus over 18 color neighborhood maps

User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organized by neighborhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time

Covers the Waterfront, the Entertainment & Financial Districts, Old Town, Corktown, Downtown Yonge, Kensington Market, Chinatown, Yorkville, the Annex, West End, Rosedale, Niagara Falls and more

The Perfect Choice:Lonely Planet's Pocket Toronto, an easy-to-use guide filled with top experiences - neighborhood by neighborhood - that literally fits in your pocket. Make the most of a quick trip to Toronto with trusted travel advice to get you straight to the heart of the city.

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's Canada guide for a comprehensive look at all that the country has to offer.

eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)

Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges

Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews

Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience

Seamlessly flip between pages

Bookmarksand speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash

Embedded links to recommendations' websites

Zoom-in maps and images

Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781837581313

Book preview

Front CoverFull Page Samplerbutton

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Top Experiences

Dining Out

Show Time

Bar Open

Festivals

Treasure Hunt

Under the Radar

For Kids

LGBTIQ+

Four Perfect Days

Need to Know

Toronto Neighborhoods

Explore Toronto

Waterfront

Entertainment & Financial Districts

Old Town, Corktown & Distillery District

Downtown Yonge

Kensington Market & Chinatown

Yorkville & the Annex

West End

East Toronto & Rosedale

Worth a Trip

Niagara Falls

Survival Guide

Before You Go

Arriving in Toronto

Getting Around

Essential Information

Responsible Travel

Behind the Scenes

Our Writer

COVID-19

We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.

Toronto

Top Experiences

1 Walk CN Tower’s glass floor, 342m up…if you dare

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MIHAI_ANDRITOIU/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; CN TOWER ARCHITECT: JOHN ANDREWS

1 Find the maker station at Art Gallery of Ontario

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REIMAR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ARCHITECT: FRANK GEHRY

1 Graze the food stalls of St Lawrence Market Complex

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KIEV.VICTOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Get drenched on a Niagara Falls boat tour

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CPQ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Catch a show at Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre

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CLICK IMAGES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

1 Enjoy a free festival at Harbourfront Centre

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JHVEPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES ©

1 Go birdwatching in Tommy Thompson Park

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Tree swallow | PUFFIN’S PICTURES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Discover fossils and skeletons at Royal Ontario Museum

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JAVEN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; ARCHITECT: DANIEL LIBESKIND

1 See the city skyline from Toronto Islands

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ROBERTO DESTARAC PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Join an eco-workshop at Evergreen Brick Works

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1 See the spring cherry blossoms in High Park

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CANADAPANDA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dining Out

Nowhere is Toronto’s multiculturalism more thrilling than in its restaurants. You’ll find everything from Korean walnut cakes and sweat-inducing Thai curries to good ol’ Canuck pancakes with peameal bacon and maple syrup. Fusion food is hot: traditional Western recipes are spiked with zingy Eastern ingredients, while British influences linger with fizzy lunchtime pints and formal afternoon tea.

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EQROY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Global Eats

Toronto has more than 7000 restaurants, representing a phenomenal range of tastes, cultures and experiences. Most neighborhoods are known for a certain scene – there’s fine dining in the financial district, and hole-in-the-wall eats and homegrown talent in Kensington Market and Chinatown – but the truth is there’s great food from around the world in every corner of Toronto. If ever there was a place to explore, graze and experiment, this is it.

Fine Dining

Toronto is deep into the fine dining and celebrity chef scene. Restaurants are stylish and exclusive, with idiosyncratic techniques and ingredients, and usually a menu of creative cocktails. A splurge perhaps, but always Instagram-worthy.

Food Halls

Can’t decide what to eat or where to go? Dining halls may be the answer, featuring a variety of first-rate cuisines, with counter service and communal tables, and a relaxed but lively ambience. They’re uber-popular and popping up all over town; Assembly Chef’s Hall (pictured) is a fine place to start.

Best Budget Eats

House of Gourmet No-frills restaurant with a dizzying number of Hong Kong–style dishes.

Seven Lives Standing-room-only place serving the best fish tacos in town.

Otto’s Bierhalle Brats, beer and communal tables evoke Oktoberfest year-round.

Annex Food Hall Industrial-chic food court with eateries from vegan to Bangkok-style street food.

Best Fine Dining

Buca Artisanal nose-to-tail Italian served in an upscale setting, soaring ceilings and all.

Lee Mid-century Modern–inspired dining room with creative Asian plates meant to be shared.

Ruby Watchco Different nightly menu of farm-to-table comfort food.

Richmond Station Streamlined restaurant with an eclectic menu of beautifully presented dishes.

Best Specialty Eats

Pow Wow Café Fry-bread tacos are the specialty at this cozy Ojibwe eatery.

Okonomi House Simple restaurant serving okonomiyaki (stuffed Japanese cabbage pancakes).

Chef’s House Culinary students work the front and back of this upscale restaurant.

Dipped Donuts Tiny bakery serving fancy doughnuts with surprising toppings.

Show Time

As you might have guessed, there’s always something going on in Toronto, from jazz and art-house cinema to offbeat theater, opera, punk rock, and hockey. In summer, free festivals and outdoor concerts are the norm, but Toronto’s live-music scene keeps grooving year-round.

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COLIN WOODS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Theater

Long winter months indoors are conducive to the creation and performance of theatrical works. This, and Toronto’s relative proximity to Broadway and cosmopolitan Montréal, help sustain the city’s reputation as a theater-maker’s playground. Broadway and off-Broadway musicals and plays pack theaters around the Entertainment District and Yonge & Dundas Sq. There are numerous smaller venues and vibrant young production companies around town too.

Live Music

Dust off your Iggy Pop T-shirt, don your Docs and hit the pit. Alt-rock, metal, ska, punk and funk – Toronto has a thriving live-music scene. Bebop, smoky swamp blues, classical and acoustic balladry provide some alternatives. Expect to pay anywhere from nothing to a few dollars on weeknights, up to $20 for weekend acts.

Ticketing

In an effort to promote arts and culture, many venues and events operate a ‘Pay What You Can’ (PWYC) policy: admission is free or by donation – give what you think is reasonable. Otherwise, Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.ca) sells tickets for major concerts, sporting matches and events.

Best Iconic Experiences

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Historic double-decker theater with big Broadway shows. (pictured)

Horseshoe Tavern Legendary stage for indie bands.

Toronto Maple Leafs Fiery fans and sold-out games make watching the Leafs unforgettable.

Best Live Music

Reservoir Lounge Longtime ‘it’ spot for jazz and blues.

Rex Nightly jazz and blues, from traditional to experimental.

Dakota Tavern Country-music joint with a sweet bluegrass brunch.

Best Theater

Royal Alexandra Theatre Impressive 1907 theater staging big-ticket musicals.

Soulpepper Theater company producing plays focused on the diversity of the Canadian experience.

Shakespeare in High Park Outdoor Shakespeare in one of Toronto’s prettiest parks.

Best Cinemas

TIFF Bell Lightbox Magnificent cinema complex screening independent films year-round.

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema Art deco theater showcasing documentaries and off-the-beaten-track films.

Entertainment Resources

blogTO (www.blogto.com) Up-to-date info on local happenings.

Now (nowtoronto.com) Alt-culture and live-music listings.

Tourism Toronto (www.seetorontonow.com) Official tourism website with events listings.

Bar Open

Toronto’s drinking scene embraces everything from gritty dive bars to sky-high cocktail lounges, plus a clubbing scene that centers on the Entertainment District. Strict bylaws prohibit smoking indoors in public spaces, although some patios allow it. Taps start flowing around midday and last call hovers around 2am.

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TRPHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Best Bars

Bar Raval Magnificent Gaudí-inspired bar serving small Spanish plates, too.

Oxley Upscale British pub with Victorian decor and glitzy clientele.

Drake Hotel Smart rooftop bar and hipster underground music venue in the West End.

O’Grady’s Irish pub popular for its patio and its Dirty Bingo Nights, hosted by drag queens.

Best Breweries

Bellwoods Brewery Award-winning beers, gourmet small plates and a hipster vibe in a two-story brewery.

Rorschach Brewing Co Century-old house turned brewery, with two patios and an ever-changing menu of beers.

Mill Street Brewery Distillery District brewery in a Victorian-era factory with over a dozen craft brews on tap.

Best City Views

Rooftop Floor-to-ceiling windows and a wraparound patio on a, yes, spectacular rooftop.

One Eighty Glitzy bar with Toronto’s highest licensed patio – 51 floors up!

Against the Grain Urban Tavern Lakefront views from a spacious patio.

Best Quirky & Unusual

Storm Crow Manor Sci-fi-themed bar with dungeon masters on staff.

Snakes & Lattes More than 1000 board games plus an eclectic drink menu.

Festivals

Toronto loves festivals! Summer months are especially busy, but count on events year-round. Arts, food and culture festivals are especially popular, including the Toronto Film Festival and Pride Toronto. Others celebrate theater, music, neighborhoods, historical events and more. Check local calendars for festivals taking place during your stay.

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SHAWN GOLDBERG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Best Performing Arts Festivals

Toronto Fringe Festival ( icon-phonegif %416-966-1062; http://fringetoronto.com; $13; icon-hoursgif hearly Jul) Theater festival featuring more than 150 productions chosen by lottery.

Luminato ( icon-phonegif %416-368-4849; www.luminatofestival.com; icon-hoursgif hJun) Performing-arts and ideas festival featuring some of the world’s top creatives.

Toronto Jazz Festival ( icon-phonegif %416-928-2033; www.tojazz.com; icon-hoursgif hlate Jun; Michael Franti pictured above) Ten days of jazz, blues and soul, held everywhere from parks to concert halls.

Best Arts & Culture Festivals

Doors Open Toronto (www.toronto.ca/doorsopen; free; icon-hoursgif