Toronto Art Tour

Hidden behind a narrow storefront in Little Portugal, this unassuming bar is marked by a large sign that reads Nazare Snack Bar (the building's previous inhabitant) as well as a discreet chalkboard sign revealing the current name. As such, the clientele is largely limited to in-the-know locals. The small, dim interior is furnished with mismatched vintage furniture, old-fashioned photographs, and a popular jukebox playing jazz, indie, and rock music. A limited bar menu (think pickled eggs and a hummus plate) complements the short but well-selected beer and wine list. On weekends, live jazz and folk music is a major draw.

Address:
1149 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(647) 435-0103

The namesake store of the trendy Drake Hotel, this nontraditional gift shop sells a wide array of unusual souvenirs, original antiques, local art, and items imported from across the globe. Inspired by old-fashioned general stores and flea markets, the shop is designed with reclaimed wood, recycled light fixtures, and Midcentury Modern furniture. The ever-changing inventory may include anything from anchor-shaped wine stops and colorful patterned socks to binocular-shaped necklace pendants and Mountie-themed cocktail napkins. In addition to the original hotel location, the company now has two satellite shops, one in Rosedale and one on Bathurst Street.

Address:
1144 Queen St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 531-5042

Situated on Harbord Street’s burgeoning restaurant row, this small eatery serves an eclectic, globally inspired menu that incorporates regional ingredients. The homelike interior is designed with large windows, olive green banquettes, and a salvaged-wood bar, while the seasonal outdoor patio contains small shaded tables. Created by chef Cory Vitiello, the menu includes specialties like the Japanese tacos with sous vide pork belly (cooked slowly in a water bath) topped with avocado, pickled ginger, fried nori, mirin glaze, and shiso (perilla) cream. After 10 p.m., the Harbord Room transforms into a lounge with a late night menu and unusual handcrafted cocktails.

Address:
89 Harbord St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 962-8989

This 62-room, 15-suite, boutique hotel opened in the city’s ritziest mixed-use neighborhood, midtown’s Yorkville, in summer 2009. Common areas evoke a luxe aesthetic with dark wood, marble, and granite surfaces, suede-panelled walls, and Art Deco-inspired furniture.æStandard rooms boast nine-foot ceilings, walk-in dressing rooms, and private balconies. The granite-clad bathrooms have separate rainfall showers and soaker tubs, plus LCD-TV embedded mirrors. Celeb chef Mark McEwan’s onsite ONE restaurant has a modern steakhouse-style menu. High-end shopping, the Royal Ontario Museum, and many of the city’s most popular restaurants and lounges are a short walk away.

Address:
118 Yorkville Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(866) 473-6301

Situated in the entertainment district, Hôtel Le Germain is housed in a converted red-brick warehouse with a stainless-steel and glass façade. Inside, the lobby features two-story glass walls, a double-sided fireplace, and photographs by Toronto-based artist James Lahey. There's also a library and a complimentary state-of-the-art cappuccino bar. Elevators painted with wispy clouds lead to the 122 guestrooms, each designed with high ceilings, warm wood accents, blooming tulips, and a glass-enclosed shower that looks out onto the room (with optional privacy blinds). The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast buffet as well as tapas-style dining at Victor Restaurant and Lounge.

Address:
30 Mercer St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(866) 345-9501

Lai Wah Heen, which translates to “luxurious meeting place,” serves an upscale dim sum menu that’s often lauded as the best in Toronto. Located in the Metropolitan Hotel, the bi-level restaurant is simple but stylish, with 12-foot ceilings, black granite stairs, and beige walls hung with black-and-white Chinese calligraphy paintings. The lunchtime dim sum menu includes dishes like deep-fried taro paste dumplings filled with seasoned emu, while the pan-Chinese dinner menu features the popular Peking duck, prepared two ways: fried and served on steamed rice crêpes, and then wok-fried and served in lettuce leaves with assorted vegetables.

Address:
108 Chestnut St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 977-9899

Open Tuesday through Saturday, this centuries-old indoor market hosts an average of 120 merchants selling everything from fresh produce and artisan cheeses to kitchen accessories and hand-tied flower bouquets. The marketplace is busiest on Saturday, when the weekly farmers’ market provides Malpeque oysters, honey garlic chorizo, homemade sweet potato cookies, and international treats like Russian-style rugelach (pastry stuffed with various sweet fillings). The market also sells ready-to-eat meals such as the Carousel Bakery’s famous peameal bacon sandwich. On Sunday, the North Market building houses an 80-vendor antique fair, where possible finds include old books, vintage jewelry, and Midcentury Modern furniture.

Address:
92 Front St. E.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 392-7219

The first foreign outpost for the Manhattan hotel brand, Thompson Toronto opened in 2010. Its location in King West Village puts it a short walk from the entertainment, art and design, and financial districts, as well as stellar shopping. Common areas in the 102-room property have a sleek, contempo aesthetic: clean lines, richly grained wood, marble, and hits of neo-Baroque damask. Guest rooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows and heated marble bathroom floors. Dining and bar options include chef Scott Conant’s Scarpetta, a 24-hour “modern diner,” and a rooftop lounge with infinity pool and skyline views of the city.

Address:
550 Wellington St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(888) 550-8368

Since its start in 1975, Toronto International Film Festival has grown to become one of world’s best, considered by many to be second only to Cannes. Roughly 300 films from more than 60 countries are scheduled over approximately 10 days of early morning screenings, black-tie galas, and midnight schlockfests. The September festival has spun out into satellite programs, including the TIFF Children’s Film Festival and TIFF Cinematheque (a foreign film repertory theater). Since 2010, the festival has been housed at the contemporary-styled, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a five-story film center in the heart of the downtown theater and restaurant district.

Address:
350 King St. W., Box Office
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 599-8433