West End: Toronto Neighborhood Walk

Located in Beaconsfield Village along Ossington Ave., this stylish boutique is known for its luxe tees and sweats, artfully draped dresses and knits, impeccably tailored coats, and chunky handcrafted jewelry. Named after owner Jackie O’Brien's niece and nephew, the gallery-like space is filled with custom and reclaimed fixtures, and O’Brien’s French bulldog Estelle is often seen sunning herself in the windows. The flagship store sells such brands as Band of Outsiders, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Rag & Bone, and L’Agence, as well as artfully packaged body care products from the Malin + Goetz collection.

Address:
49 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 849-5956

This quirky gallery and boutique is known for its offbeat exhibitions and designer home furnishings. Launched in 2007, MOTI was one of the first upmarket shops to put down roots on this once-gritty strip of now-prime downtown real estate in hipster-centric Beaconsfield Village. Its neighbors include art galleries, vintage-clothing stores, craft cocktail lounges, and locavore restaurants. Owner and Toronto native Jason MacIsaac’s 2,300-square-foot shop sells big-ticket items like a multi-shade Wrongwoods chest of drawers by craft furniture makers Established & Sons, and anti-jewelry like a blackened needle or silver matchstick on chains.

Address:
80 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 533-6684

Authentic Neopolitan-style pizzas are on the menu at this Beaconsfield Village pizzeria, which uses fresh ingredients and a wood-burning oven handmade in Naples for owners Rocco Agostino and Max Rimaldi. The oven operates at 900 degrees, essential for creating that characteristically blistered, charred crust. Artisanal, in-season, and local ingredients top thin-crust pies like the margherita, made with Ontario buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, and basil. House-made charcuterie and regional cheeses are the perfect accompaniments, and the tightly edited wine list has mostly Italian and Ontario options.

Address:
221 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 532-8000

Located in Beaconsfield Village, Virginia Johnson’s eponymous shop showcases the illustrator and textile artist’s silkscreens on a variety of fashionable media. Formerly an accessories designer at Helmut Lang, Johnson’s women’s wear, bedding, and tote bags are characterized by natural and travel-inspired motifs. A small pouch sporting a chain-stitched polar bear makes an apropos Canadian souvenir, and abstractly patterned, whisper-thin merino wool shawls are stylish year-round. She creates her original patterns in watercolor before they are silk-screened in India and Toronto.

Address:
132 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 516-3366

This downtown cocktail bar takes its style cues from Manhattan’s circa-1950s and -60s cocktail lounges with sleek black booths and wallpaper featuring old magazine covers. Classic cocktails like Manhattans, sidecars, and mojitos are served alongside more modern concoctions such as el diablo, made with Cuervo Gold, tequila, Chambord, lime juice, sugar syrup, and ginger ale. Watusi’s not-so-traditional food menu includes East-meets-West tapas like chick pea fries with jalapeño dip, Gulf Coast shrimp grilled with umeboshi butter, and Alberta slow-roasted buffalo short ribs.

Address:
110 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(416) 533-1800