7 cultural highlights you mustn’t miss in Toronto
Hanging out in Canada’s East Coast city for the weekend is an absolute blast, says loveEXPLORING’s editor Laura Jackson
When I say to friends I'm going to Toronto for a long weekend, they nearly all respond with the same thing: “You’ll love it. It’s like a mini New York.”
It takes me around 30 minutes – having whisked along the expressway from the airport to the centre of town – to realise they were totally wrong.
Sure, both North American cities have skyscrapers but comparisons beyond that aren’t really fair.
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In truth, Canada’s eastern metropolis offers the best bits of many of the world’s most famous cities, just done, well, better.
Thanks to the annual film festival – and former resident Meghan Markle – it has the celebrity glitz of Los Angeles (with public transport that makes getting around town a cinch), world-class art museums that rival London (minus the hordes), a vibrant theatre scene (that you can actually get tickets for) and a seriously good restaurants (without the 12-week waiting lists).
Throw in close-knit neighbourhoods, island beaches and dangling off the side of the world’s third-tallest tower, and you’ve a one-stop shop of a city that offers a whirlwind of activities all within easy striking distance.
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For me, Toronto is the ultimate place for a weekend break. Here’s what to see and do in this Canadian city that’s really beyond comparison.
1. Hang out with the locals
There’s a moment at the top of the CN Tower (keep in mind I’m 116 storeys up and leaning back in a harness on an open walkway) where I have a near panic attack. A sudden fear of heights? Spontaneous vertigo? Life flashing before my eyes? Nope.
It’s Saturday morning. It’s 9.45am and my main worry is that the whole of Toronto can see my posterior hanging off the side of one of the world’s most famous buildings.
Laura Jackson/Edgewalk
Fortunately, Torontonians are used to the spectacle. From the ground, the three groups of seven people on the Edgewalk at the CN Tower, now one of the city’s most beloved experiences, appear like ants.
After multiple safety checks there’s really nothing to really be concerned about. In fact Edgewalk’s real test is whether you can relax and literally ease yourself into the city making it the perfect curtain opener for your weekend.
2. Visit a castle in the heart of the city
In the north of the city in the South Hill neighbourhood sits Casa Loma, the biggest castle in North America. Its Rapunzel-esque turrets and fobodding grey stone comes as something of a surprise in Toronto's skyline of skyscrapers. Built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellatt, the castle was a huge private residence – and it’s lavish.
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Pellatt splashed out a small fortune (he later died penniless) on an exquisite Italian stained-glass dome in the conservatory, $10,000 on bronze and glass Italian doors (with removable panels to make cleaning easier, of course) while the bathroom, featuring Edwardian mod-cons like a flushing toilet, cost $10,000 to install.
The gardens are lovely to explore but it’s the castle’s secret passages that make it so much fun to navigate this post-Victorian marvel.
3. Kayak to the islands
That iconic view of the Toronto skyline? It's taken from the Toronto Islands, on Lake Ontario. And the vista is even better when you've paddled out there yourself. The Escape The City Canoe Paddle & Dinning Adventure takes you out onto the sleek waters of Lake Ontario and across to the beachy islands.
Forty minutes of paddling later (in a replica of a canoe used by early settlers), having snaked through inlets, and you’re on Centre Island.
Laura Jackson
There’s an 80-year waiting list for homes on the islands and it’s obvious why – in summer it’s a quiet idyll, while in winter you could get happily stranded for weeks when the lake freezes.
There’s no chance of getting stuck here though after fueling up for the return paddle with a picnic supper, made lovingly by Kevin and his team at Culinary Adventure. It’s served on a proper table and features salmon, chicken and salads, and a local cheese board. Prices from $149 per adult.
4. Soak up the culture
Whether you’re into modern art or museums Toronto’s cultural scene has something for everyone.
You’ve got just 60 seconds to spend in the INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER at the Art Gallery of Ontario. But it’s a minute worth spending at this thought-provoking hall of silver balls that seems to go on forever.
The big museums are fabulous but set aside a few hours to seek out some of the quirkier collections.
The Museum of Illusions on Front Street East is small but packed with fun: you can put your head on a plate, see yourself in a true mirror and run through a vortex tunnel that will leave you dizzy.
The Bata Shoe Museum isn’t just about showcasing posh heels. There are also displays dedicated to traditional arctic footwear and even a pair of 1930s roller skates.
First opened in the 1920s, the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Downtown is an elegant venue to see a show. Recent productions have included The Book Of Mormon, Come From Away and Waitress with prices starting around £23 ($39).
5. Explore the neighbourhoods
The central district of Kensington Market couldn’t be further from the posh London borough of the same name. Originally a Jewish area in the early 20th century, today around 68 languages are spoken here and in neighbouring Chinatown.
Kensington's streets are lined with colourfully-painted shotgun houses (so called because you could fire a gun through the front door to the back) and it has a bohemian feel, without any hint of manufactured hipster.
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Look out for cat sculptures mounted on plinths and Snoopy street art, and swing by Courage My Love, a secondhand store that opened in 1975 and offers a big selection of dresses and cowboy boots.
The last Sunday of the month is the best time to visit as Kensington Market and its surrounding streets are pedestrianised with a street party vibe.
Whatever day you come, finish your time in the area with a stop at King’s Noodle on Spadina Avenue for excellent Chinese food. The doughy rice flour rolls with shrimp at £3.30 (CAN $5.50) a portion, are worth getting on a plane for now.
Also worth exploring is the Old Town, where the modern-day city first began. Go Tours offers an hour-long stroll with a guide who can explain the history of the Gooderham & Worts Distillery. You also make a stop at SOMA chocolate makers (we recommend the mango chilli bar) and Mill Street brewers to sample tipples including raspberry and lemon beer.
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6. Eat your way around town
Sorry Montréal, Toronto’s stealing your crown as Canada’s foodie city.
Torontoian’s love brunch at weekends and the spot du jour is currently Portland Variety on King Street West. There’s smashed avocado on toast but the huevos chilaquiles is a bowl of scrambled eggs, chorizo and refried beans that will set you up for the day.
For dinner in the heart of the theatre district, Baro’s menu of Mexican dishes includes outstandingly fresh ceviches and a lomo saltado – beef tenderloin with soy and ginger. After, move upstairs to the patio for a nightcap cocktail on the patio – it’s the perfect antidote to any first night jet-lag.
Turkish-inspired Byblos is the kind of joint where you’re supposed to share small plates around the table. Several people in my party are still pondering how the wood-fired wild mushroom pide (like a mini pizza) and the hummus royal, topped with Wagyu beef and served with an airy bread, disappeared by magic. By pudding the gig was up: nobody else was getting their hands on ‘my’ puffy baklava.
When Sunday lunch rolls around, head to Gusto 101 for a pizza roughly the size of an articulated lorry’s wheel. Chances are you’ll still be sat there nursing a rosacea cocktail (pisco, pineapple, raspberry and mint) at dinner time.
As a final blow-out treat, it has to be Kasa Moto, in Yorkville, for Japanese. The food here is balanced and refined – and the outdoor terrace with grey wicker furniture so very elegant – but it’s hard not to inhale the scallop ceviche with cucumber and sea buckthorn or faceplant the lobster maki with toasted pistachio, through sheer joy.
7. Stay at Toronto’s oldest hotel
Housed in a Victorian building, The Gladstone is in the fashionable West Queen Street district (one of its neighbours is The Drake hotel, owned by the Canadian rapper).
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The hotel also doubles as an art gallery with each of the 37 rooms fitted out differently (mine had a picture of the Queen and exposed brick work). Meanwhile the hotel's landings host displays of paintings, sculptures and photography from local artists.
There are also nifty historic features such as the lift, dating from 1904 which has to be operated by a member of staff. Don’t skip the first meal of the day either – the breakfast sammies and shrooms on toast are the menu’s highlights.
Getting there and around
For further information about Toronto, visit Tourism Toronto.
Double rooms at The Gladstone Hotel, Toronto start from £152 per night.
Canadian Affair currently offers flights to Toronto from £329 per person return.
A Toronto CityPass provides access to key attractions across the city including the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Centre. The passes are £52 for adults and £34 for children (plus taxes).
Getting around Toronto costs just £7 per day with a TTC day pass.
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