Why go?

Fifteen years ago, you may have likened Toronto to a poor man’s New York, the city it so often plays in films. No longer: Canada’s largest city has grown up fast, and it is now a big draw for tourists in its own right. Home to the world’s fourth largest theatre scene, a leading public film festival, internationally acclaimed museums, designer shops and a host of cheffy restaurants attracting attention for their newfound ‘Canadian cuisine’, it’s becoming a cultural hub. Situated on the edge of one of the world’s largest lakes, the setting is not to be scoffed at either; especially during the summer, when the city erupts with numerous festivals.

What to do

Toronto is more a collection of diverse neighbourhoods than one large city; from its enormous Chinatown in the east to Greektown in the west, it is as diverse as it is large. A stroll from the banks of Lake Ontario, the oldest part of Toronto surrounds the St Lawrence Market, a multi-tiered temple to all things edible. You will find anything you can imagine here – and some you can’t – for a fantastic picnic. To the east, the rejuvenated Distillery District is brimming with galleries, restaurants, shops and breweries housed in reclaimed 19th- and 20th-century factories. But head west, and you’ll run into the Entertainment District, a stretch of countless theatres and the CN Tower, Toronto’s iconic 553.33m landmark. The tallest tower in the world, it affords spectacular views over the city. Toronto’s most notable museums are the Royal Ontario Museum (http://rom.on.ca), which is chock-full of dinosaur bones from Alberta’s Badlands, and the excellent Art Gallery of Ontario (rom.on.ca/en). However, there are dozens of others to choose from, including institutions dedicated to shoes (batashoemuseum.ca), ceramics (gardinermuseum.com) and Canada’s favourite game, hockey (hhof.com). Casa Loma (casaloma.org) is Canada’s only castle. If you want to get out into the great outdoors, take a ferry over to the leafy Toronto Islands, on which you can hike, or from which you can hire a canoe or kayak for use on Lake Ontario.

Where to stay

Sleek and modern, but with a nod to 1970s chic, The Thompson (00 1 416 640 7778, thompsonhotels.com), with its rooftop bar, is one of the hottest tickets in town. Rooms are swish, with lots of windows; a 24-hour diner on the main floor serves dressed-up classics, including mac and cheese with truffle oil. In the heart of the upscale neighbourhood of Yorkville, The Hazelton Hotel (00 1 416 963 6300, thehazeltonhotel.com) is a current haunt of monied A-listers; suites are luxurious and staff are discrete.

Where to eat and drink

Toronto’s culinary revolution is well under way, and the city boasts a first-class international food scene. Taking its cue from the large Italian population in the city (and a location just outside Little Italy), Enoteca Sociale (00 1 416 534 1200, sociale.ca) does tapas-style sharing plates and superb home-made pastas; its by-the-glass wine list is impressive, with plenty of Canadian tipples on offer. Only a few blocks from the St Lawrence Market, Copetin Restaurant & Bar (00 1 416 603 8009, copetin.ca) puts together playful, eclectic sharing plates – opt for bufala mozarella with pear, rosemary oil, pine nuts and honey, or their signature burger, served with a cream soda float. The long-running jewel in the city’s crown, however, is Canoe (00 1 416 364 0054, canoerestaurant.com), which dazzles with its Canadian tasting menu and wine list. It even serves Toronto-made sake.

Time running out?

Grab a cocktail or two at Barchef (00 1 416 868 4800, barcheftoronto.com). Taking the molecular mixology theme to the extreme, beverages don‘t come cheap but the Manhattan is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD). Toronto is five hours behind GMT and is an eight-hour flight from London.

Getting There

Air Canada (aircanada.com) flies direct to Toronto several times daily from London Heathrow.
British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Heathrow to Toronto every day.

Resources

Tourism Toronto (seetorontonow.com), Ontario Tourism (ontariotravel.net) and the Canadian Tourist Commission all offer advice on visiting Toronto.