Tara’s Toronto
Toronto is home, and while I could probably write an entire book about where to eat, shop, and spend a Saturday here, these are the places I actually go back to again and again.
Some are institutions I’ve loved for years, others are new discoveries, and a few are places my entire family can miraculously agree on. This isn't meant to be a definitive Toronto guide. It’s simply my Toronto.
WHERE I EAT
Quanto Basta
1112 Yonge Street, Summerhill/Rosedale
One of my favorites with girlfriends or a small group. Great food, great energy, and I love the mismatched china. It feels intimate and relaxed and is exactly the kind of restaurant where you settle in and stay longer than planned.
Sorrel
1158 Yonge Street, Rosedale
So consistent. I love it for lunch or dinner, although I probably end up here more often for lunch. The menu is excellent, the service is always great, and, very important to me, it isn't too loud. You can actually have a conversation. Don't get me wrong, I love loud, but not when I am trying to have a good catch-up with friends!
Alo Bar
162 Cumberland St, Yorkville
Dimly lit, casual, and cool with an amazing atmosphere and seriously good food. A perfect dinner spot. (If I don't plan ahead, I often just sit at the bar!)
Bar Raval
505 College Street, Little Italy
Buzzy, sexy, and one of the most beautiful rooms in the city. The Art Nouveau interior alone is worth seeing, but the tapas are equally good. Also one of my favorite places to meet for a drink.
Amal
131 Bloor Street West, Yorkville
A gorgeous room and amazing Middle Eastern food. Lunch with girlfriends or dinner with anyone. Whatever you do, get the hummus with steak.
Daphne
67 Richmond Street West, Downtown
One of the prettiest restaurants in Toronto. I absolutely love the room, especially the incredible mural, and the food is every bit as good as the setting. Stunning, beautifully designed, and always feels like somewhere special to go, whether for lunch or dinner.
Grey Gardens
199 Augusta Avenue, Kensington Market
The perfect chic-but-casual neighborhood restaurant. Great room, great menu, and somewhere I return to all the time.
Sotto Sotto
120 Avenue Road, Yorkville
A Toronto institution and famously one of Drake's favorites. Italian, buzzy, always a bit of a scene, and consistently great food.
Bar Isabel
797 College Street — Little Italy
Think chic Spanish tavern. Fantastic tapas, great atmosphere, and a really fun dinner.
Danny’s Pizza Tavern + Danny’s Next Door
611 + 613 College Street, Little Italy
With four boys and my husband, finding somewhere that satisfies everyone is not always easy. Danny's somehow does it. It has a cult following, a slightly retro feel, and genuinely great food. The boys can have pizza and burgers, while I still get the atmosphere and food I want. Casual, cool, and a family favorite.
COFFEE & CATCH-UPS
Boxcar Social
1208 Yonge Street, Summerhill
A favorite for coffee with friends, particularly when the weather is good, and you can grab a spot on their hidden back patio.
5 Elements Espresso Bar
131 Avenue Road, Yorkville
Cozy, relaxed, and really good coffee.
De Mello Coffee
2489 Yonge Street, Midtown
Another favorite when the coffee itself matters—which it does.
WHERE I MEET FOR A DRINK
Bar Raval
505 College Street, Little Italy
Yes, again. As good for a drink as it is for dinner.
Library Bar at the Fairmont Royal York
100 Front Street West, Downtown
Old-school Toronto luxury in the best possible way. It feels civilized and completely removed from whatever is happening outside.
d|bar at the Four Seasons
60 Yorkville Avenue, Yorkville
Perfectly located and one of the easiest places in Yorkville to meet friends for a drink.
Nobu Toronto
25 Mercer Street, Entertainment District
I've been going quite a bit lately and taking full advantage of their happy hour menu.
Writers Room
4 Avenue Road, Yorkville
Plan ahead for this one. Fantastic views over the city and an easy Yorkville location make it worth booking.
WHERE I SHOP
SMYTHE
1116 Yonge Street, Summerhill
A global brand that happens to be based in Toronto. Their store is gorgeous, and it's the only place in the world where you can walk in and try the full collection in one place. If you love a great blazer, go.
TNT Yorkville
87 Avenue Road, Yorkville Village, Yorkville
Very Toronto and always good for finding the current must-have brands. Well curated and worth a browse.
The Narwhal
1128 Yonge Street, Suite 102, Summerhill
An amazing selection of brands I genuinely wear, including LESET T-shirts, which I practically live in.
Over the Rainbow
55 Bloor Street West, Manulife Center, Yorkville
My go-to denim store since the '80s! They have an incredible selection of jeans and in-house tailoring, which makes all the difference.
Holt Renfrew
50 Bloor Street West, Yorkville
Toronto's luxury department-store institution and generally where you'll find the major international designer brands under one roof.
HANK.
Bayview Village, 2901 Bayview Avenue
A fabulous new addition for men's shopping that has quickly made it into our rotation. I live in a house with five men, so I'm always looking for somewhere with a great edit that makes shopping for them a little easier.
Harry Rosen
82 Bloor Street West, Yorkville
Another staple in our house. With five men, we spend a lot of time shopping for menswear, and we've frequented Harry Rosen on Bloor for years. Great selection, great service, and an easy go-to when one—or several—of the men in my life needs something.
Good Neighbour
Great for cool, unisex staples and pieces that feel current without trying too hard.
BEAUTY
Gee Beauty
2 Roxborough Street West, Summerhill
My go-to for almost anything beauty. Their own makeup line is exceptional and surprisingly reasonable—I swear by it. They also carry seemingly every serum and beauty brand you could dream of, plus facials, threading, and more. I rarely leave empty-handed.
LTS Nails
540 Eglinton Avenue West, Midtown
My manicure spot. It isn't fancy, but they are so good. Book ahead and ask about having your manicure and pedicure done at the same time. You're in and out much faster, which I love.
MY HEALTHY SHORTCUTS
Nutbar
1240 Yonge Street, Summerhill
One of my healthy fast-food answers. Perfect when I want something good, healthy, and quick to grab on the go.
Orchard Kitchen
700 King Street West, King West
A brand-new addition and already becoming another favorite for healthy food on the go. Fresh, easy, and exactly the kind of place I want when I need something good and quick in the middle of a busy day.
Greenhouse Juice
5 Macpherson Avenue, Summerhill
Juices, ginger shots, and all the little things that help keep me healthy through a Toronto winter and while traveling.
I actually bring their small bottles with me when I'm going somewhere I know I'll be extra social and probably drinking more than I should. Particularly Europe. They save me every time.
ART & CULTURE
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
317 Dundas Street West, Downtown
One of my favorite Toronto spaces. Frank Gehry, who was born in Toronto, transformed the building, and the architecture itself is worth the visit. The permanent collection is incredible, and there are always special exhibitions worth checking out.
The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
231 Queens Quay West, Harbourfront
A great contemporary art space on the waterfront. I love seeing what they're showing, and the building and location make it an easy addition to a downtown afternoon.
TARA’S TORONTO
I could go on, and on-Toronto is a city of neighborhoods, and there is always somewhere new opening, but these are the places that make up my regular rotation.
The restaurants where I actually meet girlfriends for lunch. The coffee shops where conversations stretch into the afternoon. The stores I've been shopping at for decades alongside the new ones I've just discovered. The beauty appointments, family dinners, art stops, and healthy fixes in between.
Not necessarily the definitive guide to Toronto.
Just my Toronto.
