Toronto has many nicknames. The most popular: ‘The 6ix’. It may relate to the city’s 416 area phone code. But it could also have been inspired by the six municipalities that were amalgamated to create today’s City of Toronto in 1998. The moniker was popularized by rapper Drake, who hails from the city. Whatever its origins may be, our journo duo have been out and about in Toronto’s six districts. And discovered a city that simply delights. Perhaps it is because Toronto has so much to offer for all tastes. From ice hockey fans to art aficionados and gourmet connoisseurs.

Where to go

Hotels

#1 Stay cool in Toronto – our team’s hotel tip
Gladstone House
With its individually appointed rooms, its elegant bar, its top-class restaurant and its trendy lounge, Gladstone House is the ideal address for travellers seeking style, creativity and a lively vibe. The boutique hotel is located in the popular Queen Street West quarter, and offers a deft blend of modern luxury and historical charm.
1214 Queen St W, Toronto, from EUR 180

#2 Luxury accommodation in a historic setting - The Fairmont Royal York
Located directly across from Union Station, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel offers everything you need for a memorable stay in the heart of Toronto. This eco-friendly hotel is ideally located with easy access to Toronto Pearson International Airport. Explore the hotel's historic ballroom, work out in the fitness centre, shop around the corner or enjoy a drink at the majestic lobby bar.
100 Front St W; Rates: from EUR 200

Restaurants und Bars

#3 Good morning, Toronto – Lady Marmalade
This, according to the locals, is where you’ll find the best Eggs Benedict in town. We tried them and were seriously impressed. In fact, if you’re a brunch fan in general, Lady Marmalade is well worth a visit. Natalia Simachkevitch and her team serve up everything you might need to get your day off to the finest of starts in their bright and spacious brunch oasis.
265 Broadview Ave, Toronto

#4 Enjoyment for the Expert – Ten
Ten is a restaurant where chef Julian Bentivegna serves a vegetable-forward multi-course tasting menu to ten guests seated at his exclusive Chef’s Counter. The menu changes from season to season. Diners can observe Julian and his team at work, too. And why ‘Ten’? That’s how many guests Julian can host; and his taster menu also runs to ten courses, which can be accompanied by well-chosen wine pairings if desired.
1132 College Street

#5 Dining in a fairytale castle – the BlueBlood Steakhouse
There’s so much that comes together here. The setting alone is spectacular: the BlueBlood Steakhouse is accommodated in Toronto’s majestic Casa Loma castle. The walls are adorned by artworks by the likes of Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí . And the culinary experience is just as refined in these exclusive surrounds. The BlueBlood offers cuts of the finest beef from all over the world. Fresh seafood adds further menu variety. And the choice of wines and spirits is as international as the clientele.
1 Austin Terrace

#6 A hidden watering hole – the Prequel & Co. Apothecary
Ever been to a pharmacy that’s actually the gateway to an early-20th-Century speakeasy? The small apothecary with its wood furnishings, pharmaceutical trappings and even a cash till, is home to a secret door hidden in its shelving that leads into a dark and stylish bar in which vintage furniture has been skilfully blended with contemporary flair. The style is lovingly maintained down to the finest detail, all the way to the bill, which is presented in an envelope complete with wax seal. Needless to say, the cocktails are concocted with equal devotion and a genuine passion for the unique.
1036 Queen St W

Sightseeing

#7 Discovery and delight – St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is not just one of the most famous markets in the whole of North America: it’s also one of the oldest, with a history stretching back to the early 19th Century. It’s much more than a shopping venue, too. For Torontonians (as the locals are known), it’s also a great cultural hangout. And with its food and speciality stores, its antiques and farmers’ markets, its vibrant ambience and its wonderfully restored St. Lawrence Hall, this venerable location in the city’s Old Town is a must for any visiting lover of discovery and delight.
92-95 Front St E

#8 A blend of past and present – the Distillery District
Here’s a place where lovingly renovated red-brick buildings dating from the 19th Century, former stills and industrial installations all bear silent witness to the past. Once the heart of Canada’s whisky production, the Distillery District today is a popular creative hotspot for arts and culture lovers. Impressive sculptures and modern street art flank the cobbled streets and squares. And the numerous galleries, cafés and trendy boutiques are an open invitation to stroll, explore and enjoy.
9 Trinity St

#9 Cultural melting pot and flea market flair – Kensington Market
A wander through the winding lanes of this lively district in the heart of the city is like a brief round-the-world trip. The eclectic multicultural mix generates a pulsating ambience, and the vast range of culinary delights and forms of artistic expression make the place a kaleidoscope of diversity. Coloured facades, graffiti, quirky boutiques, second-hand stores and vintage shops all combine to lend the area its very special flair.
Nassau St / Augusta Ave

#10 New ideas in old walls – 401 Richmond
One hundred and forty contemporary art galleries, exhibition spaces, studios and outlets featuring works in almost every imaginable medium: this heritage-designated industrial building, which was constructed between 1899 and 1923, presents arts and culture aficionados with totally new worlds. The former tin factory best known for its lithographic work has had new life breathed into it by the 140-odd artists, businesses, galleries, cafés, charities and microenterprises that today call it home.
401 Richmond Street West

Shopping

#11 The coolest street– Ossington Avenue
Some folks say that Ossington Avenue is one of the world’s coolest streets. It’s certainly a place where some outstanding shops and restaurants rub shoulders. Cutting-edge streetwear? Check out Reigning Champ. A little bit of everything? That’ll be The Latest Scoop, the lifestyle concept store with countless fine items to live with, wear or gift. And if Canadian outdoor fashions are your thing, head for Tilley: there’s no better address.

#12 Where today meets tomorrow – stackt
stackt is a complex ecosystem of hip art galleries, local shops, cool eateries and start-ups of various kinds. Composed entirely of sea containers and extending over 100,000 square metres, this vibrant city-centre marketplace offers a truly varied array of objects and opportunities. And in the evenings it’s transformed into a hot address for parties and nightlife on the alternative scene.
28 Bathurst St

Museum & Cultur

#13 All about footwear – the Bata Shoe Museum
It was her own burgeoning shoe collection that prompted Swiss-born Sonja Bata to establish the Bata Shoe Foundation back in 1979. The collection has been housed in the iconic and award-winning building by architect Raymond Moriyama since 1995. The permanent ‘All About Shoes’ exhibit tells the more than 4,500-year tale of the humble but crucial shoe. And three further galleries are devoted to ever-changing temporary displays.
327 Bloor St W

#14 The ice fans’ Valhalla – The Hockey Hall of Fame
You like ice hockey? And you’d like to see the sport’s most coveted trophy of all – the Stanley Cup – up close and personal? The Hockey Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to the whole history of Canadian ice hockey, is where you need to head. It’s the top address for everything and anything related to the sport – including a full-scale replica of the Montreal Canadiens’ dressing room, hockey sim games, a shop selling hockey merchandise of every kind and a host of mementoes from the NHL – the National Hockey League. And here’s a further fun fact: the building it’s accommodated in, which dates from 1855, is also home to a ghost named Dorothy, who can sometimes be seen peering from a window down onto the Yonge and Front Street intersection.
Brookfield Place
30 Yonge St

#15 Open-air art – Graffiti Alley
Is street art your thing? Then Toronto’s Graffiti Alley is just the place for you. Running parallel to the most fashionable section of Queen Street West, the Alley extends over three city blocks and adjacent Rush Lane. And it’s home to some of the finest works of the city’s lively street art scene. Graffiti Alley is also a popular photoshoot location, as well as being a place where creations by the likes of Duro the Third, uber5000 and ELICSER can be studied and admired.

Toronto - good to know