Toronto is a world-class city, known for being both a center for business and a center for leisure. Downtown is where many travel for work during the weekdays, but there are fun areas outside of the downtown core to explore on the weekend like Danforth, Leslieville, Etobicoke, and Scarborough.
Here’s your ultimate guide to those neighborhoods.
For Business
Downtown
Stay at One MICHELIN Key Shangri-La Toronto. Located in the financial district, it’s a luxury oasis right in the heart of the city where business happens. The hotel features sleek design, spacious rooms, and remarkably stunning city views. Each room includes every possible amenity–heated floors, flat-screen TVs in the bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, and Nespresso machines, to name a few.
Steps away from the hotel, PAI offers the perfect casual break for delicious Thai food, including aromatic soups and curries. For a formal business meeting, a walkable option is Canoe, a 29-year icon featuring unbeatable views from the 54th floor as well as fantastic halibut and lamb.
For nearby MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, One Star Restaurant 20 Victoria and One Star Don Alfonso 1890 are your picks. Restaurant 20 Victoria offers top-notch produce and seafood and has outstanding service (it won the MICHELIN Guide Toronto 2023 Service Award). Don Alfonso 1890 boasts stunning penthouse views of the water or the city, and the chefs serve mouthwatering seared Muscovy duck and glazed porchetta.
Sushi lovers should make the journey to Sushi Masaki Saito, the only restaurant in Canada with Two MICHELIN Stars. The world-renowned Chef Masaki Saito serves the freshest Edomae-style sushi, immersing diners in a mesmerizing adventure to Japan.
For Leisure
Leslieville
Just east of Downtown, Leslieville is known for its cafes and boutique shops, making everything feel cozy and laid-back. Queen Street East is perfect for a stroll – full of local boutiques and vintage shops.
Standout restaurants in this neighborhood take visitors on a journey around the world, ranging from Mexican cuisine at Bib Gourmand Puerto Bravo to Egyptian brunch at Maha’s. At Puerto Bravo, make sure to try to the wera tostada and classic carlota. At Maha’s, dine like a pharoah by ordering the Cairo Classic with Egyptian falafel.
Not too far away is Toronto’s The Beaches district, featuring numerous sandy beaches (including Woodbine Beach), a picturesque boardwalk, and delicious Georgian cuisine (the country, not the state). Our pick there is Bib Gourmand Tiflisi with dishes like lamb khinkali and khachapuri.
Danforth
North of Leslieville sits Danforth, which is known for its Greek cuisine. Azura curates an impressive Mediterranean tasting menu, serving standouts like chickpea fritters and wagyu tartare cannoli. And no visit is complete without a drink from the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Toronto Exceptional Cocktails Award winner Shayne Herbert.
Another option is the delightful contemporary wine bar The Wood Owl, located right on Danforth Avenue, where guests can enjoy adobo-roasted carrots, seared picanha, and other satisfying selections.
Take a stroll in the neighborhood, but before you go, stop by the Danforth Music Hall for live music, comedy, and other spectacular events. The hall has roots dating to 1919 and still maintains a warm sense of community.
Scarborough
Deeper into the suburbs, Scarborough is a hidden gem for the outdoors. Perhaps the most famous attraction in this neighborhood is the Toronto Zoo, which houses thousands of animals including polar bears and orca whales.
Nearby the zoo is the iconic Rouge National Urban Park, which has human history dating back 10,000 years and is known for its countless hiking trails with forests, creeks, farms, and marshland. Further south, the Scarborough Bluffs are also a site to see, featuring picturesque sedimentary rock cliffs overlooking the stunning beaches of Lake Ontario.
To eat, it’s all about the meat. One must-try is newly MICHELIN-recommended Northern Smokes, which offers memorable Northern-touched, Southern-style barbecue favorites like brisket, ribs, and chicken.
Another essential is Bib Gourmand SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli. After training for 17 years in Montreal, Chef Sumith Fernando brought what he learned about smoked meat and poutine right to the people of Toronto.
Etobicoke
To the west of Toronto, Etobicoke delights nature lovers and shopaholics alike.
Equipped with a butterfly garden, Humber Bay Park is great for a scenic waterfront walk that overlooks downtown. Full of lush greenery, Centennial Park boasts a greenhouse, golf course, and winter ski slopes.
In Etobicoke, shopping centers even take on green names – Sherway Gardens offers visitors an indoor luxury shopping escape after a nature-filled day.
On the way over from downtown, there are plenty of fantastic Bib Gourmand restaurants to consider. A tribute to hot chicken, Chica’s Chicken makes no mistakes in its fiery delivery of American soul food. After being dry-brined for two days, the chickens are seasoned and fried to order. BB’s is another fun option. It’s a groovy Filipino diner with standouts like pork sinigang and classic pancit. For a taste of history, The Ace first opened in the 1950s, and today features duck confit and what some would consider the city’s best French toast.
When the day is nearly finished, consider traveling a bit further to Oakville to One MICHELIN Star Hexagon. The restaurant is led by 2024 MICHELIN Guide Toronto Young Chef Award winner Rafael Covarrubias, whose signature duck is a delicious treat that is well worth the journey.
After all is done, you’ll leave Toronto feeling glad you stayed an extra weekend.
Hero image: Pauline Yu / Canoe
Thumb image: Daniel Neuhaus / BB's
