Toronto Tourism

Where To Find The Best Dining Experience When In Toronto

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Picture Of A Restaurant

Toronto’s restaurant scene can be as alluring and surprising as its many sights and sounds. The city has many top eateries with some have a world class status, and this is why it is impossible to miss an exceptional dining experience when in Toronto. Here are some of the restaurants that standout in Toronto’s culinary scene.

Alo

Alo is a fine-dining restaurant with a four-star rating, which speaks of the exemplary services and exquisite dishes Alo has to offer. If you find it included in the menu, consider ordering a dish made with foie gras, bouncy, coxcomb, and veal trotter. While the restaurant’s settings and its deluxe food may make you think that it is a bit pricey, the changing menu makes it possible for a guest to enjoy select dishes for as little as $89.

Yunaghi

Yunaghi offers a mix of Japanese and Western cuisine. The dishes never lack a visual flair that speaks of the level of art in Chef Tetsuya Shimizu culinary skills. It is a four-star restaurant. It is its combination of a laid back setting and modern elements that distinguish Yunaghi from other customary kaiseki eateries. For only $77, a customer can enjoy a seven-course meal, which is fairly reasonable given the quality of the food and its preparation. Sticky rice topped with leek emulsion, pickled ginger and marinated honey mushrooms is its signature item for its rice course.

Eulalie’s Corner Store

The name may give a varied impression of what to expect, but everything about Eulalie’s Corner Store is true when it comes to classy dining. While it may offer sandwiches, waffles, and other snacks, this restaurant is considered the place to be for some authentic Indian cuisine. It has something nearly every taste and preference thus even vegetarians can find a tasty dish such as the mushroom dip. All in all, Eulalie’s Corner Store is a nice place to take the family for dinner.

Dandylion

Dandylion was, during its first several months, a restaurant where chefs go to dine. Why? The restaurant was opened by Master Chef Jason Carter, and it was opened after his long career in the Kitchen. Thus, those who came were coming with the intention to pay respects to the chef and savory is culinary creations. The dishes are the huge reason for the restaurants fame because Carter’s creations consist of only nine dishes, done in variations and are a blend of European cuisine.

Boralia

Boralia is located on Ossington Avenue and it a trending joint that brings out the best of old-school cooking, giving it a modern twist. The owners, Chef Morris, and Evelyn Wu Morris come from British Columbia and saw Toronto was the perfect place to set up a restaurant to bring back the rich diversity of forgotten Canadian cuisine. The menu rarely strays from the Canadian cuisine paying keen attention to the past recipes. The dishes include smoked mussels adapted from something Samuel de Champlain whipped up for his crew when they were homesick way back in 1605.

Interesting Activities For Kids In Toronto Before They Grow Up

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View Of Mount Pleasant Cemetery

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Visiting Toronto with kids can indeed be an exciting experience, given the innumerable activities ready to welcome you and your kids. Here are some of the prime attractions the city has to offer.

Music Garden

Get lost in the beauty of musical compositions as you enter the Music Garden of Toronto. The design of this beautiful garden was conceived by Julie Moir Messervy, renowned landscape designer, and Yo Yo Ma, a famous cellist. The exclusive features of the Garden, including the Maypole and the Music Pavilion, were designed by the Canadian artists Anne Roberts and Tom Tollefson.

Sunnyside Park And Gus Ryder Pool

There was a time when the park housed the Sunnyside Amusement Park. Currently, there are no swimsuit pageants or roller coaster rides; but the place still has a lot of things to provide amusement to families.

Take a stroll down the boardwalk, as you make a halt to run across the big splash pad or climb the large statues of dinosaurs, or even get to the swings for some workout. You may also make good use of the exercise equipment present, explore the Martin Goodman Trail or enjoy some beach volleyball. If you do not like lake water, the Gus Ryder swimming pool is waiting for you to take a dip. By the side of the pavilion, there are concession stands where you will get ice cream cones, hot dogs and pizzas.

Riverdale Farm

The farm covers 7.5 acres of land and its beautiful landscape includes pathways that traverse through wooded regions, meandering around ponds and passing into vegetable and flower gardens. Enjoy interacting with the farm animals and start a conversation with the farmers as they carry out their daily chores. The Riverdale Farm is situated in the center of Cabbagetown downtown community in a beautiful park like setting. The admission here is free of cost.

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

This cemetery is not only a living memorial, but is also a keeper of the history of the country. It is the final abode of a number of prominent Canadians including pianist Glenn Gould, first female surgeon of Canada Jennie Smillie Robinson and William Lyon Mackenzie King, who is the former prime minister of Canada. The place has an exclusive artwork collection which adds to its natural beauty. There are also large flower gardens and numerous trees which are home to a plethora of wildlife including birds.

Dufferin Grove Park

This is a great place for families looking for some healthy living, recreation, relaxation as well as social interaction. The park has a couple of fire pits where one can enjoy camping. There is also an artificial ice rink that is opened to the public in the winter season. You can also attend the Friday Night Supper, which has special menus for children. A gardening program is also held where everybody can take part.

You can also take your kids to the Adventure Playground at High Park, which is designed specifically with kids in mind, and has many giant wood castles with several hiding places. Other places to have a blast with your kids include Grenadier Pond, Sunnybrook Stables, Bata Shoe Museum, and more.

Things To Do When You Are In Toronto

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Beautiful View Of Niagara Falls

Toronto is a beautiful city and is amongst the major Tourists’ attraction of the world. The city has magnificent parks, festive events and great zoos, which draw the public from all around the world.  Although the entire city has a lot to offer to the visitors, the following list would act as a tourists’ guide for those who are visiting Toronto for the first time.

The Majestic View Of Niagara Falls

Although the lovely Niagara Falls is a 90-minutes drive from the main city of Toronto, the trip is worth it. The sight of 750,000 gallons of water falling from the curved cliff is a mesmerising sight. The view from the Table Rock top is merely a meter away from the Horseshoe Fall. The falling water creates a soothing effect and is attention-grabbing for the visitors. A view of the Niagara Falls from the helicopter is also a good idea for the adventure lovers.

You Got To Visit The CN Tower

The 553.33 meters high CN Tower is a Tourists’ magnet and is on the priority list of the travellers. It was once the world’s tallest tower but even now it continues to be impressive. The view from the Look Out level which us about 346 meters high, the walk on the delicate glass floor and the open space Sky terrace promises major interest points for the visitors.

For The Love Of Hockey

Hockey is a national fascination for Canada and same is the case with Toronto. Though currently there are some dry spells in the history of NHL, the Maple Leafs at Toronto is still a crowd attraction. The Hockey Hall of Fame is famous for the Hockey games and the being a tourist; you must visit it, if you are around during a big game season.

A Little History Never Hurts

If you want to see the massive collection of cultural and historic items, you must visit the Royal Ontario Museum. You may also like to check out the rotating exhibitions at Bata Show Museum with over around 13500 footwear items in the collection.

Sometimes It Thrilling To Be Scared

Who would not like to just get out and explore the city of Toronto? Although it might not be true, but the Haunted Walk promises some spooky stories and multiple gory facts from the past days. This would also be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the place’s every corner.

“Shop Till You Almost Drop”

It would not be wrong to acclaim that Toronto is a place to shop with Toronto Eaton Centre packed with numerous shops. The city promises goods from the poshest brands to the mere low-cost products. Get hold of the antiques from St. Lawrence Market at a reasonable rate, and then visit the most appealing bookstore in the city. The bookstores have a wide variety of books and you may find a discount, if you are lucky enough.  The city is a tourist’s paradise since it promises good food, shopping and the majestic views by nature.

EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF TRAVEL AND LEISURE IN TORONTO LIKE A CELEBRITY

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View From Above Of Yorkville District In Downtown Toronto

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Toronto is at times referred to a Hollywood North and with good reason. It is a part of Canada that has some unique spots that can make you feel like you are a movie celebrity. It is a city that is an embodiment of some of the prominent places in America such as New York, Boston, and Chicago.

Being a city that has four seasons in which to film, it probably the reason that it plays host to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and even held every September that gets high press coverage and celebrities and businessmen alike.If you are thinking of visiting Toronto, this time round try and do it like an A-lister by walking the walk of the movie makers. Just keep in mind that this is not a thing that Torontonians do; they are never wowed easily when in the presence of a film celebrity.

THE TIFF HUB

Visit around the time when the city hosts the TIFF Bell Light Box that is a mix of panel discussions, interviews, premieres, and screenings held in a state of the art space. Within the same area, a lavish O&B Canteen and an upscale bar and dining section called Luma. The two restaurants are pack with customers ranging from actors, directors, onlookers, and industry type getting a something to bite. The Montecito is close by and it also takes a good number of VIP bookings. It is a favorite joint owned by Ivan Reitman and run by Chef Jonathan Waxman. Montecito serves a California-style cuisine made from fresh market products. Some of the movie celebrities are known to have dined there include Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Jennifer Garner among others.

Another famous restaurant just round the corner is Momofuku Toronto. It is a sleek joint owned by David Chang that has independent eateries. Momofuku has served its fair share of A-listers including Felicity Jones and Liam Neeson. The Ritz-Carlton is yet another spot frequented by celebs and it is reported that Olivia Wilde, Alexander Skarsgard, and Ryan Gosling had hung their hats there.

YORKVILLE

If you seek to shop like an A-lister, then Yorkville is the place to head. It is an upscale neighborhood popular to many Hollywood royalties. It is the perfect place to go do a bit of high-end shopping and a chance to bump into movie celebs as you stroll along Bloor Street. It is home to Chef Daniel Boulud’s Four Season Hotel’s dbar that has hosted many celebrities such as Bruce Springsteen and Woody Harrelson. It is a one of a kind space that has an enormous dining patio and 20ft windows that stretch from the floor to the ceiling.

The One Restaurant located at Hazelton Hotel is a popular eatery for many celebs including Jennifer Aniston and Bono, and some celebs also option to stay at the hotel when in Toronto. The Parisian Style Bistro La Societé is yet another glamorous place that has seen the likes of Michael Kors, and Amy Adams possibly come to enjoy a French bubbly and the duck confit.

DOWNTOWN CORE

Eateries in other parts of the city are often a choice for those celebs that do not like the limelight and prefer staying under the radar. One such spot is Buca on King and Portland that has seen celebs such as Penelope Cruz and Jason Priestly. The Vibe is yet another joint located in at Soho House; a members-only restaurant frequented by the likes of Colin Firth and Jenner Lawrence.

TORONTO BREAKS RECORD WITH MORE THAN 14 MILLION OVERNIGHT STAYS IN 2015

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Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto

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In the six years leading up to Toronto’s record-breaking 2015, the Canadian powerhouse had seen its popularity reach new heights. In addition to the 14.04 million overnight visitors, the city saw 26 million day visitors. The increase in tourism has given the economy a boost, with 7.2 billion USD spent by tourists in 2015 alone.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

Of those 14 million visits, 4 million were international, with 2.48 million from the United States, and 1.75 million from China and the United Kingdom. These visits generated 7.2 billion USD in direct spending within Toronto, which according to Tourism Toronto’s report is the highest economic stimulus ever created by the tourism sector.

Despite the fact that US visits have been increasing since 2010, 2015 saw an even stronger 10% rise. Air and land crossings from the US have ballooned, breaking records for the number of American visits to the city. 65% of American visitors get to Toronto via air, a rising number.

Visits originating from China and India increased 13% from 2014 to 2015. Mexican and Brazilian visits were up 24% each; the United Kingdom, 10%; Japan, 3%; and Germany down by 1%.

FOCUSED EFFORTS

Tourism Toronto CEO and President, Johanne Bélanger, credits the increase in tourism across the board to more aggressive marketing efforts. These efforts have been mainly focused in the US, and include the Toronto Stopover program offered through Air Canada for Americans travelling overseas. In addition to the Stopover Program, partnerships with national and provincial marketing agencies have helped to create the surge in visits.

AN ECONOMIC AFFAIR

Bélanger cites the hard work of the hotel industry as a positive economic impact of the growth. “Every day there are 110,000 visitors in our destination – 38,000 of them staying in a hotel. On average there are 6,800 American travellers and a further 4,800 visitors from other countries in Toronto every single day, and that speaks to the growing appeal of Toronto on a global scale. It also speaks to the hard work our team and our partners do selling and marketing Toronto in key world markets and the results those efforts are producing,” she says.

Overall, hotels in Toronto in 2015 sold over 9 million room nights, a 2.6% increase from 2014. The growth in Toronto tourism has contributed over 600,000 room nights every year to the hotel industry.

The tourism industry of Toronto employs more than 300,000 people in various sectors of economy, from hospitality to goods and services. In addition to accommodations, tourists spend money on food, music and theatre events, nightlife, transportation, and shopping. The tourism sector is of great significance to the overall economic condition of Toronto, as well as the community affairs.

Toronto was also the host of many meetings and corporate events in 2015. They brought over 350,000 representatives who spent 417 million USD during their stays. Tourism Toronto and their partnerships also have more than 750 future events booked for the city. These future events are planned to bring in 350,000 people and 375 million USD.