OT: Toronto Where to go where to stay?
March 29th, 2010 at 11:06 PM ^
Hockey HOF is awesome, although maybe not so much for an anniversary. Little Italy section is very nice, as well, and TO has one of the best Greek districts in N. America ("The Danforth") for some great food.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
and for a fun dinner go to His Majesty's Feast.
Took my wife a few times. We always enjoyed the zoo as well.
BTW, don't ask a sports board for advice on romantic occasions. It usually won't end well.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i2009-Romantic_Weekend_in_Toron…
March 29th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
Just spent an anniversary there in January. We stayed at King's West Suites and were pretty happy with it. I think there are probably better options (Fairmont Royal York and King Edward looked nicer), but we were happy with the price and service at King's West.
We ate at Adega Portuguese restaurant and were blown away. Honestly the best food I've had in five years. I would strongly strongly recommend it.
If you're into shopping, Eaton center mall is pretty impressive.
Final tip, look for a parking structure in the area of whatever hotel you choose. We found a random parking structure for $13 a day when the hotel valet was $30. With the subway and walkability of the city, you won't need your car the whole time anyway.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^
Shes into sports especially hockey... but i want her to be getting the massage and all that stuff... I'm all about the beer and good food..
March 29th, 2010 at 11:17 PM ^
Four Seasons.
For sports do the summer, stay in skydome and watch a mariners game vs toronto if ya catch my drift
March 29th, 2010 at 11:59 PM ^
Yorkville Bay/Bloor has great food and shops but I would suggest eating lunch there and not dinner.
If you like beers the BeerGarden has a shocking selection, but becomes a nightclub later. I trip out to the Island beaches is nice because the weather should be epic. H.O.F downtown, enough said. If you want to be a yocal Wayne Gretsky's B&G. The CN tower is another good one, take the elevator up to the Observation deck and jump up and down on the 3 ft. thick glass and freak every one else out.
Toronto's a great city, there is just so many people from Toronto there.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
If you are into museums, Toronto has some great ones. The Art Gallery of Ontario was rebuilt last year by Frank Gehry, The Royal Ontario Museum a couple of years before that by Daniel Libeskind. Both are beautiful buildings and awesome museums worth checking out. There are also great textile and shoe museums. For food, there is an awesome Greek section, Chinatown(s), Little Italy (where I live), Gerrard India Bazaar, Kensington Market. If you want a fancy dinner in a trendy new restaurant district, there's a lot of hot spots on Ossington near Dundas St. When my parents came to visit they stayed at the Delta Chelsea on Gerrard West, which is affordable and located downtown.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
I will suggest not visiting the Shoe Museum. It's up by UT. Weird place.
I can't say the only hotel I've stayed at up there would probably be nice enough for you. It was a Four Seasons on Bloor St just north of the University. The area was nice, had quick access to the subway to the Entertainment District.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
Spaghetti Factory and Chinatown
March 30th, 2010 at 12:32 AM ^
odd, I'm going there Thursday as well.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:38 AM ^
Your avatar transformation reminds me of Grandma's Boy. At first it's a karate fighting ape. Now it's just a chill ape.
March 30th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
man I love that movie. What I would do for a pet chimp....
Ferry ride over to Toronto Island is great... gorgeous view of the city skyline. Last time I was there, a storm was rolling in from the west, but it was still quite sunny behind me and I was able to take some lovely photos.
The Distillery District is a real cool place to hang out. Especially when it is warm outside, you can have a beer in one of the many outside patios. The Beach (Beaches) is another trendy area. Lots of people, restaurants, and bars. Stay away from the "places to see", such as Old Spaghetti, etc. Unless you are 12 they aren't the spots to be. Yorkville is another great area to hang out.
im sure thats spelled wrong, but its a really cool bazaar style market that sells pretty much anything including some really exotic foods, and its inside an old hockey arena, right downtown. worth walking through
1) Hyatt Regency on King West just did massive reno and the rooms are killer - HD flatscreen TV's, really cool bathrooms, very posh. It has a great gym and it's also the home to the studios of "The Score" - local cable sports channel. TTC and Entertainment District are right outside the front door so you can stumble home.
2) Brand new Hilton Garden Suites and Marriott Residence Inn downtown, both just opened in 2010.
3) Check Hotwire.com - we got Intercontinental on Bloor last weekend for $89/night and it's normally $350++.
4) Have dinner one night at Beer Bistro and let the sommelier pick your brew for each course, u will leave with a semi guaranteed: www.beerbistro.com
5) Jack Astors @ Front & University is a good place to just unwind and catch a game after shopping/before dinner.
6) If you shop Bloor/Yorkville with the missus, finish up with a bevvie at Panorama at the top of Manulife Center @ Bloor & Yonge, they have an outside observation deck with the BEST views of the city guaranteed.
7) Art Gallery of Ontario has King Tut right now, you need advance tickets for the weekend.
8) Scotiabank Place Theatre has IMAX for all the 3-D movies, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, etc.
Have fun & GO BLUE!
go to casa loma. it kind of sucks, but you can see the tunnel between the insane asylum and elsinore brewery.
The CN Tower has a restaurant - waaaaaaaay up there - it revolves giving you a nice view of the city. It is likely pricey. you can just go up the Tower to the other levels as well.
Spaghetti Factory is cool - depending when you go - as it is a family restaurant (i.e. lots of kids at certain times)
The Royal Ontario Museum is cool, and the Art Gallery of Ontario currently has a King Tut exhibit (which is only stopping in San Francisco, New York and Toronto).
Hotwire is definitely the way to go. You can always get a 4 or 5 star hotel for much cheaper than the regular rates. The last 3 times I have been each time I was at a great hotel within walking distance of the Hockey HOF.
You can then use the money you saved on some great theater. Although I much prefer to see the Tigers play in Toronto than theater, my wife loves to catch a play. Toronto is well known for having some of the best theaters outside of NY. I got engaged in Toronto and took my wife to see Phantom at the Pantages theater while out there. It was definitely a romantic hit.
I live at the edge of Chinatown next to the hospitals on University.
Chiado is a Portuguese seafood restaurant, and Canoe is nouvelle Canadian on the 54th floor of the TD Bank tower (meaning great view). Both are pretty pricy, though.
Most of the restaurants in the so-called Entertainment District are mediocre to poor and too touristy. Le Select on Wellington is good, and the places on King west of Spadina are better.
In Chinatown, I like Pho Pasteur and Mother's Dumplings (although I haven't been there since they moved to Spadina just south of College). Rol San is decent for dim sum. Lai Wah Heen (which is on the other side of University from Chinatown close to City Hall) is high end dim sum (although I've heard it's gone downhill).
For poutine, try either Smoke's or Poutini.
Avoid Mexican food and burritos. There are a couple of places with some promise, but there are some really bad places as well.
As for where to stay, we've had friends and relatives stay at the Marriott Residence Inn on Wellington. It seems reasonably nice. I've heard that the Super 8 on Spadina in Chinatown is nice (it's reasonably new), but we haven't actually talked anybody into trying it yet.
Also, don't rent a car or drive in the city unless you have a specific destination in mind outside the city (like Niagara). Traffic can be miserable (and downtown traffic can be pretty unpredictable on weekends). You don't want to spend your anniversary in a traffic jam.
80 degrees predicted for this Friday & Saturday here. seriously. pack accordingly.
GO BLUE