Top 10 tips For Your First Trip To Toronto

If you are planning a trip to Toronto, there are many choices in this exciting, and vibrant city where there is so much to do, and so much to see. Although not the capital, Toronto is Canada’s largest city – make the most of your time there with our top 10 tips:

1. CN Tower

This 1,815 ft structure, which until 2007 was the tallest building in the world, is undoubtedly the defining feature of Toronto’s skyline. The glass fronted elevators will whiz you up to the Look Out level at a speed of 20 ft per second, where you will enjoy breath taking views of the city. Walking across the Glass Floor, suspended 1,122 ft above the ground might take a little bit of persuasion if you are afraid of heights, but just keep telling yourself that it has been built to withstand the weight of 14 hippos, and you will be fine. If you are feeling exceptionally brave, you might like to try the Edge Walk which involves circumnavigating the tower whilst attached to a safety harness.

2. High Park

This enormous public park offers a haven of peace and tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are playgrounds, sports facilities, and picnic areas, hiking trails and even a zoo where you can see buffalo, bison, lama and deer. Don’t miss the “maple leaf circle” at the bottom of Hillside Gardens.

3. Toronto Islands

A fifteen minute ferry ride from down-town Toronto will transport you to this peaceful retreat. Toronto Islands provide a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, with a beautiful view of Lake Ontario on one side, and a stunning view of the city skyline on the other. With bike rides and boat rides, beautiful gardens and sandy beaches, this is the perfect place to be on a hot summer’s day. The Rectory Café is well worth a visit.

4. Kensington Market

Declared a National Historic Site in 2006, this colourful and quirky multi-ethnic hub is a delight to behold. With its bustling street scene, shops selling vintage clothes and an array of food from all around the world, the atmosphere is slightly edgy but friendly and welcoming at the same time.

5. Sassafraz

Situated in rather quirky looking yellow Victorian house right in the heart of Yorkville, Sassafraz offers a pleasing selection of French inspired Canadian dishes served with with an air of calm and sophistication.

6. Niagara Falls

This natural wonder of the world is only 81 miles away from Toronto, which makes it easily accessible within a day. The town itself is surprisingly tacky, but the breathtaking beauty of the falls more than compensates. The mesmerising Maid of the Mist boat ride is an absolute must.

7. Royal Ontario Museum

One of the largest in North America, the Royal Ontario is a museum of world culture and natural history. Highlights include the dinosaurs, Spirit House and Stair of Wonders. It’s worth visiting just to see the great prisms of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal bursting out of the walls of the original 100 year old building.

8. Canada’s Wonderland

Canada’s Wonderland offers thrills and family fun with 200 world-class attractions. Experience 69 rides including 16 roller coasters, highlighted byLeviathan – Canada’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.  New for 2014, experience Wonder Mountain’s Guardian - an interactive 4D dark ride coaster combo.  Families can spend the perfect day together in Planet Snoopy and KidZville play areas filled with kid-sized rides and adventures including Dinosaurs Alive! – a seven acre animatronic dinosaur park featuring over 40 life-sized dinosaurs.  Park admission includes Splash Works – a 20-acre water park. For more information call (905) 832-7000 or visit www.canadaswonderland.com.

9. Shopping

The Eaton Centre claims to be Canada’s premier shopping destination, and as shopping centre experiences go, it is indeed a fairly pleasant one. With a multitude of international retailers and restaurants housed in a spectacular glass galleria, you should be able to find everything your heart desires all under one roof.

10. Hockey game

Most Canadians are passionate about Hockey and if you get the chance to go to a game, you should take it. It’s fast, furious and exciting. If you want to ingratiate yourself with the fans, make sure you refer to the sport simply as “hockey”, rather than, “ice hockey” as we might say in the UK.

Contributed by Ceri Tinley, Co-Founder of Consensio Holidays.

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Travelore Tips: Where To Drink in Toronto

While the temperature is dropping in Toronto, the city's bar scene is just heating up. Long known for its craft beer scene, Toronto is increasingly morphing into a destination for innovative cocktails, served up in decadent and dive-y settings alike. The city is also in the midst of a love affair with speakeasies, as well as British-style gastropubs. Here's our look at where to drink in Toronto right now.

THE LIBERTINE

This new bar embraces many hipster trends of the moment, including bacon, reclaimed wood, and psychic readings. The Libertine, a speakeasy-inspired lounge, offers a bar menu by Chef Léonie Lilla, an alum of Momofuku. The cocktails incorporate unusual ingredients like root beer, strawberries, and, yep, bacon. If after a few drinks, you'd like to tempt fate, The Libertine also has an in-house psychic, as well as a wheel of fortune.

THE COCKTAIL PARLOR

Set up in a converted warehouse, The Cocktail Parlor is the latest venue from the team behind Toronto hot spots Patria and Weslodge. The space looks like it was transplanted from Brooklyn, with distressed wood floors and exposed brick. The cocktail menu is big and ambitious; there's absinthe, plus homemade infusions and liqueurs incorporating everything from tobacco to saffron. Drinks are creatively named—try "Stormin' in Like a Jerk," a combination of jerk-spiced rum, fresh lime juice, house ginger beer, cinnamon, and thyme, with a splash of chili.

MONTAUK BAR

Located in trendy Dundas West, Montauk Bar has an industrial dive look, complete with exposed pipes, metal stools, and a poured concrete-topped bar. The wine list is exclusively from Ontario, and a rotating group of guest bartenders do duty behind the bar. Try their signature drink, "The Montauk"—a combo of rye, dry vermouth, Averna, Maraschino liqueur, bitters, and orange blossom water. The only food served is house-made beef jerky, but Montauk Bar also hosts pop-up restaurants if you need more than jerky to line your stomach.

THE OXLEY

Part of a wave of British-inspired gastropubs, The Oxley is the place to tuck into classic British fare like fish and chips, or stout-braised beef chuck. The impressive drinks menu includes beer, wine, cider, and cocktails, like "My First Time," a combo of London Dry Gin, Campari, fresh grapefruit juice, lemon, egg white, ginger, and thyme syrup.

WELDON PARK

If you're looking for a laid-back evening out, head to Weldon Park. This bar doesn't take itself too seriously (i.e., barstools are upholstered in Astroturf), but if you head to the back, near the dance floor, the drinks menu gets serious (and seriously creative). Sip on a "Witches' Gland," a blend of ingredients like Beefeater gin, pumpkin-spiced grenadine, orange juice, and Strega. For nibbles, Weldon Park's bar menu includes tasty treats like house-made pickles and spicy chickpeas.

Contributed by Christina Valhouli 

Photo credits: Toronto skyline: Gvictoria | Dreamstime.com; The Libertine: courtesy of Liam Maloney; Montauk Bar: courtesy of Montauk Bar; Weldon Park: courtesy of Weldon Park

Where To Eat In Toronto

Contributed by Kathleen Squires

Canada's largest city boasts a sizable cultural variety, with 200 ethnic origins speaking 130 languages and dialects in neighborhoods that include five Chinatowns, two Little Italys, a Greektown, a Little India, and a Koreatown. Such a societal mash-up makes Toronto a terrific food destination, with over 9,000 restaurants to choose from. Here's our guide to the newest, hottest, and most delicious, from Yorkville to Ossington Avenue.

Dbar and Café Boulud

Who says you have to go to Quebec for poutine? Daniel Boulud's chic and casual Yorkville spot, Dbar, inside the new Four Seasons Torontoserves some of the best outside the non-French reaches of Canada. Despite the dish's Quebecois roots, you can't find Boulud's "Firehouse" poutine– a piquant pile of frites, spicy pulled pork, jalapenos, brown gravy, and cheese curds—in his Montreal restaurant. The rest of the comfort-driven menu reads like a greatest hits from the chef's renowned casual spots: there's rustic charcuterie, house-made sausages and gourmet burgers along with locally-inspired cocktails, such as the Yorkville, a blend of rye, Amaro, kirsch cherries and anise bitters named for the surrounding neighborhood.

Craving Boulud's more upscale cuisine? Then head upstairs to the Toronto outpost of the chef's popular New York City and Palm Beach restaurant, Café Boulud, where the menu is divided into "La Tradition," with classic French dishes like steak au poivre; "Le Potager," with picks from the vegetable garden; the market-inspired "La Saison;" and "Le Voyage," which celebrates flavors of the world in dishes like octopus a la plancha with Marcona almonds and Jerez vinegar.

Rock Lobster

The original pop-up restaurant of the same name was so popular that its cultish customers clamored for a permanent location. And their wish was granted at the end of 2012. As the name hints, this spot on Toronto's happening Ossington Avenue strip celebrates crustaceans, most notably those from Nova Scotia, in a menu featuring lobster "cappuccino" (bisque), lobster poutine, lobster roll, lobster mac and cheese, and a whole lobster dinner. Even cocktails get in on the theme; order a lobster "Caesar," a spin on a bloody Mary with a generous tail as garnish.

Ja Bistro

This spinoff from popular Japanese izakaya restaurant Guu stands apart for its focus on aburi (blow-torched sushi) and oshizushi (sushi pressed in a wooden mold). Opened in November 2012 in Toronto's Entertainment District, it quickly won a following for its high-quality fish and bistro dishes, like smoked duck breast; its popular "demi-katsu" (pork cutlet sandwich slathered with demi-glace) is the go-to dish on the lunch menu. Die-hards pine for the last Sunday of each month, when chef Koji Tashiro serves his "Fisherman's Platter," a five-course feast for groups of six.

Momofuku Noodle Bar, Nikai, Daisho, and Shoto

Four concepts from celebrated chef David Chang under one roof almost seemed too good to be true. But it became a reality in September 2012, within a three-story glass cube next to the newShangri-La Toronto, on the border of Downtown and the Entertainment District. The first level holds Noodle Bar, a spinoff of the New York original, with all of its bun-and-ramen glory. On the second level, Nikai is the indispensible cocktail lounge, where the crowds wait to get into the no-reservation Noodle Bar and Daisho, the largest offering of the bunch, driven by family-style servings of fried chicken and short ribs and mini kegs. Tucked behind Daisho, is Shoto, which the Globe and Mail's food critic hailed as Toronto's best restaurant when he graced it with a four-star review in November 2012. With its 22 counter seats, online-only reservation policy, and exciting dishes like veal cheeks with green chile and yuzu sauce, Shoto is currently the hottest seat in town.

Photo Credits: Dbar and Cafe Boulud: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts; Rock Lobster: Rock Lobster Food Co; Ja Bistro: Courtesy of JaBistro; Momofuku: Courtesy of Momofuku