Toronto, Canada’s largest city, was founded over 230 years ago and is filled with many multicultural landmarks. Toronto is a very walkable city, great for tourism if you’re looking for a metropolitan city away from the United States. Whether you’re into shopping, history, eating, watching sports, or any other activities, Toronto has it all.
I took a short trip out to Toronto last month and had a great experience in the city. For summer, Toronto is very humid and can have the occasional rain. Here’s my Toronto travel experience.
Traveling to Toronto
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline. They serve free beer and wine during the flight to all passengers, which is great! If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also have a courtesy entry for you and a guest to the Maple Leaf Lounge while you wait for your flight. There is a fully loaded self-serve bar and buffet with comfortable lounging chairs.
Toronto has a good public transportation system, but you can also opt for rideshares such as Lyft and Uber.
I stayed at Hilton’s Revery Toronto, a Curio Collection. This is an upscale boutique hotel designed to match the theme of the local culture. It offered great amenities, and the fact that it is within walking distance of major locations within Toronto.
Most major stores accept credit cards; make sure yours doesn’t have a foreign travel transaction fee. If you need to carry cash, make sure to exchange money before traveling (avoid exchange fees). Local bank branches will refuse to exchange currency unless you’re a client.
Shopping
Certain brands are cheaper in Toronto due to factors including the exchange rate or even manufacturing/import costs. I shopped at Lululemon, Canada Goose, and October’s Very Own and found that they were cheaper at the end, even with Toronto’s high sales tax rates. Certain items within Alo were cheaper, but you have to babysit the US website to verify.
If you’re looking for the high-end places, you need to stop by Yorkville Ave and Bloor Street; that’s where Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Dior, and other major hubs are, including the flagship Lululemon store. For the everyday shopper, CF Toronto Eaton Centre has you covered with it being the top shopping mall in downtown Toronto.
Dining
Whether you’re craving poutine (fries), bison, sushi, pho, dim sum, tacos, shawarma, pasta, sandwiches, macarons, and whatever you can dream of, Toronto has it all. The cost is excellent due to the exchange rate to the US.
Bridgette Bar
Located at The Well, Bridgette Bar gives an upscale and stylish ambiance while serving a seasonal Mediterranean-influenced menu.
- Grilled Octopus Salad: This was what caught my attention: my craving for octopus. The octopus salad hit the spot and is topped with chopped fennel.
- Roasted Half Duck: Did you know you can have duck served medium rare because it is considered a red meat? Great alternative if you’re tired of steak and chicken.
- Rigatoni: Served with truffled mushroom and parmesan sauce. Simple and true to the minimal ingredients of an Italian dish.
Amadeus Patisserie
The perfect cafe if you’re feeling a bit of French; filled with delicious pastries, macarons, sandwiches, and other baked goods.
- Prosciutto & Swiss Cheese on Seeds Baguette: The only way you’ll ever get me to eat a sandwich is if it’s prepared the French way: simple ham and cheese over a baguette, like the one in Epcot France.
- Macarons: You have many flavors to choose from; I ended up ordering four and enjoyed all of them while walking around Yorkville Ave and Bloor Street.
Pho Ngoc Yen
If you’re looking to enjoy a bowl of pho in a stylish ambience, this place has it. The menu has many traditional Vietnamese dishes if you’re not feeling pho. They do offer a 10% discount if you pay with cash.
- Pho Ngoc Yen Dac Biet: The house special pho bowl, which includes NY’s special rare beef cuts, beef balls, and boneless beef shank.
I like trying out pho in different cities to see how it’s prepared. The pho here is on the sweeter side, with an emphasis on the spices. I still prefer my pho savory with a hint of lemon; as long as the broth is clear, I am game. Preparing pho is an art, and I’d hate to ruin it by adding hoisin sauce and sriracha into the soup; that’s just me. A bit biased, but at the end of the day, I still prefer my mother’s pho.
St. Lawrence Market
Think of an indoor farmers market; there are many permanent, independently hosted stalls, offering many options, whether you’re looking for seafood, meat, vegetables, and more. I was interested in their oyster service, where you purchase fresh oysters and the staff shucks them for you instantly. I ended up purchasing a mini charcuterie assortment to enjoy back at the hotel.
Sadelle’s at Kith Toronto
Sadelle’s is known for its upscale brunch experience, so the collaboration with high-end streetwear, Kith, makes total sense. Their brunch menu caught my attention on Friday afternoon, so I had to come back first thing Saturday morning for the experience.
- House Salmon: This is a must-order if you’re looking for an excellent presentation. It’s basically a deconstructed salmon bagel on a tower; great for sharing, or to enjoy on your own. This salmon bagel tower includes Nova Lox, sliced tomatoes, capers, cucumber, and bagels.
- Deviled Eggs: Traditional deviled eggs; no special toppings.
- Matcha Lemonade: As much as I wanted prosecco in the morning, the matcha lemonade did the job; I never considered this combination, but it was refreshing and a great alternative.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can always order a caviar service, which includes Oscietre Prestige, Toast Points, Latke, Blinis, and other garnishes. Otherwise, you can also enjoy a French Toast, sandwiches, salads, and the iconic Kith Treats (ice cream). I enjoyed my experience at Sadelle’s at Kith more than any other place I’ve visited in Toronto. It was giving Petrossian at Tiffany’s.
Visiting Toronto
If you’re a Drake fan, you absolutely need to take a picture of the CN Tower, which is the album cover for Views. If you’re looking for the latest Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR album cover, you need to travel west to Mississauga for the Absolute World towers. The best place to take a picture of the CN Tower is at HTO Park, where you don’t need to worry about pedestrians.
Toronto is full of historical landmarks. If you love museums, the Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Beta Shoe Museum will have you covered. It is ideal to purchase tickets ahead of time.
The financial district is great if you’re into skyscrapers. The architecture gives a different vibe than walking through Downtown Los Angeles. It’s not too bad.
Chinatown is a bit dated here, as it was built in the 1950s and gives you blocks and blocks of nostalgia (or it did for me for Chinatown in Los Angeles in the early 2000s). It’s a bit beat, as there are more modern alternative “Chinatowns” in Mississauga and Markham (requires a car drive). It does get a bit sketchy when you walk a bit too north of Chinatown.
The Toronto Travel Experience
Overall, I had a positive experience in Toronto. I enjoyed the city a lot more than Seattle and Portland. It is a very multicultural experience, and I was happy to see it all in person.
Toronto was memorable, especially with the main objective of the trip to attend my friend’s wedding, where I got to meet all of my Call of Duty Warzone friends from the peak pandemic days. Who knew queuing into a random lobby would get me a solid squad with many Warzone Victories.
