Guidebook for Toronto
Food Scene
A nice place to sit and work, with great home-roasted coffee and some nice lunch offerings.
Crosscut Coffee
1142 Davenport RdA nice place to sit and work, with great home-roasted coffee and some nice lunch offerings.
The Davenport
440 Christie StNice atmosphere.
A neighbourhood gem, this place is on a residential street yet usually packed. Yummy and healthy local breakfast, lunch, and snack food, free wifi, and an outdoor patio. Great place to work, read or hang out with friends.
49 abantu bendawo batusa
Contra Café
1028 Shaw StA neighbourhood gem, this place is on a residential street yet usually packed. Yummy and healthy local breakfast, lunch, and snack food, free wifi, and an outdoor patio. Great place to work, read or hang out with friends.
Quiet, with yummy French treats and popular for weekend bistro brunch.
43 abantu bendawo batusa
Pain Perdu
736 St Clair Ave WQuiet, with yummy French treats and popular for weekend bistro brunch.
This place wins out just for proximity. It’s a popular, hip hang-out with fun décor, a great patio, a juke box, and variable food and service. Open from 5pm to 2 am Mon-Sat, 12pm to 2am Sun.
29 abantu bendawo batusa
The Gem Bar & Grill
1159 Davenport RdThis place wins out just for proximity. It’s a popular, hip hang-out with fun décor, a great patio, a juke box, and variable food and service. Open from 5pm to 2 am Mon-Sat, 12pm to 2am Sun.
Best value great food I’ve found in the city! Delicious Mediterranean food, friendly service, lovely ambience. Great for a cosy date or if you’re just in need of some good quality food.
Barista & Chef
1006 St Clair Ave WBest value great food I’ve found in the city! Delicious Mediterranean food, friendly service, lovely ambience. Great for a cosy date or if you’re just in need of some good quality food.
Charming, family-owned, quiet, pleasant feel, yummy food at reasonable prices.
12 abantu bendawo batusa
Savera Indian Cuisine
815 St Clair Ave WCharming, family-owned, quiet, pleasant feel, yummy food at reasonable prices.
Great food, much of it locally sourced, live music, rotating local art exhibits, and a cozy vibe.
29 abantu bendawo batusa
Dave's... On St. Clair
730 St Clair Ave WGreat food, much of it locally sourced, live music, rotating local art exhibits, and a cozy vibe.
Cozy atmosphere, and a really fun place to eat with friends. They have a selection of 40 appetizer-sized Middle-Eastern dishes, including 25 veg choices, that you can mix, match and share.
14 abantu bendawo batusa
Mezzetta Restaurant & Tapas Br
681 St Clair Ave WCozy atmosphere, and a really fun place to eat with friends. They have a selection of 40 appetizer-sized Middle-Eastern dishes, including 25 veg choices, that you can mix, match and share.
Authentic Mexican food, great back patio and friendly service.
6 abantu bendawo batusa
El Rincon Mexicano
Authentic Mexican food, great back patio and friendly service.
The pizza is delish, and you can get it by the slice. Good if you don't have time to cook. It's literally 1 minute away!
6 abantu bendawo batusa
Dante's Inferno Paninoteca
1151 Davenport RdThe pizza is delish, and you can get it by the slice. Good if you don't have time to cook. It's literally 1 minute away!
Sightseeing
A mock medieval castle, this 98-room mansion has lovely grounds and can be a fun jogging destination and a place for kids to exercise their imaginations.
1217 abantu bendawo batusa
Casa Loma
1 Austin TerraceA mock medieval castle, this 98-room mansion has lovely grounds and can be a fun jogging destination and a place for kids to exercise their imaginations.
Great for families, also some great exhibits and events too.
2332 abantu bendawo batusa
I-Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens ParkGreat for families, also some great exhibits and events too.
This is not so much a park as a secluded private municipality with some lovely winding roads, a pond, and a tennis court. A nice place for a stroll. Accessible from Davenport or Tyrrel.
29 abantu bendawo batusa
Wychwood Park
This is not so much a park as a secluded private municipality with some lovely winding roads, a pond, and a tennis court. A nice place for a stroll. Accessible from Davenport or Tyrrel.
Parks & Nature
The park has a community garden, including a medicine wheel garden, tennis courts, a children’s play park and wading pool, and a relatively wild, treed hill.
12 abantu bendawo batusa
Hillcrest Park
950 Davenport RdThe park has a community garden, including a medicine wheel garden, tennis courts, a children’s play park and wading pool, and a relatively wild, treed hill.
An Artscape development, it includes community gardens, volleyball grounds, an off-leash area, a play park and a farmer’s market.
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Wychwood Barns Park
76 Wychwood AveAn Artscape development, it includes community gardens, volleyball grounds, an off-leash area, a play park and a farmer’s market.
Community gardens, running track, pergola, indoor swimming pool.
38 abantu bendawo batusa
Earlscourt Park
Lansdowne AvenueCommunity gardens, running track, pergola, indoor swimming pool.
outdoor swimming pool, rink, baseball and soccer fields, grassy expanses, treed areas and picnic tables, frequent community events, and great slopes for toboganning.
246 abantu bendawo batusa
Christie Pits Park
750 Bloor St Woutdoor swimming pool, rink, baseball and soccer fields, grassy expanses, treed areas and picnic tables, frequent community events, and great slopes for toboganning.
This is the heart of a really hip, community-oriented neighbourhood. The park has some nice sitting areas, picnic tables, bonfire pits, a community oven, a reflexology walk, and a farmer’s market.
208 abantu bendawo batusa
Dufferin Grove Park
875 Dufferin StThis is the heart of a really hip, community-oriented neighbourhood. The park has some nice sitting areas, picnic tables, bonfire pits, a community oven, a reflexology walk, and a farmer’s market.
Next to Casa Loma, an old Edwardian home that hosts strawberry festivals and summer concerts. Admission to the lovely gardens is free.
50 abantu bendawo batusa
Spadina Museum
285 Spadina RdNext to Casa Loma, an old Edwardian home that hosts strawberry festivals and summer concerts. Admission to the lovely gardens is free.
This is a big city park in a hip neighbourhood, with grassy and treed areas, slacklines for tightrope walking, playground and wading pool, ice rink, playing and softball fields, volleyball court, and an off-leash area. The site of drum-and-dance circles (Hurray for Fun) in the summer.
589 abantu bendawo batusa
Trinity - Bellwoods
This is a big city park in a hip neighbourhood, with grassy and treed areas, slacklines for tightrope walking, playground and wading pool, ice rink, playing and softball fields, volleyball court, and an off-leash area. The site of drum-and-dance circles (Hurray for Fun) in the summer.
One of the city’s largest parks, with a pond, zoo, café and restaurant, labyrinth, picnic areas, greenhouses, sports fields, gardening plots, hiking trails, playgrounds, off-leash areas and more.
494 abantu bendawo batusa
High Park Subway Station
One of the city’s largest parks, with a pond, zoo, café and restaurant, labyrinth, picnic areas, greenhouses, sports fields, gardening plots, hiking trails, playgrounds, off-leash areas and more.
Essentials
Best full supermarket in the neighbourhood as far as I’m concerned. It’s on Christie S of Dupont, a 4-min drive or 6-min cycle. It’s family run and one of the few independent supermarkets in town. They partner with local entrepreneurs and community organizations and have lots of local, organic, eco-friendly products. Like Karma Coop, they make it easy to consume in a way that’s good for you, other living beings, and the planet. I enjoy the music, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the community feel. They also have a great garden centre.
184 abantu bendawo batusa
Fiesta Farms
200 Christie StBest full supermarket in the neighbourhood as far as I’m concerned. It’s on Christie S of Dupont, a 4-min drive or 6-min cycle. It’s family run and one of the few independent supermarkets in town. They partner with local entrepreneurs and community organizations and have lots of local, organic, eco-friendly products. Like Karma Coop, they make it easy to consume in a way that’s good for you, other living beings, and the planet. I enjoy the music, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the community feel. They also have a great garden centre.
banking, flowers, fresh bakery, sandwiches, salad bar, you name it…
1110 abantu bendawo batusa
Loblaws
585 Queen St Wbanking, flowers, fresh bakery, sandwiches, salad bar, you name it…
Sobeys Dupont
840 Dupont Stnearby.
Luciano's No Frills
243 Alberta AveClose by, cheapest option.
Entertainment & Activities
I love this place and its owner, J-P. They do flow yoga, both active and restorative, as well as worskhops and events.
Ahimsa Yoga Toronto
440 Bloor St WI love this place and its owner, J-P. They do flow yoga, both active and restorative, as well as worskhops and events.
One of Toronto’s leading Pilates studios, with a full schedule of drop-in classes.
Body Harmonics Dupont
672 Dupont StOne of Toronto’s leading Pilates studios, with a full schedule of drop-in classes.
Esther Myers Yoga Studio
390 Dupont StDeeply reflective yoga, has been here for almost 35 years!
Modo Yoga St Clair West
934 St Clair Ave WDrop-in classes.
Prana flow and restorative yin yoga, private yoga therapy, satsang and chanting.
Yoga Therapy Toronto
692 Bloor St WPrana flow and restorative yin yoga, private yoga therapy, satsang and chanting.
Check out:
-Ecstatic Dance Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30 pm
-The Move on Fridays 7:30-9:30 pm
-Contact Improv Jam Sundays 11 am -1 pm
-Contact Improv Jam with live music Wednesdays 6-8:30 pm
They also are the site of 5 Rhythms, swing, salsa, tango, belly, 80's, country, Irish folk, English and waltz dances, capoeira, dance therapy, and expressive arts.
18 abantu bendawo batusa
Dovercourt House
805 Dovercourt RdCheck out:
-Ecstatic Dance Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30 pm
-The Move on Fridays 7:30-9:30 pm
-Contact Improv Jam Sundays 11 am -1 pm
-Contact Improv Jam with live music Wednesdays 6-8:30 pm
They also are the site of 5 Rhythms, swing, salsa, tango, belly, 80's, country, Irish folk, English and waltz dances, capoeira, dance therapy, and expressive arts.
Part of the global Shambhala network in the tradition of Chogyam Trunga, this centre offers meditation instruction and group practice, contemplative arts (including photography, ikebana, Qigong) and wisdom teachings.
Shambhala Meditation Centre of Toronto
670 Bloor St WPart of the global Shambhala network in the tradition of Chogyam Trunga, this centre offers meditation instruction and group practice, contemplative arts (including photography, ikebana, Qigong) and wisdom teachings.