my ultimate toronto summer guide
how often do you explore the city that you live in? i started traveling the world when i was two and a half. i’ve gotten to experience so many different cultures, languages, and my favourite - cuisines. but how often do i truly get to be a tourist in my own city? the answer - almost never.
back in february, i convinced my cousin kristen to come experience a toronto summer after she broke up with her ex. and that takes us to july 30. but let me back up a bit. before she even touched down at pearson, i had to do some serious thinking about the toronto summer experience that i wanted to give her. the problem - I HAD NO IDEA WHAT AND/OR WHERE TO TAKE HER! which is why i wanted to share this list.
welcome to my ultimate toronto summer guide.
what to do
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what to do 〰️
charm bracelets and necklaces have been this summer's must-have and trendy thing to do. and we all have rachspeed to thank for sharing where in toronto is the best place to go for charms
arton beads (523 queen st w):
has a smaller selection of charms
cheapest charms out of all three stores
you can opt to have them create your necklace/bracelet for you
hi beads (543 queen st w):
so many charms to choose from (almost too many)
lots of chain options
charms are a bit more expensive
you have to buy a minimum of a meter of chain
bling bling on queen (448 queen st w):
good selection of charms (especially if you love sanrio characters)
charms are on the more expensive side
you can opt to have them create your necklace/bracelet for you
most of the time, i don’t dare to step foot into yorkville mostly because more than three quarters of the stores are out of my budget. but sometimes i forget how beautiful the area is and how fun it is to bop around and window-shop. but if you’re too scared to go into the tiffany’s and the louis vuittons like i am, there are still so many places to window-shop within your budget:
lululemon:
this is the BIGGEST lululemon in canada (maybe in the whole world)
there are some styles that i’ve never seen before
there is an entire shoe section on the second floor
indigo;
my favourite indigo location ever
it’s two-stories and has plenty of seating space to read
the home section is IT
sephora:
it’s pretty much like any other sephora but it’s usually stocked
alo:
i’ve never actually been into the yorkville alo but it’s HUGE
definitely shop in-store vs online because the price difference is crazy
speaking of prices, beware - alo is expensive
eataly:
honestly, eataly is so fun just to walk around and window-shop
pizza is amazing even if you don’t sit at the restaurant
gelato is a must - my favourite is the hazelnut
love it or hate it, i choose to love the stackt market. there is truly nothing like the stackt market. no seriously, this is the only one. if you’ve never heard of the stackt market, it’s a year-round outdoor marketplace of ever-revolving brand pop-ups made out of shipping containers.
if you love shopping small or supporting local, this is your place. this time around, i saw a sign for free tarot card readings and i was sold. i stumbled upon the marlow pop-up and i saw the cutest boxer shorts and knew i just had to have them.
the stackt market pop-ups are always changing so stop by anytime for something to do, to eat, and to explore.
fun fact: toronto has a ton of hidden speakeasies. tiktok is definitely the place to find them all - except for this one. the speakeasy at la plume has yet to go viral so go while there’s no hype. but don’t be fooled, this place deserves all the hype!
how to access the bonne nuit speakeasy:
just ask (seriously)
this speakeasy doesn’t have a code word or phrase so just ask the hostess and they’ll take you on up
if you happen to already be at the restaurant, go to the bathroom and locate the last toilette. if there’s a wooden toilet, you’ve found it! push past the curtain and bingo - you found the speakeasy
if you haven’t taken a trip across the border to buffalo, respectfully, what are you doing? every august before school started, my family and i would take a trip across the border to buffalo for back-to-school shopping.
trips across the border are a different now that we’re older, not in school, and the canadian dollar is way too low in comparison to the american dollar - but it’s still a fun day trip nontheless.
my go-to stops:
target: there is literally one target in buffalo that everyone goes to. it’s conveniently located in the same plaza as the trader joes, crumbl cookies, jersey mike’s, and barnes and nobels. depending on the day you go, it may or not be picked over especially in the clothing/shoe section but groceries, beauty, and home are usually regularly stocked. i always have to pick up chobani flips and celsius energy drinks
trader joes: there is also only one tj’s in buffalo but it a decent size. always go here first especially during a long weekend or else you’ll never get anything you want. the staff are so nice and they usually have something to sample. i always stock up on chilli onion crunch, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, white truffle chips, and the gone berry crazy dark chocolate covered strawberry pieces
ulta beauty: a lot of the brands sold at ulta are now sold in canada but they have some ulta exclusive things from time to time. also, if you aren’t signed up for ulta rewards, run
five below: not a lot of people talk about five below but i love looking at all the fun things that they sell
what to eat
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what to eat 〰️
there are a million and one restaurants, bars, patios in toronto to enjoy but i truly believe that they are not all created equally. i could do a whole separate blog post about my favourite places in the city but for now i’ll leave you with my favourite spots for the summer:
coffee: jimmy’s coffee, french made, dineen coffee co, columbus cafe
happy hour/small bites: pennies, juicy dumpling, the fourth man in the fire, king slice, sushi cafe bon gong
restaurants: oretta, dasha, tinuno, the broadview rooftop
late night: bar poet, pizza wine disco, lulu bar, la plume, bar’kada
drinks: storm crow manor, goodnight cocktail club
