Guidebook for Toronto

Ralph Carl
Ralph Carl
Guidebook for Toronto

Food Scene

Local independent coffee shop.
16 locals recommend
Crafted By Te Aro
16 locals recommend
Local independent coffee shop.
Mid-price old-fashioned diner open 24/7!
351 locals recommend
The Lakeview Restaurant
1132 Dundas Street West
351 locals recommend
Mid-price old-fashioned diner open 24/7!
Excellent French-style bistro.
128 locals recommend
Union
72 Ossington Ave
128 locals recommend
Excellent French-style bistro.
Best pho (Vietnamese soup) in Toronto. One of the last two remaining Vietnamese restaurants on the Ossington strip. Cash only.
119 locals recommend
Pho Rùa Vàng Golden Turtle Restaurant
125 Ossington Ave
119 locals recommend
Best pho (Vietnamese soup) in Toronto. One of the last two remaining Vietnamese restaurants on the Ossington strip. Cash only.
Tasty, inexpensive Portuguese baked goods. Go for the custard tarts!
19 locals recommend
Venezia Bakery
114 Ossington Ave
19 locals recommend
Tasty, inexpensive Portuguese baked goods. Go for the custard tarts!
The most authentic Neopolitan pizza in Toronto.
384 locals recommend
Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Ave
384 locals recommend
The most authentic Neopolitan pizza in Toronto.
Perhaps the best hamburgers in the neighbourhood. Enjoy the patio in the warm months.
25 locals recommend
BQM Burger and Craft Beer Ossington
210 Ossington Ave
25 locals recommend
Perhaps the best hamburgers in the neighbourhood. Enjoy the patio in the warm months.
Toronto’s best poutine? It’s either Poutini’s or Smoke’s. We vote for here.
63 locals recommend
Poutini’s House of Poutine
1112 Queen St W
63 locals recommend
Toronto’s best poutine? It’s either Poutini’s or Smoke’s. We vote for here.
Good soups, salads and sandwiches. Lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends.
Cafe Bernate Business Closed
Good soups, salads and sandwiches. Lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends.
The other great pizzeria in the neighbourhood. Always busy. Check out the great back patio in the summer.
445 locals recommend
Terroni
720 Queen St W
445 locals recommend
The other great pizzeria in the neighbourhood. Always busy. Check out the great back patio in the summer.
Excellent Spanish cuisine, go for the paella.
17 locals recommend
Carmen
922 Queen St W
17 locals recommend
Excellent Spanish cuisine, go for the paella.
Tourist hip central for Queen Street West. Of course you’re staying with us, but check out the bars, cafe and restaurant. Live music in the basement.
538 locals recommend
The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St W
538 locals recommend
Tourist hip central for Queen Street West. Of course you’re staying with us, but check out the bars, cafe and restaurant. Live music in the basement.
Asian fusion food.
80 locals recommend
Foxley
207 Ossington Ave
80 locals recommend
Asian fusion food.
Fish and seafood.
10 locals recommend
Fishbar
217 Ossington Avenue
10 locals recommend
Fish and seafood.
Refurbished diner that started the West Queen West renaissance.
58 locals recommend
Rose and Sons
176 Dupont St
58 locals recommend
Refurbished diner that started the West Queen West renaissance.
Fresh seafood of all kinds, with master oyster shuckers. Fish and chips for the more squeamish of us.
74 locals recommend
Oyster Boy
872 Queen St W
74 locals recommend
Fresh seafood of all kinds, with master oyster shuckers. Fish and chips for the more squeamish of us.
Local independent coffee shop and vendor of organic produce and an eclectic variety of sweet treats.
15 locals recommend
The Lucky Penny General Store and Cafe
189 Shaw St
15 locals recommend
Local independent coffee shop and vendor of organic produce and an eclectic variety of sweet treats.
Local independent coffee shop.
27 locals recommend
Tampered Press
Dundas Street West
27 locals recommend
Local independent coffee shop.
Cheap like borscht. Okay, they don’t actually serve borscht, but they have seriously good, fresh, made-to-order soups.
67 locals recommend
RaviSoups
322 Adelaide St W
67 locals recommend
Cheap like borscht. Okay, they don’t actually serve borscht, but they have seriously good, fresh, made-to-order soups.
The neighbourhood’s other, older, boutique hotel. Good eats, art exhibits, poetry readings, live music and a working cage elevator.
194 locals recommend
Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St W
194 locals recommend
The neighbourhood’s other, older, boutique hotel. Good eats, art exhibits, poetry readings, live music and a working cage elevator.

Essentials

One of Toronto’s first independent organic food stores. Lots of organic, free-trade and gluten-free goodies.
970 Queen St W
970 Queen Street West
One of Toronto’s first independent organic food stores. Lots of organic, free-trade and gluten-free goodies.

Arts & Culture

Small commercial contemporary art gallery with a roster of prominent Canadian artists.
Paul Petro Contemporary Art
980 Queen St W
Small commercial contemporary art gallery with a roster of prominent Canadian artists.
Contemporary craft exhibits by Ontario and Canadian artisans.
Craft Ontario Shop
1106 Queen St W
Contemporary craft exhibits by Ontario and Canadian artisans.
Check out their free Saturday movies, posted in the window. Intimate, 50-seat theatre.
Camera Bar
Check out their free Saturday movies, posted in the window. Intimate, 50-seat theatre.
Headquarters for the Toronto International Film Festival, with five screens showing art movies daily, year-round.
582 locals recommend
TIFF Bell Lightbox
350 King St W
582 locals recommend
Headquarters for the Toronto International Film Festival, with five screens showing art movies daily, year-round.
Home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and of TIFF gala presentations during the film festival.
312 locals recommend
Roy Thomson Hall
60 Simcoe St
312 locals recommend
Home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and of TIFF gala presentations during the film festival.
Home for the Hot Docs film festival.
161 locals recommend
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
506 Bloor St W
161 locals recommend
Home for the Hot Docs film festival.
Local live theatre.
25 locals recommend
The Theatre Centre
1115 Queen St W
25 locals recommend
Local live theatre.
Local live theatre.
27 locals recommend
Factory Theatre
125 Bathurst St
27 locals recommend
Local live theatre.
Local live theatre.
20 locals recommend
Theatre Passe Muraille
16 Ryerson Ave
20 locals recommend
Local live theatre.
Commercial contemporary photography gallery.
16 locals recommend
Stephen Bulger Gallery
1356 Dundas St W
16 locals recommend
Commercial contemporary photography gallery.
Commercial art gallery. Specializes in paintings with very bright colours.
13 locals recommend
Angell Gallery
1444 Dupont St
13 locals recommend
Commercial art gallery. Specializes in paintings with very bright colours.
Commercial gallery with usually interesting work by established and up and coming artists. A few works in our home are from Katharine’s gallery.
Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects
Commercial gallery with usually interesting work by established and up and coming artists. A few works in our home are from Katharine’s gallery.

Shopping

Oh no! You’ve run out of toothpaste.
1033 Queen St W
1033 Queen Street West
Oh no! You’ve run out of toothpaste.
An audiophile’s dream. You need a new pair of headphones for the plane, don’t you?
Planet of Sound
1020 Queen St W
An audiophile’s dream. You need a new pair of headphones for the plane, don’t you?
You’ve worn out your shoes walking around the neighbourhood and need a new pair.
34 locals recommend
gravitypope Toronto
1010 Queen St W
34 locals recommend
You’ve worn out your shoes walking around the neighbourhood and need a new pair.

Everything Else

Full-service post office.
1117 Queen St W
1117 Queen Street West
Full-service post office.
You don’t want to skip your workout, do you?
52 locals recommend
West End YMCA
931 College St
52 locals recommend
You don’t want to skip your workout, do you?
Nice pool for a recreational swim.
14 locals recommend
Trinity Community Recreation Centre
155 Crawford St
14 locals recommend
Nice pool for a recreational swim.
You’ve run out of gas. Your closest fill up is here.
58 locals recommend
7-Eleven
873 Queen St W
58 locals recommend
You’ve run out of gas. Your closest fill up is here.
Former neighbourhood high school, now a community cultural hub. Various artists’ studios and a cafe.
180 Shaw St
180 Shaw Street
Former neighbourhood high school, now a community cultural hub. Various artists’ studios and a cafe.
Oh, no, you’re out of cash! The nearest Green Machine ATM to the rescue.
94 locals recommend
TD Canada Trust Branch and ATM
15 York St
94 locals recommend
Oh, no, you’re out of cash! The nearest Green Machine ATM to the rescue.

Sightseeing

A well-used and well-loved community park, great for a stroll and some people watching. See if you can spot one of the elusive white squirrels.
743 locals recommend
Trinity Bellwoods Park
790 Queen St W
743 locals recommend
A well-used and well-loved community park, great for a stroll and some people watching. See if you can spot one of the elusive white squirrels.

Drinks & Nightlife

The local bar that jump-started Ossington Avenue as we now know it. Tons of local flavour.
67 locals recommend
Sweaty Betty's
13 Ossington Ave
67 locals recommend
The local bar that jump-started Ossington Avenue as we now know it. Tons of local flavour.
Ossington Avenue’s uber-popular nano-brewery with small restaurant and outdoor patio. So hip it hurts.
373 locals recommend
Bellwoods Brewery
124 Ossington Ave
373 locals recommend
Ossington Avenue’s uber-popular nano-brewery with small restaurant and outdoor patio. So hip it hurts.
More brands of tequila than you ever thought possible.
100 locals recommend
Reposado
136 Ossington Ave
100 locals recommend
More brands of tequila than you ever thought possible.
Live bands in an unpretentious down-home bar.
351 locals recommend
The Lakeview Restaurant
1132 Dundas Street West
351 locals recommend
Live bands in an unpretentious down-home bar.