ellen

Hi. I am planning a 4 day trip in early October for 7 couples in their late 30's.. We are staying at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Yorkville. Is that a good location? I am considering a one day excursion to Niagara Falls. Not everyone has seen the Falls. Do you think there is enough time to still see a lot of Toronto if we do the Falls? (We arrive Thursday afternoon and we leave Sunday morning.) Niagar Falls is planned for all day Friday. If we do go to the Falls can you recommend a place for a good light lunch at Niagara-on-the-Lake? In addition, we wanted to go to either Second City or Yuk Yuks. Which is better? What do you think of North 44? And could you recommend a great Italian restaurant near our Hotel? The concierge said Sotto Sotto?

sarah

hi there, I can only help you out with the Niagara on the Lake question and even then I don't know how much help I will be!! When you are there--just walk up and down the little main street and you will see lots of cafes to stop at--I have been to a few and they were all quite good. I do remember one across the street from a candy store being quite good--lots of sandwiches, quiche, salads--that sort of thing. Also the tea room (not exactly sure of its name-but its hard to miss) is quite good but a bit more expensive--what I remember most from this place is the waitress saying "yous guys" all of the time! good luck.

Paula

First, Yorkville is an excellent location for your stay in Toronto. Your hotel is conveniently located near many restaurants, plenty of shopping, a couple of museums, and easy access to many sights via public transit.<BR><BR>Second, you ask whether there will still be enough time to see alot of Toronto if you take a day trip to Niagara Falls. There is alot to see and do in Toronto. You could easily spend a very busy week in Toronto seeing all of the sights. It really depends on what you would like to see while in Toronto vs the importance to you of visiting Niagara Falls. <BR><BR>If you do decide to visit Niagara Falls, your plan to have lunch in Niagara-on-the-Lake is an excellent one. My favourite place for a good light lunch is the bar (as opposed to the diningroom) at the Oban Inn. The bar is very nice and offers two seating options - the cozier, traditional (dark wood, fireplace, etc) main bar or the adjoining sunroom that overlooks the hotel garden. Amongst other things, the lunch menu offers many sandwich and salad options, as well as soup - and I believe that there is usually a quiche of the day. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, the lunch tasty, and the price is reasonable - it is good value in a very pleasant setting. For those in your group with a sweet tooth, I suggest that they skip the Oban's desserts (overpriced) and walk down to the town's bakery on the main street. Their Empire cookies are particularly good. While on the main street, stop by Greaves and stock up on their wonderful jams and jellies. <BR><BR>As for Toronto restaurants, I recommend having a look at www.torontolife.com for reliable restaurant ratings. You could check out how North 44 and Sotto Sotto are rated there (I haven't dined at either). The site also allows you to sort by cuisine so that you could have a look at other reviews of Italian restaurants and see how Sotto Sotto compares.

Gayle

Wow! Lot's of questions.<BR><BR>Inter-Continental on Bloor Street is a very good, central location, close to shops, museums, restaurants and a few walkable blocks to Yorkville. The hotel is very nice, not too big, good service, nice rooms.<BR><BR>I agree with Paula about Niagara Falls and her Niagara-on-the-Lake recommendation. Oban Inn is lovely for lunch. Friday is a good dayto go as it will be much quieter both in the Falls area and NOL than on a weekend.<BR><BR>Personally I think Second City and YukYuk's are a touristy bore but people who enjoy comedy clubs say they're fairly equal. But make sure if you go to Second City you skip dinner. It's inedible.<BR><BR>As for fine dining, we eat out a lot so I think I can be of some help here. North 44 is excellent. It's very high end. The food and service are outstanding. The dining room on the main floor is a bit more formal. The upstairs dining room is more cozy and intimate and more casual, but has the same menu. There is a piano and a bar upstairs too. You need to dress for this spot. Because you'll be 14 people, you may wish to use one of the two private dining rooms which are lovely. One is on the main floor and the other is upstairs. The menu is the same but the rooms are beautiful and you'll get more attention as a larger party. We go here for special occasions.<BR><BR>Sotto Sotto is a great Italian restaurant. The only thing I don't like is that it's very, very tiny and claustrophobic as it's in a basement. Other Italian near your hotel (walkable) would be Il Posto Nuevo, which is in Hazelton Lanes. Very good, high end. If the weather is still nice, the patio is one of the prettiest in the city. Also very good for casual Italian is Toni Bologni on Cumberland. Ignore the horrible name. The food is excellent, southern Italian. Also, on Yorkville is Bellini. It's not my favorite as I find it stuffy and staid, but I know many people who love it. It's a more traditional type of spot but the crowd is a bit older. Also high end.<BR><BR>For other excellent Italian though not near your hotel, I recommend La Fenice, great northern Italian and wonderful fish on King Street West and Trattoria Giancarlo on Clinton Street in the very cool, trendy College Street area. Excellent food, a wonderful patio, great spot.<BR><BR>Have fun.

ellen

Thanks for you suggestions. It's nice to hear from those who know!

monday

I've heard great things about both North 44 and Sotto Sotto... I think you couldn't go wrong with each. Have a great trip.