Toronto Fall weekend
 

I haven't been to Toronto for a long time but am going in late October, which used to be one of my favorite times for one of my favorite destinations. I am surprised at the little activity here on Fodors for this amazing world class city.

It's been a while. I'd love to know what are the newest "must do" restaurants and night clubs. It's not the greatest time for the theatre, but any hints would be really appreciated. LMF

LilMsFoodie,

I think when you're used to posting on the US or Europe forums that the Canada forum and even my favorite Caribbean forum are just quieter.

I find the posters an awful lot friendlier though. :-)

There's a million messages here about Toronto.

Restaurants come and go, and Toronto has such a wide variety it might ber handy to havve some idea of where you are staying, and some idea of what kind of food do you like.

Toronto's biggest nightclub, Lucid, died this summer and the baliff seized the premises.

EAST is a low priced, high quality, almost new Thai restaurant at Queen Street West and John.

BAK

Maybe this is what you have in mind. With the Toronto Film Festival just starting, this is the list from the Toronto Star yesterday for hot spots:

Avenue (in the Four Seasons)
Bistro 990
Bloor St. Diner
Brass Rail
Century Room
Courthouse
Drake Hotel
Flow
Il Posto
Joso's
Lobby
Mortons
Olive and Lemon
Opus
Panorama Lounge
Prego
Rosewater Supper Club
Sassafraz
Senses
Skylounge
Sotto Sotto
Spoke Club
The Fifth
Thuet
Ultra Supper Club

Of course, these are for "stargazing" purposes, but it depends on the the type of experience you want. Unfortunately if you're looking for Brad Pitt, he's in Alberta right now!

Do a search here for Toronto and you WILL find lots of suggestions. Hope that helps!

That's a good list, but I don't know which ones are new. Hardly any. Maybe Skylounge, which I've never heard of.

But even though this is a list mostly of old standbys, they are good places, to the extent that I know them in any detail.

Fried shrimp at Ulta... best I've had anywhere.

BAK

Staying at the Four Seasons in Yorkville. I have usually stayed there or Windsor Arms before it's most recent high concept restyling.

BAK, I did do a search and I'm pretty good at it here as I've been posting for years. I thought it was coming up a little short considering the size and importance of the city. Basically just names and few actual reviews.

I'm clothes shopping and would like to find something other than Holts. I used to find some things on W. Queen.

I've gotten tickets since for Wicked and have the concierge taking care of the other night. Dame Edna? Well, it should be funny.

What's Yorkville shopping like lately? I started going there from the time it was a hippie hangout in the very late 60's to early 70's through all its upgrades. I haven't been now for 10 years.

My late husband loved Canoe. We always went there. How is it these days?

Best Chinese? Where are the local entreprenurial Chinese celebrating now?

Where are your favorite places to eat in Toronto? For a celebration, for a bargain. I'm no trendoid, I just like good restaurants with atmosphere and good service.

Thanks LMF

LMF, you have GOT to try Jamie Kennedy's restaurant (I think that's the actual name of it), if you can splurge for one evening. It's quite pricy but wonderful. He has been a major force on the Toronto restaurant scene for about 25 years. The restaurant was reviewed in this morning's Globe and Mail by its notoriously tough restaurant critic and although she thought the service could have been better, she had nothing but praise for the food. The restaurant is at 9 Church Street; I think he has a wine bar next door.

Thanks, Meesthare, that is just the kind of rec I was looking for. I'll definitely look at it. I don't mind splurge restaurants if the food and atmosphere are good. I don't mind a dump, if the food is first rate. I had a mind boggling Chinese meal years ago in Toronto in some hole in the wall more towards downtown, not in over on Spadina. I have searched to find something as awesome as the dim sum there ever since. LMF

Hi LMF
Bring your Visa, we have fabulous shopping in TO!
This link covers the chichi area around your hotel and the funkier stuff on Queen West.
http://www.where.ca/toronto/article_...?listing_id=51

Shopping for fashions... this trip, go farther west on Quen Street West. Many new designers are there, now that the University to Spadina part pf Queen St. West is popular, and thus has high rents.

To the extent I know shopping in Yorkville, it seems as good as ever to me. Holt's is undergoing a philosophical rebirth, so is worth a visit, I'm sure.

I divide restaurants into various categories, two of which are excellent food and fancy, where I'm willing to talk, and excellent food and fancy, and I'm not willing to talk.

The second category has food I really want to pay attention to, so don't want to socialize toomuch. Centro, on Yonge north of Eglinton, and Oro, on Elm Street almost at Bay, are like this.

CAnoe continues to be excellent; thre was an intresting tv show about it a few weeks ago that has prompted me to go back when I have a good excuse to spend that much money.

In Yorkville, I seem to be there mostly at lunch, and I gravitate to Yamatyo, on Belair between Cumberland and Yorkville, and Remy's, which doe not have fabulous food but does have very good sandwiches and good service and very comfortable chairs, and I tend to have long lunches there talking business informally.

And I really like the Studio Cafe in the Four Seasons. This fgalls into the great food I'lm willing to eat while talking to people.

BAK

Thanks Bak. Retail therapy in Canada was once one of my favorite things to do. Even though my US$ doesn't go as far as it once did I am looking forward to finding some things that are different.

You mentioned the Studio Cafe. Can I assume that is the street level restaurant at the 4 Seasons. I forget the name it used to have. Is the Movenpick still there in Yorkville? Thanks for your help. LMF

Ther Studio CAfe is on the second floor, along the Yorkvilel Avenue side.

If you remember the Four Seasons...

Take the escalator up fromthe main floor.

If you turn left and walk through the square second floor lobby, past the elevators, you get to Truffles, the fancy restaurant.

If, instead, at the top of the escaltor you turn back 180 degrees (think of left, and then left againg) and walk past the washroom lobby, you get to the Studio Cafe.

On the main floor, the old bar along the north wall (Avenue Road) has been rebuilt into Avenue, and has some good food at lunch time. Don't know about diner, but it's basically a bar.

The other main floor area eating / drinking are is right off the main lobby (Avenue is down a short hallway) and this is the place for afternoon tea.

It's hard to explain the difference in mood and feel between the lobby bar (whatever it is called) and Avenue, but there's a difference.

BAK