I'm going to Toronto the first week of November. Can anyone recommend some good restaurants and shops. Also, which is a better place to stay the Metropolitan Hotel or the "King Eddie"?

Thanks!

Hi Fungirl

As I recall from the newspaper a few months ago, there are about 7000 restaurants in Toronto. This means it is possible for just about anyone to find what they are looking for, so you have lots of opportunities. Shopping also has a wide variety of options.

Please post more details on what you are looking for (e.g. type of food, budget vs. upscale or pricerange, any particular areas, do you want to buy clothes, antiques etc.) and we will be happy to help!

I wouldn't recommend either one for someone named fungirl

Lawyergirl should stay at the King Eddie.

Worldgirl should stay at the Metropolitan.

But Fungirl....???

We need more info. You may be be a Le Germain person, or a Holiday Inn on King Girl, or ...

And what do you want to buy? Caban is a favorite store for some tourists; others love The Bay at Queen and Yonge, but not other Bay stores.

Tell us more, please.

BAK

Brian I really get a kick out of your answers! What if she is a lawyer who likes to have fun?? ( No....it is not an oxymoron!). Maybe the Four Seasons? Fungirl shd also consider the Avenue Rd/Bloor area!

I was in the Four Seasons tonight for a little while. It really is a geat place, if budget permits.

And if budget does not permit a room, it can at least be stretched far enough for a drink, or even a meal in the Studio Cafe.

BAK

Hi everyone! Ok...here's more detail.. I'm going for my 33rd birthday, so I want to splurge on dinner for that night. Somewhere with excellent service and nice view. I am a die hard foodie and will spend a nice buck on a good meal. I love "loungy" places with great drinks and great atmosphere. I like to shop too, but am not big on designer stuff at designer prices. I want designer stuff at bargain prices!! And lastly...yes, you can be fun and a lawyer. Me and my trip companion are both.

Thanks!!

Interesting shopping and restaurants on Queen St west of University Ave. Fashion outlets on Spadina Ave south of Queen St.

Happy 33rd. Duggest you stay at Park Hyatt, St. Germain or Four Seasons. For a "loungy" type place try Lobby on Bloor Street west of Avenue Road. Go for a drink in a see and be seen/scene type place. For that special dinner for a die-hard foodie, forgo the view and splurge at Bymark, North 44, Avalon or Susur.

Adding to Gayle's exccellent advice, and narrowing dowqn a bit --- I'd suggest Le Germain as the most fun of the three for a lawyerly-fungirl.

Susur is very expensive, and great. If you can't a reservation, or stay at Le Germoain and want to stay close to the hotel, try Senses, in the same very high price range, in the Soho Metropolitan hotel, a block or two from Le Germain. (Not the "other" mmetropolitan hotel that I've already suggested you skip, behind City Hall)

IF you don't want to spend a huge amount, consider Oro, on Elm Street, just east of Bay Street, (a couple of blocks north of the Eaton Centre).

In addition to other shopping suggestions, if you stay at Le Germain, walk up half a block to King Street West, and walk west five minutes to Spadina, and turn left / sotuh to Winners. It's an end of lines, samples, etc. store with excellent ladies wear, upper-middle mens's shirts, very good men's ties, assorted housewares, and worth a visit, especially since it is so close. I am wearing Winenrs' socks as I type. Some designer labels, no designer prices.

Lounges -- I'm no expert, but Lobby, already mentioned, is a winner, as is the bar on the roof of the PArk Hyatt. Near Le Germain, check out Rain across the street, and take the advice of Le Germain staff regarding the neighborhood.

Osgoode Hall, at Queen Street West and University Avenue, is full of court rooms and has beautiful grounds, and if you are near City Hall, take a few minutes to visit Osgoode Hall to remind you of the dignity that should surround the law. Old City Hall (next to new city hall, shaped like a clam) is full of lower level courts, too in a beautiful building.

Security might let you into Osgoode Hall; I photographed a judge there in one of the beautiful wood panellled courtrooms.

Enjoy your visit.

BAK

Hi Fungirl,

Here are some loungy places to check out while you're here:

Up and Down Lounge - Adelaide St West
Cobalt - College St West
Chelsea Room - Dundas St West


For shopping try Queen West(lots of small local designers), & Bloor St/Yorkville (designer stuff at designer prices). As BAK mentioned, sometimes you can find designer stuff at discount prices at Winners (the Canadian Century 21).

Others have provided "splurge" suggestions that sound good to me!

As a fellow diehard foodie, I would say you might enjoy an hour or two morning or afternoon at the St. Lawrence Market - located at Front st. and Jarvis, a large covered market with great baker, several cheese stalls, a man that lets you sample about 30 kinds of mustard he makes etc. etc. - fun atmosphere for a low-key wander.

An alternative is Kensington Market - actually a series of stores for coffee, spices, cheese and just about any variety of fruit or vegetable you can think of. We have fun trying to guess how one actually eat some of the products on display. This area is west of Spadina, round about Dundas St. (ie walk in from that corner). (ie walk west from Chinatown).

About Kensington Market; if you stay at Le Germain, Kensington Market's about a fifteen minute stroll away. I was there Sunday, and now that it has been mentioned, I second it, as a fun thing to do, along with the Chinatown stores. Just walk from the hotel up to Queen Street West, turn left/west and walk to Spadina, then north on Spadina to Baldwin Street or St. Andrew Street, (Bright PEarl Restaurant is at the corner; you could go in for Dim Sum) and turn left/west again.

Saturday morning Toronto tradition is going to St. Lawrence market for a back bakon sandwich on a bun. That's a twenty minute walk in another direction.

Walk east from the hotel to John Street (end of your block)turn right/south toward the CN Tower, and walk to Front Street. Turn left/east and walk past the convention center, Royal York Hotel, Hummingbird Center, etc. to the St. Lawrence Market. Buy bagels from St. Urbain in the south-east corner of the main building, cheeses from any of several sellers, smiked salmpon from other sellers, and have snacks to enjoy back in the hotel.

BAK

Thanks everyone for these great suggestions! Toronto sounds like such a fun place. I'm looking forward to my trip.

Some shopping suggestions, focusing on Canadian labels:

Holt Renfrew's private label is great for high quality suits at moderate prices (top floor of Holts).

Marlow on Avenue Rd in Yorkville also has great suits and cashmere sweaters - a little more classic in style than Holts (think classic Armani at 1/3 of the price)

Femme de Carriere for stylish suits on a budget (they've started fall markdowns). Not as high quality as the first two mentioned, but good prices. This is a chain store with locations in the Eaton Centre, Holt Renfrew Centre and a few other locations.

For funkier clothes, try Mendocino (Queen St West of University and Eaton Centre), Wenches and Rogues (Queen St West of Bathurst) and Comrags (also Queen St West of Bathurst).

For beautiful formal clothes (black tie, weddings etc) and some dressy day suits etc, try Price Roman (Queen St West of University). These clothes are stunning, beautifully made and very inexpensive for the quality offered.

I second the suggestions for the St Germain hotel. I just checked out a friend's room there yesterday - very stylish.

Finally, one suggestion for Saturday night activities. If you like to dance, check out a club called Revival on College St (around the 700-800 block of College St West). It has "the Mod Club" on Saturday nights - very danceable music, 30-40 something crowd, hopping but comfortable (no attitude). Get there before 11 if you don't want to line up. There's a website you could probably find if you googled mod club, revival and Toronto.

Have fun.

"Fungirl" was also the CB handle that the wheelchair bound girl used in the tv show "Good Times".

Hi fungirl.

When you are in Toronto, pick up a copy of the Toronto Life magazine. It has theatre info and restaurant reviews which are pretty reliable.

Also, not yet mentioned is Toronto's Little Italy on College Street.

For a fabulous (and a little pricey) Italian meal try "Trattoria Giancarlo" on Clinton at College.

Also, an excellent Portuguese seafood restaurant a little further west on College Street is "Chiado".

Have fun shopping. I second going to Queen West for funky clothing boutiques, etc. If you are into yoga and/or working out don't forget to check out Lululemon for clothing. It's Canadian and has been written up in all of the fashion magazines (In Style, etc.)