Try these three local adventures the next time you visit an independent boutique hotel in Toronto.
There’s more to Canada than hockey, snow and distinctive accents. Toronto has an impressive array of culinary and cultural delights that take you beyond the maple syrup you know and love.
It may be cold there, and yes, you’ll probably be tempted to go to Toronto’s distinctive CN Tower. But Canada’s most populous metro area has many delights awaiting travelers.
Toronto’s historic St. Lawrence Market isn’t just any food market. National Geographic named it the best food market in the entire world. Maybe that’s because the staff of local restaurants source fresh local produce and goods from St. Lawrence Market, which is also open to the public.
Featuring over 130 stalls, you can buy everything from wine and food to antiques and collectibles – and, yes, maple syrup. If you’re looking for a low-key lunch spot, the market also features hot food stands with local delicacies like a Canadian bacon sandwich.
The Bata Shoe Museum in downtown Toronto is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to footwear. With a collection of over 13,500 items from throughout history, the museum is dedicated to the collection and preservation of shoes of all types from all over the world.
In addition to the permanent collection of cultural footwear traditions through time, the museum features three rotating exhibits. Past exhibitions have included features on famous designers like Christian Louboutin.
Museum visitors have also enjoyed seeing ballroom slippers worn by Queen Victoria, John Lennon’s Beatle boots and silver platform boots worn by Elton John.
No trip to Canada would be complete without poutine. What’s poutine, you say? Only French fries covered with a brown gravy-like sauce and topped with cheese curds. Yum!
If that’s not enough flavor for you, SMOKE’s Poutinerie features topping options like bacon, Philly cheesesteak or triple pork. Just to send you into a complete meat coma, try the bison, elk or kangaroo sausage at Wvrst. They also have wild boar on the menu and cook their French fries in duck fat.
If you have more of a sweet palate than savory, try Dutch Dreams, where even the ice cream cones are dipped in chocolate and covered in candy. For a more traditional Candian sweet, try a butter tart, a pastry shell filled with caramelized sugar, butter, maple syrup and eggs. Butter tarts are sold at nearly every bakery in Toronto, but Leah’s on St. Clair Avenue are especially famous.
Whether you’re looking for adventure, relaxation or just an amazing meal, Toronto has countless options. The next time you book a stay in an independently-owned boutique hotel in Toronto, be sure to take in all the city has to offer.
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