We asked this year’s top 10 influencers to share their favourite spots and hidden gems in Toronto. You’ll want to bookmark this one.
What’s your favourite Toronto restaurant?
“Bar Sugo (1279 Bloor St. W.) – I love their ‘Little Italy’ pizza.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“Hands down, Favorite’s Thai BBQ (141 Ossington Ave.). You have to do the chef’s tasting menu or you’re living wrong. It is my favourite spot in the entire city.” – Emily Durham
“Lee Restaurant (497 Richmond St. W.) – honestly anything on the menu, but the salad (chef Susur Lee’s signature Singapore style slaw) – oof, just thinking of it. Most delicious salad in the world.” – Tara Sigari
“The spaghetti al limone from Terroni (57 Adelaide St. E.).” – Spencer West
“Congee Queen (362 Yonge St.) – consistent, large quantities and good prices. My number one dish there is 干炒牛河 – dry fried beef noodle.” – Clement Leung
“Bar Ardo (169 King St. E.). I love the chickpea fritters appetizer they serve.” – Lisa Corbo
“Burger Drops (116 Atlantic Ave.). You can’t go wrong.” – Brendan Carpenter
“Pad see ew from Chiang Mai (353 Danforth Ave.). I lived in Thailand for five months, and this is the closest thing I can find to authentic Thai food in Toronto.” – Reni Odetoyinbo
“I’m basic, I’m easy. Cactus Club (77 Adelaide St. W.). I love their steak and their mashed potatoes are so, so good.” – Abdullah Zaidi
“The club sandwich from George’s Deli (795 Bathurst St.). It’s at Bathurst Station and it rips. The owner Agatha is the nicest lady. I like it on vibes alone.” – Jacob Balshi
What’s your favourite café and what do you order?
“Tsuchi Cafe (688 College St.). It’s a Japanese vegan café and they have some really great bites there, and they do a caramel miso latte.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“Daily Dose (125 John St.). I get an iced Americano, splash of almond milk. The trick – two pumps of their marshmallow syrup.” – Emily Durham
“Paris Baguette (110 Bloor St. W.) has this sticky bread — so good.” – Tara Sigari
“Fresh Start Bakery Cafe (595 Bay St.). It’s in the Bay Street atrium, run by a Turkish family. Great Turkish coffee, and lots of great gluten-free bakery options. It’s the best baklava I’ve ever had.” – Clement Leung
“Quantum (482 Front St. W.). I just order black coffee or an Americano.” – Brendan Carpenter
“I like Café 23 (728 Queen St. W.) in the fall. It’s very busy, very touristy. I also like the café inside the AGO.” – Abdullah Zaidi
What’s your favourite store?
“The Cocktail Emporium (20 Kensington Ave.). It’s got anything you’d ever want to make cocktails with. All the gadgets, the mixes, incredible glassware — really cool stuff.” – Spencer West
“Without a doubt, my favourite spot in the city is On Third Thought (6 Markham St.). They’re a locally owned gelato bar, but not only is there gelato dairy-free, they also do wine and gelato pairings.” – Emily Durham
“I’m so basic. I like LuluLemon. I shop there all the time.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“Can I say Hermès (100 Bloor St. W.)?” – Tara Sigari
“I really like going to T&T Supermarket (297 College St.), and buying food. – Clement Leung
“Mine & Yours (79 Yorkville Ave.). I’m an accessory junkie, and they have incredible vintage accessories.” – Lisa Corbo
“There’s this flower shop called Cumberland Flowers (2 Bloor St. E.). It’s also in Yorkville. It’s a little flower shop. The lady (who works there) and I chat a lot.” – Abdullah Zaidi
Favourite hidden gem
“There’s a place called Taqueria Vegana (1543 Dupont St.) — they do vegan tacos. I kid you not, they make the best vegan birria tacos — even my boyfriend who eats meat loves them.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“Accent and Co. (8 Spadina Ave.) in the Well – am I on the Well’s payroll? – it’s a shop that (curates products) from locall -owned businesses. It’s a perfect spot to pick up a little something for yourself or a loved one.” – Emily Durham
“Han Moto (2 Lakeview Ave.). It’s this hole-in-the-wall Asian fusion restaurant.” – Tara Sigari
“The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. E.) has this corner bar in the new lobby that they built. It’s tucked away and people don’t really notice it. My partner and I love to go have a drink there sometimes after work or on the weekend.” – Spencer West
“Hong Kong Bistro Café (472 Dundas St. W.) in Chinatown, on the second floor. It serves up classic Hong Kong diner style food – a byproduct of the British era of Hong Kong, it has the Western influence and Chinese influence in one dish.” – Clement Leung
“Rick’s Good Eats (6660 Kennedy R. #1) in Mississauga. It is chef’s kiss. It’s Indian fusion food, so Indian and Canadian combined. So, think butter chicken poutine, butter chicken burgers.” Reni – Odetoyinbo
Whats your favourite touristy thing to do?
“Visit Kandl in Yorkville (88 Avenue Rd.). Last time I went I made a candle and named it ’Fire and Desire’ after one of my favourite Drake songs.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“I enjoy going to Leslie Street Spit (1 Leslie St.). Lots of cool nature, birds and great for riding bikes.” – Clement Leung
“The City Sightseeing Tour. My family came to visit me last year, and they’ve never been to Toronto, so I got to show them around on the hop-on hop off bus, and it was so much fun. I’ve lived here my whole life and It was my first time seeing Toronto as a tourist, and I learned so much!” – Reni Odetoyinbo
Where do you find inspiration?
“Walking the streets of West Queen West – you’re surrounded by people with incredible and unique fashion sense.” – Emily Durham
“I spend a lot of my time at home, hanging out with my dog and just chilling.” – Shriya Agnihotri
“This is going to sound weird, but sometimes I actually just drive down Major Mac and Dufferin (in Vaughan). When I was young, I lived there, and I still get inspired by that kid who really wanted it all and was just doing everything in life to make it happen. Sometimes I like to drive in that area just to remind myself, give myself a little push.” – Tara Sigari
“I’ll usually just go for a stroll in the city with no direction in mind, and see where I end up.” – Spencer West.
“I like to go to Kensington Market, but mainly to meet with other creators. We have coffee, we jam on things – that’s where I get inspiration.” – Clement Leung
“It has to be the Ossington-Dundas neighborhood. It’s just good people watching, it’s more eclectic than being in a downtown Toronto neighbourhood. There’s great food there. It has a very kind of inner city vibe without feeling stuffy.” – Lisa Corbo
“I like to sit in the park and stare at people.” – Jacob Balshin
“Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square) is so much fun. There’s so much going on in every corner.” – Abdullah Zaidi
“The waterfront. You can clear your mind if you’re having a bad day, or even if you’re having a good day: just sitting there, people watching and enjoying the scenery. The waves keep on rolling and you gotta too.” – Brendan Carpenter
