Laura's Toronto City Break

A taste of Toronto: Exploring this metropolis is child’s play 

My favourite area for staying in Toronto is the financial/distillery district which offers lots of quirky restaurants and shops as well as its closeness to the harbourfront and many of the city’s attractions. My three favourite hotels to stay at are the Fairmont Royal York, Le Germain Maple Leaf Square and the Novotel Toronto Centre. My go to restaurants when visiting are Cafe Landwer for breakfast/brunch, Jack Astor’s for watching the sports and soaking up the atmosphere before a baseball game – the local team is the Blue Jays who play at the nearby Rogers Centre – St Lawrence Market for a bacon butty, Mezes or Pantheon at the Danforth for Greek food, and Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine.  

If I am visiting with my kids I make sure to visit Ripley's Aquarium, and Canada's Wonderland Theme Park which has a water park for cooling off during the summer months and the rollercoasters for late afternoon/evening when it is cooling down. Toronto Zoo is another fun place. It is one of the best zoos I have visited, and they also have a splash zone area which is perfect for young kids to cool off.  

The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is another fantastic attraction to visit as they always have some great exhibits. If you like to shop you will not be short of options here – I recommend Yorkdale Mall and the Eaton Centre.  

Discovering new flavours: Fantastic food and walking tours 

During my recent childfree visit, I had a fabulous lunch at Bisha's rooftop bar/restaurant which offers stunning views of the CN Tower, harbourfront and Toronto Islands. There are some fantastic photo opportunities here. I also went on a terrific Chopsticks and Forks food and walking tour of Kensington Market. I tried many foods that I wouldn't have picked myself and they were all delicious. A couple of my favourites were the Jamaican patties and the Montreal bagel.  

My top tips for a food and walking tour are to put comfy shoes on, go hungry and if you have dinner reservations that day, then make sure it is a later one! Another is to book a meal at the top of the CN Tower in the 360 restaurant well in advance before travelling. The food and views will be a real highlight of your trip. 

Breathtaking views: Hop over to Centreville Island 

My top tip for visiting Toronto is to pack a picnic and take the short water taxi ride over to Centreville Island. You can go either in the morning to explore the Island, its beaches, walking trails and even the mini amusement park, or head over for the beautiful sunset which offers spectacular views of the city's skyline and the iconic CN Tower.