City on a Plate
How to make the most of 24 hours in Toronto
You can pack in a ton of fun in The Six with cool restaurants, galleries and boutiques all within close range to each other, writes Rachel Cranshaw
8.30AM: BREAKFAST
Leña at 176 Yonge Street offers a South American-influenced menu, including empanadas with poached eggs and chimichurri (Can$18/R200), in richly coloured, highly Instagrammable surroundings.10AM: GET UP
The CN Tower is worth doing early to beat the queues; it opens at 8.30am and is worth the Can$48 (R520) entry for unparalleled views of the city, and sometimes as far as Buffalo in New York State.
There's a glass floor panel you can walk across - which is not for the faint-hearted. Even less so is the EdgeWalk experience, which sees harnessed thrill-seekers walk around the edge of the tower.
11AM: ON THE WATERFRONT
Wander around the city's waterfront area, on the shore of Lake Ontario. The regenerated 4ha site of the Harbourfront Centre is home to two forest-inspired squares, Ontario and Canada, plus an outdoor exhibition space, and hosts concerts and other events year-round. You can also take a boat tour of the islands just opposite, or go out on a canoe.
1PM: LUNCH
St Lawrence Market is a great place to have lunch. On Saturday the North building hosts a farmers' market from 5am until 3pm while the South building is home to more than 100 food stalls, open 5am-5pm Saturday, 8am-6pm Tuesday to Thursday and 8am-7pm on Friday.
2.30PM: ART FOR EVERYONE
The Art Gallery of Ontario has more than 90,000 works from Canada and elsewhere.
Alternatively, head to the Gardiner, Canada's national ceramics museum. Housed in an eye-catching series of square buildings, it is home to collections ranging from Chinese Tang Dynasty porcelain to contemporary pieces.
The Royal Ontario Museum is just across the road, if you love natural history.
4PM: SHOPPING
After all that culture, stroll to Bloor-Yorkville for some high-end retail therapy (or just window shopping). You'll find chic boutiques, top-name designers, and maybe some celebrities. There are five shopping centres, and lots of beauty salons and spas.
For shopping with a different flavour, Queen Street West is hipster central, full of independent boutiques, cafés, bars and restaurants, all on one handy strip.6PM: PRE-DINNER DRINK
With its twisting, tubular, light-up artwork and boho, artsy vibes, The Sky Yard at the Drake Hotel is a fine spot for some pre-dinner drinks. The Caesar (like a Bloody Mary but made with Clamato, a concoction of spiced tomato and clam juice) is recommended.
8PM: TIME TO DINE
Head to Lee by Susur Lee (book ahead), for a truly inventive take on modern Asian cuisine, in stylish surroundings and with a small terrace. The signature Singaporean-style slaw (Can$25/R270) contains 19 ingredients, all of which complement each other perfectly and look charmingly colourful. The curry roasted chicken is not to be missed.
10PM: 'TIL LATE
The swanky rooftop complex, Lavelle, at 627 King St West, is a hip, new pool club, bar and restaurant sitting 16 storeys above the city. It's open until late and offers 360-degree views of the Toronto skyline.
The atmosphere buzzes during the day, when people laze in cabanas around the pools; at night, a clubby vibe takes over. - The Daily Telegraph, additional reporting by Elizabeth Sleith..
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