What to Do in Toronto

Forget Me Not Café is a South American mixed-use café and housewares space. Known for their Nutella lattes and house-made empanadas served with chimichurri sauce, it's the perfect spot to relax and escape the hustle of city life.

Miss Thing's is a showstopping Polynesian-inspired restaurant. The walls are adorned with hand-painted murals by talented local Toronto artist Tisha Myles, and the deep turquoise walls with gold accents give the space a sophisticated tropical feel. Not to be missed are the pineapple fried rice and the “Our Tai” Mai Tai. missthings.com

Bake Shoppe is one of Toronto's innovative bakeries. They are the masters of taking beloved childhood classics such as Pop-Tarts and re-creating them in decidedly grown-up ways, by making them fresh in-house and filling them with high-quality ingredients, like local artisanal jam from Kitten and the Bear. Their space is fun and playful—reminiscent of a classic bakery but with a modern edge, with the walls adorned with works from Toronto's acclaimed street artists. bakeshoppeto.com

Sam James is Toronto's king of coffee, serving one of the smoothest cortados you'll ever sip. His original location on Harbord is an example of what all great coffee shops should be: no fuss. It doesn't need frills, because it's that good. samjamescoffeebar.com

The Drake is Toronto's hippest boutique hotel. Every inch of the space is bursting with character. Combine that with a killer brunch and events, and it's the type of place you can hang out from morning till the next day without ever getting bored. thedrakehotel.ca

Terrorni is Toronto's best Italian restaurant, hands down. The bread, pastas and sauces are made in-house, with many of the fresh authentic ingredients flown in from Italy on the red-eye. Be sure to order the duck confit ravioli (pictured above) or any of the pizzas. terroni.com

Neo Coffee Bar is owned by Toronto's championship barista Bruce Ly. This means you are guaranteed a perfect pour each and every time. The Japanese-inspired space has a relaxing Zen feel to it, and an in-house bakery also means fresh Japanese roll cake and pastries are available daily. neocoffeebar.com

Kitten and the Bear is the purveyor of fine handmade, locally crafted artisanal jam. Everything is made in-house using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. kittenandthebear.com

Sud Forno is the bakery powerhouse behind the Terroni family of restaurants. The fresh bread provided before dinner is also available for purchase. Italian pastries, pizza and sandwiches are also on offer for lunch and dinner in their immaculate tiled space. terroni.com

The Rolling Pin—winners of Food Network’s doughnut challenge—brings some of the best and most creative doughnuts to Toronto. Most famous for their doughnut shots, there's nothing quite like a doughnut that comes with its own injection tube filled with sauce or syrup to squirt on top of (or inside) the perfect round mass of fried dough. therollingpin.ca

Located in Toronto's East End, this Scandinavian-style coffee shop is visually striking in addition to offering a nice, strong cuppa and baked goods and beer and wine in the evenings. odinhus.tumblr.com

Bar Isabel is a Spanish tapas-style restaurant located in the heart of Toronto's little Italy. One step through the door and you will instantly be transported to Barcelona. The octopus is arguably their most famous dish. barisabel.com

Patois embodies one of the best things about Toronto, which is its mix of cultural influences from all over the world. Owner and chef Craig Wong fills the menu with the perfect balance of his Chinese-Jamaican heritage, classical French training and North American influence. Can't decide on a dish? Go with a group of five or so people and order the Sh'bang, which will get you the entire menu, that way you won't leave with any regrets. I'm partial to the pineapple bun burger (second from left) and the Jamaican patty double down (far right), though. patoistoronto.com

Fat Pasha's menu is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Israeli cultures. A must-try is their roast cauliflower topped with tahini, skhug, pinenut, pomegranate and halloumi. fatpasha.com

Roselle is Toronto's East End darling. It’s owned by a pair of Toronto-bred chefs who have trained in Paris and worked in Michelin star restaurants; everything is made in-house and with intricate, exacting details. During the summer months, their house-made Earl Grey soft-serve frequently sells out before closing. You can also get it twisted with vanilla for a London Fog and served “all the way” with lemon curd and malt crunch sprinkles. Thankfully, their mouth-watering pastries like the caramel turtle tart and banana rum eclair are available all year-round. roselleto.com

Colette is Toronto's slice of Parisian paradise. The only thing that stops hearts more than their decor is their pastries. Pictured above is the pavlova served with meringue, lemon curd and fresh berries. Be sure to also pick up some macarons, croissants and shortbread cookies after taking in their decadent brunch on weekends. colettetoronto.com

Toronto is not any different from many other places where weekend brunch is considered an institution, so waits of two hours or more are common. Saving Grace is a great place to start with dishes like cornmeal waffles served with smoked salmon and dill scrambled eggs, avocado and greens (sadly, a special and not on the regular menu) and their caramelized banana French toast (on their regular menu). It's simple food with a twist, done well.

Balzac's is one of Toronto's pioneers in the independent coffee scene. Their flagship Distillery District location is one of the most beautiful coffee shops in Toronto. With two levels of exposed brick, a Vaudeville chandelier and a space that dates back to the late 1800s, it's easy to see why it is one of Toronto's most well known and most photographed coffee shops. The coffee is also one of the best brews in this city, so take it in, all while enjoying their incredible space. balzacs.com

Home of the Brave is located in Toronto's King West neighborhood. They’re known for their take on American-style comfort foods, such as fried bologna sandwiches and root beer floats served with mounds of house-made Sweet Jesus soft-serve (pictured above). It's comfort food taken to extreme heights, served in an atmosphere where you can just sit back, relax and enjoy yourself like you’re at a good friend's home. thehotb.com

The aptly named Sweet Jesus 4 Life is known for over-the-top soft-serve concoctions. Lines frequently span around the block, especially during summer months. Pictured above (left to right) are their burnt marshmallow soft-serve, birthday cake cone (mounds of vanilla soft-serve with birthday cake pieces, sprinkles and a candle) and their coffee soft-serve. If it's your first time, be sure to order the Krusty the Cone (vanilla soft-serve surrounded by cotton candy and drizzled with candy syrup) or their Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cone (vanilla soft-serve, cream cheese frosting, crumbled cinnamon toast crunch). Their churros served with dulce de leche, or their Death by Hot Chocolate are also not to be missed. sweetjesus4life.com