1 km guide 134 peter street, toronto

1 KM GUIDE
134 PETER STREET, TORONTO
CONTENTS
03 WELCOME TO QRC WEST
HEART OF THE CITY
04 THE 1 KM MAP
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
05 VERY FINE DINING
THE ’HOOD’S BEST RESTOS
10 FOOD ON THE RUN TOP-NOTCH TAKEOUT
13
SPECTACULAR SPIRITS
COCKTAILS TO CRAFT ALES
16 CHECKING IN
THE HOTTEST HOTELS
19 THE GOOD LIFE
CULTURE, HIGH AND LOW
23 TO YOUR HEALTH
BE BETTER, STRONGER, FASTER
26 TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS
PRODUCTIVITY LIFE-SAVERS
28 RETAIL THERAPY
UNIQUE BOUTIQUES
2
WELCOME TO
QRC WEST
HEART OF THE CITY
There may be no better measure
of urban quality of life than
walkability—the degree to which
a neighbourhood allows people to
live, work and play without ever
using a car, bus or bicycle. In this
context, it would be hard to imagine
a better workplace than QRC West.
Located at the nexus of Queen West
and the fashion and entertainment
districts, the building is surrounded
by the amenities—terrific restaurants,
unique boutiques and stylish
hotels—that make city life worth
living. This book is a guide to those
amenities: the finest eateries, bars,
shops, hotels, galleries, salons and
gyms within a one-kilometre radius,
or a 12-minute walk, of your new
home away from home, QRC West.
Welcome to the neighbourhood.
3
01
KHAO SAN ROAD
02 PATRIA
GRASSLANDS
03
04 NOTA BENE
THE 1 KM MAP
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
05 BUCA
06 AVENUE OPEN KITCHEN
07 LE GOURMAND
08 WHAT A BAGEL
09 THE BURGER’S PRIEST
10
BURRITO BANDIDOS
11
BANH MI BOYS
12
DARK HORSE
13
SENSE APPEAL
14 LITTLE NICKY’S COFFEE
15
SPIRITHOUSE TORONTO
16
BARCHEF
17
BAR HOP
18
WIDE OPEN BAR
19
HORSESHOE TAVERN
20 BLACK BULL TAVERN
21
THE RITZ-CARLTON
22
THE BEVERLEY HOTEL
HOTEL OCHO
24 THE BALLROOM
23
25
26
27
TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
AGO
PREFIX INSTITUTE
28 YYZ ARTISTS’ OUTLET
29 NICHOLAS METIVIER
30 YYOGA
31
TOTUM LIFE SCIENCE
32
BRENNEN DEMELO STUDIO
33 THE UPS STORE
34 SOLETTA DRYCLEANERS
35
THE TECHKNOW SPACE
36 UMBRA
37
SWIPE DESIGN
38 LAVISH & SQUALOR
4
VERY FINE
DINING
THE ’HOOD’S BEST RESTOS
KHAO SAN ROAD
Cheap Thai joints dot nearly
every block in downtown
Toronto, but this Entertainment
District favourite takes the
cuisine to a whole new level.
Familiar dishes are well
represented—there are curries
red, green and yellow, for
example—but more
adventurous palates will
opt for signature dishes like
papaya salad, squash fritters,
and authentic, fiery khao soi
(Northern Thai curry noodles).
326 Adelaide St. W.,
647.352.5773, khaosanroad.ca
5
PATRIA
Club king Charles Khabouth
opened this high-end Spanish
tapas bar in the fall of 2012,
and it’s been hopping
ever since. The stunning
room, which centres on a
prismatic cross-stitch art
installation, provides the
perfect backdrop for feasting
on trad Iberian dishes: jamon
serrano, octopus, paella
and much more. A long list
of exclusive Spanish wines
pairs perfectly with the wide
range of artisanal queso. 480
King St. W., 416.367.0505,
patriatoronto.com
6
NOTA BENE
Celebrity chefs come and
go, but David Lee, who has kept
a low profile since opening
this serene room in 2008,
remains one of Toronto’s top
toques. Lee was one of the
city’s earliest proponents of
sous-vide and fresh-and-local
cooking, and he consistently
beats those culinary drums.
Seafood dishes—a Latinized
lobster salad, succulent wild
sea scallops—are sure bets,
and the enormous Stilton beef
brisket burger routinely tops
the city’s best-burger lists. 180
Queen St. W., 416.977.6400,
notabenerestaurant.com
GRASSLANDS
This is hands (and hoofs)
down, the city’s best vegan
restaurant, but omnivores will
likewise delight in chef/owner
Stephen Gardner’s innovative
approach to preparing
vegetables. Make a meal of
the tapas-style apps—the
crispy, cornmeal-dredged oyster
mushrooms, coupled with a
sweet-and-sour dipping sauce,
are addictive. Or, get into the
meat-mimicking mains, like
mustard-crusted tempeh and a
seitan roast—delicious enough
to seduce any carnivore.
478 Queen St. W.,
416.504.5127, grasslands.to
7
BUCA
Italian food has long been
popular because it’s easy,
familiar and cheap. Buca turns
that notion entirely on its
head—the dishes are complex,
original and, well, not so
cheap. But the experience
is well worthwhile. Where
else will you find bruschetta
topped with cured duck yolk,
strascinati served with
Lake Erie pickerel, and a pizza
smothered in Cookstown
heirloom tomatoes and fresh
clams? 604 King St. W.,
416.865.1600, buca.ca
8
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
OMELETTES TO OATMEAL
AVENUE OPEN KITCHEN
Old-school diners are a dying
breed in Toronto, but this
teeny place keeps the torch
burning. The tasty, greasy
hangover-curing breakfast is
available all day. 7 Camden St.,
416.504.7131
LE GOURMAND
The vibe at Le Gourmand
(left) is Left Bank and the
brekkie pleasantly continental:
think tender croissants,
organic steel cut oatmeal
and buttery croissants. 152
Spadina Ave., 416.866.2127,
legourmand.com
WHAT A BAGEL
The downtown outpost of
this local chain bakes its
bagels—along with a range
of other breads, from rye to
challah—onsite everyday. The
deli-meets-diner menu ranges
from blintzes to eggs Benny
and beyond. 130 Spadina Ave.,
647.347.7222, whatabagel.com
9
FOOD ON
THE RUN
TOP-NOTCH TAKEOUT
BANH MI BOYS
If you dig trad Banh mi—
Vietnamese sandwiches
on French baguettes—then
you must try this sleek little
restaurant. The extensive
menu features sammies
stuffed with five-spice pork
belly, lemongrass tofu or duck
confit. (Similar fillings are
available in taco and steamed
bao form.) The tart jicama
papaya salad is the perfect
counterpoint to the kimchi
fries—deep-fried spuds buried
under fiery fermented cabbage
and pork shoulder. 392
Queen St. W., 416.363.0588,
banhmiboys.com
10
THE BURGER’S PRIEST
This east end fave, which bills
itself as “Toronto’s American
burger joint,” opened a Queen
West location in 2013. The
lineups have been snaking
out the door ever since, and
for good reason: the burgers
are made fresh, ground
on-site and griddle-fried; the
buns are melt-in-your-mouth
soft; and the toppings are
fresh but simple. The veggie
option is equally tempting:
panko-crusted, deep-fried
portobello mushrooms and
cheese. Amen to that. 463
Queen St. W., 647.748.8108,
theburgerspriest.com
BURRITO BANDIDOS
For a late-night nosh or a
hearty lunch, nothing beats a
burrito. And few burritos beat
Ian Angus’ burritos, arguably
the city’s finest. The fillings
aren’t fancy—you’ll find the
usual meats, seafood, beans
and cheese—and the toppings
are basic, but everything
is exceptionally fresh, the
portions are super-satisfying
and the burrito rolling
technique is irreproachable.
Quesadillas are also available,
for those who like their
sandwiches on the skinny side.
120 Peter St., 416.593.9191,
burritobandidos.com
11
BEAUTIFUL BREWS
WHERE TO GET YOUR FIX
DARK HORSE
ESPRESSO BAR
Dark Horse helped kick-start
the city’s coffee craze, and
the gradual expansion of its
empire in and around Queen
Street reflects its success in
producing high-quality java.
125 John St., 647.748.7700,
darkhorseespresso.com
SENSE APPEAL
Billing itself as “Toronto’s
only experimental coffee lab,”
Sense Appeal (left) serves up
house-roasted, espresso-based
drinks painstakingly crafted
by its expert baristas. 96
Spadina Ave., 416.203.0023,
senseappeal.ca
LITTLE NICKY’S COFFEE
While the coffee at this cute,
retro spot is top-notch, a cup
is not complete without the
sweet (and entirely addictive)
house specialty—mini donuts,
made fresh daily. 375 Queen
St. W., 416.260.0500
12
SPECTACULAR
SPIRITS
COCKTAILS TO CRAFT ALES
SPIRITHOUSE TORONTO
Boasting an eye-popping “wall
of liquor”—400-odd bottles
of booze—this relaxed cocktail
lounge brings Bay Streeters
and Queen Westers together
in perfect, lubricated harmony.
The cocktail menu, which
offers both classics and
innovative concoctions like
the Mexican Monk (mescal,
vermouth, Chartreuse, lime
juice and a lot more), is
lengthy, but savvy servers
offer advice. “Happy Hour
and a Half” features specials
on oysters and cocktails. 487
Adelaide St. W., 647.277.1187,
spirithousetoronto.com
13
BAR HOP
Craft beer fans will want to
grab a barstool and never
leave. The rotating list of 35
local and international draught
beers (plus cask ales) changes
frequently—check Twitter
or Facebook for updates—and
at least 100 different bottled
brews are available. The pub
food is likewise on point: on
Mussel Mondays, chow down
on two pounds of freshly
steamed mussels, plus fries;
Tuesdays feature buck-a-shuck
oysters. 391 King St. W.,
647.352.7476, barhopbar.com
BARCHEF
The recent subject of a
handsome hardcover book
by co-owner and mixologist
Frankie Solarik, this Queen
West lounge embodies the
art and science of the cocktail.
The drink menu has four
categories (punch bowls,
sweet-and-sour, sipping and
modernist), and the ambiance
is suitably adventurous.
The central bar, with its jars,
vials and occasional gusts
of smoke resembles a mad
scientist’s man cave. 472
Queen St. W., 416.868.4800,
barcheftoronto.com
14
DIVE RIGHT IN
BARS WITH CHARACTER
WIDE OPEN BAR
This is perhaps Toronto’s
narrowest bar, and the
textbook definition of a
hipster dive. Come for the
cheap drinks and stay for
the characters—local, friendly
and wide open to conversation.
139A Spadina Ave.,
416.727.5411, wideopenbar.ca
HORSESHOE TAVERN
You’d be forgiven for mistaking
the list of music acts that have
played this 67-year-old Queen
West institution (left) for a
complete list of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Hall of Fame inductees. 370
Queen St. W., 416.598.4226,
horseshoetavern.com
BLACK BULL TAVERN
In the warmer months,
there’s no better place to
park yourself than on
the sprawling, sun-drenched
patio of this beloved watering
hole. 298 Queen St. W.,
416.593.2766,
blackbulltavern.ca
15
CHECKING IN
THE HOTTEST HOTELS
THE RITZ-CARLTON
When the Ritz finally
arrived in 2012, it arrived in
unmistakable style. All the
legendary Ritz touches
are here: impeccable service,
magnificent views, twicedaily housekeeping in all 263
rooms, and an enormous spa.
On the club level, guests can
enjoy access to a lounge with
continuous complimentary
snacks, sweets and alcoholic
beverages. The acclaimed
restaurant, Toca, located
on the first floor, is home
to Canada’s only cheese
cave. 181 Wellington St. W.,
416.585.2500, ritzcarlton.com
16
THE BEVERLEY HOTEL
This five-floor, 18-room
boutique hotel offers three
room choices—standard,
deluxe and suite—with the
latter offering both queensized beds and views of
Queen Street West. Rooms are
stylish, clean and efficiently
designed, and the hopping
rooftop bar more than makes
up for the lack of elbow
room. The restaurant offers
a menu of upscale comfort
food, ranging from buttermilk
fried chicken to the legendary,
hearty BVRLY burger. 335
Queen St. W., 416.493.2786,
thebeverleyhotel.ca
17
HOTEL OCHO
Although the name means
eight, there are no fewer
than 12 rooms at this young,
hip boutique hotel. The
beautifully adapted building
was once a textile factory,
originally built in 1902, and
many original brick-and-beam
details have been preserved.
Still, rooms offer decidedly
modern comforts, from
flatscreen TVs and free wi-fi,
to stylish but simple wooden
furniture and luxe marbleand-granite bathrooms. 195
Spadina Ave., 416.593.0885,
hotelocho.com
18
THE GOOD
LIFE
CULTURE, HIGH AND LOW
THE BALLROOM
The Ballroom is downtown
Toronto’s only proper
bowling alley. Also: It is an
extraordinary sports bar, with
more than 60 flatscreen TVs,
an Xbox area and a menu of
upscale pub grub, featuring
burgers, poutine and mini-hot
dogs. It is a live music venue.
And it is a games room,
home to ping pong, pool,
bubble hockey and foosball.
Who could ask for more?
145 John St., 416.597.2695,
theballroom.ca
19
TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
This five-storey complex,
opened by the Toronto
International Film Festival in
2010, houses five cinemas,
two galleries, a bistro, a
lounge and a retail shop. It’s
home to TIFF’s own festivals,
as well as a regular slate
of compelling, off-beat and
foreign first-run films and
retrospectives, including the
complete David Cronenberg
and Stanley Kubrick oeuvres.
The guest lectures and
rotating art exhibitions are
also must-sees. 350 King St.
W., 416.599.8433, tiff.net
20
AGO
The much-touted 2008
overhaul by star architect Frank
Gehry turned the staid AGO
back into one the city’s premier
cultural destinations. The
programming has accordingly
stepped up its
game, with blockbuster shows
(David Bowie, Ai Weiwei, Marc
Chagall) and less mainstream
fare (Janet Cardiff and George
Bures Miller, Evan Penny)
providing a compelling,
kaleidoscopic portrait of the
international art scene.
317 Dundas St. W.,
416.979.6648, ago.net
21
ART STARS
MUST-SEE GALLERIES
PREFIX INSTITUTE OF
CONTEMPORARY ART
This gallery, known for
its eponymous art magazine,
hosts a range of compelling
international work, including
photography, and audio and
video art. 401 Richmond St.
W., 416.591.0357, prefix.ca
YYZ ARTISTS’ OUTLET
Founded in 1979, YYZ (left)
is the go-to gallery for
experimental and provocative
work by the likes of Libby
Hague, Shannon Gerard and
Bill Burns. 401 Richmond St.
W., 416.598.4546,
yyzartistsoutlet.org
NICHOLAS METIVIER
One of Canada’s most
esteemed galleries of
contemporary art, Nicholas
Metivier Gallery represents
such blue-chip artists as Ed
Burtynsky, Chuck Close and
Richard Tuttle. 451 King St. W.,
416.205.9000,
metiviergallery.com
22
TO YOUR
HEALTH
BE BETTER, STRONGER, FASTER
YYOGA
This Vancouver-based chain,
owned by Nettwerk Music
co-founder Terry McBride,
recently opened its first
Toronto outpost, promising
not just an enormous number
of classes (135-plus per week,
incorporating eight different
styles of yoga and spinning)
but also an exceptionally
welcoming atmosphere.
To that end, YYoga offers
luxurious shower facilities,
a tea lounge, mat and towel
service, and an infrared
sauna. 333 Queen St. W.,
416.792.2211, yyoga.ca
23
TOTUM LIFE SCIENCE
There may not be a more
beautiful place to sweat in
Toronto than this top-flight
fitness facility. The clean,
contemporary gym has
state-of-the-art equipment,
and an abundance of classes,
such as yoga, circuit training,
kettlebells, boxing and even
aerial skills training. Though
it’s not a massive facility,
the gym has a wide range of
offerings, including a popular
physiotherapy clinic and
chiropractor. 445 King St. W.,
416.979.2449, totum.ca
24
BRENNEN DEMELO STUDIO
For more than five years, this
salon has been crafting the
city’s most stylish, innovative
and trend-setting hairstyles.
Demelo’s eponymous openconcept studio is refreshingly
relaxed, and its friendly
stylists, who have also worked
on ’dos for various MuchMusic
and CBC personalities, are
consummate professionals.
Cuts by the man himself
are well within reach, though
talented junior stylists are
also available. 316 Adelaide
St. W., 416.301.1072,
brennendemelo.com
25
TAKE CARE
OF BUSINESS
PRODUCTIVITY LIFE-SAVERS
THE UPS STORE
Founded in 1907, UPS is
the world’s largest shipping
company, delivering more
than 15 million packages per
day across the world. Still,
this Front Street location of
the UPS store—an all-around
copy, printing, packing and
shipping shop—feels like
a friendly neighbourhood
business, thanks largely
to owner Hongman Xu’s
commitment to solving
problems for small business
owners. Come for the copies,
stay for the conversation. 371
Front St. W., 416.979.8700,
theupsstore.ca/421
26
TECHKNOW SPACE
This computer repair shop
was the first in Canada to offer
smartphone repairs, and it
remains among the best in the
game. Technicians here can fix
nearly any digital device you
own, from iPhones to desktop
computers, often while you
wait. (A comfy lounge, kitted
out with complimentary
beverages and wi-fi, takes the
pain out of the process.) Data
recovery usually takes only
two hours, and a 60-day partsand-labour warranty on all
repairs provides peace of mind.
387 Front St. W., 416.987.9860,
techknowspace.com
SOLETTA DRY CLEANERS
A few things distinguish this
small, family-owned dry
cleaners from the dozens of
others in the downtown core:
impeccable customer service,
reasonable prices, and a
variety of ultra reliable cleaning
and alteration services.
Whether you’re looking to get
a pair of pants hemmed or
remove some red wine from
your favourite sweater, Soletta
has got you covered. It’s ecofriendly, too, opting for the
hydrocarbon process, which is
less toxic than common perc
solvents. 434 Richmond St. W.,
416.368.3030
27
RETAIL
THERAPY
UNIQUE BOUTIQUES
UMBRA
You can see the flagship store
of this Canadian design giant
from miles away; its hot pink
exterior glows. Inside, there
are two floors packed with
Umbra’s famously stylish,
affordable housewares and
furniture, including drapery,
picture frames, kitchen
accessories, a dizzying
number of trash receptacles
and, of course, Karim Rashid’s
iconic OH chair. The store
also serves as a showroom for
the company’s custom
furniture. 165 John St.,
416.599.0088, umbra.com
28
SWIPE DESIGN
A design geek’s paradise, this
indie bookshop on the first
floor of the 401 Richmond
building carries an unrivalled
range of books and magazines
on advertising, typography,
architecture, branding
and more. You need not limit
yourself to merely reading
about good design—Swipe
also stocks a range of
exquisitely crafted glassware,
flatware, timepieces,
stationery and toys (for the
young and the young-atheart). 401 Richmond St. W.,
416.363.1332, swipe.com
29
LAVISH & SQUALOR
The contradictory name says
it all. This is a unisex clothing
shop where you can indulge
both the luxurious and
edgy sides of your sartorial
personality. The first floor
carries a seemingly limitless
range of brands, including
Fred Perry, Aigle, Pendleton
and Cheap Monday. The upper
loft, known as The White
Lodge, specializes in more
luxe brands and houses a café
that some swear serves the
best espresso in the city. 253
Queen St. W., 416.599.4779,
lavishandsqualor.com
30
ALLIED PROPERTIES REIT
520 KING ST W, STE 300 TORONTO, ON M5V 1L7 T 416.977.9002 alliedreit.com