Back in Toronto after a few fantastic and very relaxed days in Niagara-on-the-Lake, we checked into the Delta Hotel, which it turns out has one of the best views in Toronto.
The Delta is right next to the CN Tower and if you get the change, it’s totally worth bagging yourself access to the Executive Lounge upstairs.
No matter what floor you’re on in the Delta, this was, you’ll have access to not just drinks, snacks and canapes at your leisure (as well as a separate area with amazing views for breakfast) but also access to some spectacular sunsets over Toronto!
We got rooms on opposite side of the hotels but the views were incredible whichever side you were in. It’s also floor to ceiling glass so you really get to make the most of that view!
After settling in, we decided to head out to the Art Gallery of Ontario, which I’d been obsessed about long before visiting! See not only is the gallery home to amazing works of art – the gallery had works of Yayoi Kusama whose works you probably recognise, even if you don’t think you do (just google her).
Alas, the main Yayoi Kusama exhibition I wanted to see wasn’t open to the public until a few days after we left the city (members of the gallery got to preview it) but we did get to see other works by her and loads of other amazing artists so it was all good. 😀
Another part of the city I really wanted to see was the grungy/hippy Kensington Market.
First, you go through Chinatown (when walking from the art gallery)…
…and literally the street behind where we had dinner the other night in town in where Kensington market is.
Kensington Market is such a cool area in town and one that looks like it’s slightly out of place in this otherwise shiny city and yet fits perfectly and never feels out of place when you’re in it.
In a lot of ways it reminds me of what Shoreditch is/used to be.
After aimlessly gallivanting around this area for a while (which is actually quite close to Chinatown), we decided to hop into a taxi and head back to The Delta in time for sunset over the city!
Sunset views, of course, come no better than with a cocktail in hand – something the Delta understands very well indeed! I’m such a fan of ‘care packages’ like this – everything I need for the perfect sunset cocktail, sweet treats and a little souvenir to travel with. 😉
After sunset, we went for dinner in the coolest comic book store ever! J.K! On the outside, Figures looks just like a comic store but in speak-easy style opens up to an amazing restaurants serving up fantastic food and some of the most flamboyant and delicious cocktails out there.
Suffice to say, we started our evening with (even more) cocktails!
Once the cocktails arrived, we got stuck into the important business of dinner! For starter – the Chicken ‘drummettes’ for Lloyd and Tataki Bank Mi (salmon on pancakes) for myself.
For mains, I went for the oxtail pancakes and Lloyd went for the TV dinner (which is and tastes way better than it sounds 😄)
Dessert for me was something I decided on as soon as I saw first saw the menu – the trio of doughnuts, while Lloyd went for the equally delightful ‘Candy Bar’.
As soon as we took our first bite (actually, our first sip), I immediately got why everyone we’d spoken to had been raving about this place! It really is soooo good!
The reputation though does mean reservations are very highly recommended to avoid the disappointment of not being able to get a spot here! And with that, we were done with our final dinner of this trip to Toronto and definitely head-over-heels in love with the city!
Looking at the view back in the room at The Delta hotel, I just remember thinking how so much of Toronto (including the people) feels so reminiscent of our home city of London, ergo why it feels so easy to really settle in to the city.
I kid you not, I could see myself living here for a little while.
Toronto truly is one of the few cities that has made that list for me and I can’t wait to head back again to my newest favourite city! 😀