The Annex, Yorkville & University
The Annex has always been a writers' haven. Take a relaxing coffee-and-cookie break at Future Bistro (Brunswick Avenue and Bloor Street), where aspiring Booker finalists scribble away next to you. To the east, in trendy, upscale Yorkville, Hermès and Gucci have replaced the hippie clubs where Joni Mitchell crooned in the '60s. And keep an eye out for modern-day celebs, as Hollywood actors tend to congregate here (especially in September, during the film festival). South of Bloor Street lies the photogenic University of Toronto campus and its impressive architecture—from the gothic University College to the brutalist Robarts Library (which looks a bit like a peacock). See a map of all our picks in this neighborhood.
restaurants
Pho Hung
Enjoy a giant bowl of Vietnamese pho soup at this noisy, fast, and inexpensive noodle place.
200 Bloor St. W., (416) 963-5080
This tiny Parisian-style café serves overstuffed crepes. Try the Quebecoise: scrambled egg, mozzarella, and pure maple syrup.
18 Yorkville Ave., (416) 922-6765
Greg's ice cream
Greg's has a rotating selection of 103 exotic flavors, like roasted marshmallow and coffee toffee.
750 Spadina Ave., (416) 962-4734
shops
Holt Renfrew
Canada's premier department store sells luxe cashmere under its private label at great prices and has excellent cafés downstairs.
50 Bloor St. W.,
(416) 922-2333
Find cool educational toys (talking globes, plush GIANTmicrobes) in this wonkish kid wonderland.
50 Bloor St. W., (416) 968-2627
activities
Royal Ontario Museum
See the 25 full dinosaur skeletons, the Egyptian mummies, and the walk-through bat-cave diorama.
100 Queen's Park, (416) 586-8000
Take a walk through the history of footwear—from ancient Egyptian sandals to space boots.
327 Bloor St. W., (416) 979-7799
