Little Italy
- by
- Sid Lee
The one place in Toronto where finding a stiff caffè, the finest gelato, TO's best sandwich, underground acts, insanely delicious grilled octopus, and haggis (if you’re into it) is never more than a minute away. This particular Little Italy is considerably younger, cosmopolitan, and friendlier to creatives than its sister hood in NYC. And probably a little less obnoxiously Italian (which in this case is a good thing). In the midst of its own renaissance, a number of interesting and unique restaurants, bars, and shops run by some of Toronto’s up-and-coming have opened up and reinvigorated this once recently sleepy street. Just make sure to bring an empty stomach and a full wallet to get a taste for the real Little Italy.
Sneaky Dee's
Snakes & Lattes
Bar Raval
Motoretta
A3 Napoli
California Sandwiches
Monarch Tavern
Bitondo's Pizzeria
The Walton
Empire Espresso
Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe
Bar Isabel
The city's best octopus and craft beer selection
paintlounge
The Candy Bar
Arts Market
The Bake Shoppe
The Caledonian
Track & Field
La Fromagerie
Blood & Bandages
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Arts Market
- Address
- 846 College Street
- Website
- Visit Website
If you want/like to support local creatives (you should, or else you wouldn’t be on this site) make sure to stop by the Arts Market and buy some of their wares. It's a brilliant concept: leases are kept short and rent is low so that burgeoning artists can take that first step and get some space to showcase their creations. It’s everything you’d expect in that the things you discover are unexpected, one-of-a-kind and rare finds. Scores of “stalls” throughout the long, 2 floor space feature everything from clay pot art, to vintage clothing, prints, painted olive furniture, to jewelry. The basement is dedicated to vintage furniture. 5 minutes of browsing can easily turn into a 1 hour session.