VIEWED from the air Toronto is a sprawling metropolis. On the ground, too, first impressions are of a city that just spreads: an urban forest of gleaming towers dominates the lakefront and ruler-straight streets seem to go on forever. Despite the box-grid uniformity of its layout, downtown Toronto is best understood as a patchwork of distinctive districts. West Queen West, aka the design district, is the bohemian among the city’s many personas, proudly accomplishing the feat of being both glamorous and ramshackle.
One of the artistically designed rooms at The Drake. Photograph: Lisa Petrole
As defined by The Drake, an art-centric boutique hotel which has essentially distilled the spirit of the area into a single building, West Queen West is “a mix of high and low, posh and thrifty”. It would be easy to while away a weekend in the eclectic galleries and shops. Even when luggage is decidedly lacking in space for designer clothing and metallic cocktail shakers, there are plenty of unique small gifts to be found.
The Sky Yard at The Drake. Photograph: Lisa Petrole
First opened as a hotel in 1890, The Drake was restored by its current owner about 15 years ago to bring out original features such as exposed brick and terrazzo floors and, with a curator on the permanent staff, no space is left as a blank canvas. From top to bottom, every room doubles as an exhibition. In a city where so many things are on a large scale, The Drake offers a refreshing alternative. Each of its six bedrooms is furnished to provide crash pad comfort with eye-catching details. Walking into The Nook, my eye was caught by a small stone troll looking worse for wear just outside the window. My new friend was part of an art installation, a troll garden that could have been modelled on the aftermath of a particularly big night in The Underground, the on-site performance venue.
Another artistically designed rooms at The Drake. Photograph: Lisa Petrole
Patios, whether rooftop, lakeside or hugging the foot of a skyscraper, are a must-have for Torontonians. The Drake’s offering, Sky Yard, is a great place to soak up the atmosphere in full techni-colour, thanks to an imposing light-up artwork. Downstairs, in the Lounge restaurant a programme of live music, foodie events and other entertainments accompanies a varied menu. Meanwhile, the Café does pretty much what it says on the tin, with some novel breakfast options and another example of lighting as art.
The patio at Bosk Restaurant. Photograph: Shangri-La Hotel Toronto
From The Drake a short taxi or bus ride leads to the hub of downtown, where the appeal of a spacious patio is even clearer. A fine example is on hand at Bosk, the restaurant of the Shangri-La hotel, where tranquillity reigns. Fairy lights woven through potted maple trees provide soft evening lighting and an extra level of romance is achieved as night falls and a feature fire is lit. Inside, the restaurant is roomy, but with sufficient corners and alcoves to feel intimate. The effortlessness of the ambience extends to the service (charming without tipping over into obsequious) and the menu.
Food at the Bosk. Photograph: Shangri-La Hotel Toronto
Laid out on a single sheet of A4 are six choices for each of four courses and the straightforward pricing includes three courses for $75 or four for $90. With local produce high on the agenda, Bosk’s menu changes with the seasons. Visiting in August, my dinner companion and I enjoy a late summer medley of ingredients such as garden vegetables, fish and foraged mushrooms. Everything is cooked to perfection and beautifully presented, but there are a few standout dishes. Snow crab with pickled strawberries demonstrates a skilful balancing act of flavours and textures, whilst a black truffle and chestnut pasta with confit hen egg proves highly addictive.
A typically eye-pleasing plate from Bosk. Photograph: Shangri-La Hotel Toronto
Other places to relax on a patio or take a traffic-free wander include the Islands (a chain of linked islands in Lake Ontario quickly reached by ferry), the harbour-front (exhibition spaces and trendy bars) and the Distillery District. The latter may be less hip than West Queen West, but features the same co-location of galleries, quirky shops and bars, minus the cars. Shops calling to mind Aladdin’s Cave stock everything from vintage furniture to souvenirs, whilst whitewashed art galleries provide the perfect tonic to the resulting sensory overload. The works on sale range from traditional First Nations art to crisp modern paintings.
Downtown Toronto. Photograph: Pauline Belpassi
Toronto may be a sprawling metropolis, but it is united by an appreciation for living well. As Canada celebrates turning 150, Toronto is a thoroughly modern city very much at ease with itself.
by Thea Macauley
Main image: Thea Macauley
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