St Lawrence Market, Toronto

Advantages: Excellent International Food selection.
Disadvantages: Some tourists will still find it geared towards locals, but that isn't so.

I'd like to comment on the two reviews posted here about the St. Lawrence Market - oh nothing critical, save the statement that the market is more for the inhabitants of the city and not so for tourists. I would disagree in as much as any market that sells food is not geared towards tourist sales. However every tourist should pop in and savour the atmosphere, eat and drink what they fancy and perhaps purchase a few of the more exotic delicacies to ...
...market than fish mongers selling slabs of halibut that won't and shouldn't fit into a visitor's suitcase! Definitely the best time to see the market is on a Saturday morning when across the street, the Farmer's market is in full swing. While I don't expect tourists to purchase whole chickens, there are interesting items that should be of note. In the farmer's market alone, you can browse herbal medicines, emu oil products and incense. In the summer ... Read review

Advantages: A must for foodies
Disadvantages: No tourist buys

...a glorious old building the St Lawrence market is a must see for all foodies and would be a regular haunt if I were living in Toronto for any length of time. The market is really alive with sound and it is easy to see why people love it and flock here on a regular basis. The range of fresh goods is just amazing and the sights and smells provide sensual overload. The fish and cheese sections are firm favourites with locals and people flock here ... Read review

Advantages: central, great coices, all fresh
Disadvantages: couldn't eat as much as I wanted to buy!

...to be short and sweet. St Lawrence's Market is worth a visit, especially if you are a traveler on a budget. The two levels of the indoor market provide a variety of fresh produce and packaged goods. You can even buy crockery and cutlery if you need to! The piece de resistance for me was the fresh produce. The vendors sell everything from seafood to cuts of meat and kebabs, from fresh vegetables and fruits to cheeses and desserts. There are plenty ... Read review

Advantages: The best bacon sandwiches ever
Disadvantages: Little to buy if you're a tourist

The market is well worth a visit if you are ever in Toronto. It is obviously designed for the locals rather than the tourists with areas for the butchers and fishmongers as well as places selling hot food. I can imagine that at certain times of the week it gets really busy with people stocking up on good, local produce, just like every other great market does. I gather that it has a proper "Farmers Market" early on Saturday mornings. There's a ...
...an hour being amazed at the variety and size of the fish, for example, that if only you lived there, you could buy, cook and enjoy eating. I made do with a bacon sandwich and it was the best one I've ever tasted. Overall, a good place to stop in for half an hour, maybe to get out of the rain and have a cheap bite to eat. Leave envious like me, wishing your local market was anywhere near as fantastic. (EDIT) - It's open Tuesday-Thursday from 8am-6pm, ... Read review

Advantages: Lots of ghosts, good food, pretty money, a good variety of attractions
Disadvantages: Butter tarts and poutine are fattening

...and most of the punters who participate in ghost walks during October are residents of the city. I hit the jackpot in Toronto. It had two companies, and I reserved spots in a tour with each one. A TASTE OF THE WORLD This tour company does both walking and biking tours. Their tours revolve around three aspects of Toronto: food, literary, and ghosts. A couple of friends and I took the "Ghosts, Greasepaint & Gallows" walking tour. Our $15.00* per adult fee included a snack and bottle of water. We met at St. Lawrence Market. Just before we began our tour guide, Shirley Lum, introduced us to butter tarts, Canada's quintessential cuisine. She explained anything else Canadians created was derived from other cultures, but the filling in these tarts are pure Canadian. A true butter tart is supposed to have a creamy consistency; if it's chewy... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Easy access to the Path and the CN Tower
Disadvantages: Not the cheapest joint in town!

.... Harbourfront Centre - 0.8 km (0.5 mile) Toronto City Hall - 0.8 km (0.5 mile) Lake Ontario - 0.8 km (0.5 mile) Toronto Island Ferry Terminal - 0.8 km (0.5 mile) St. Lawrence Market - 0.8 km (0.5 mile) University of Toronto - 1.6 km (1 mile) Chinatown - 1.5 km (1 mile) Canadian National Exhibition - 2.5 km (1.5 miles) Royal Ontario Museum - 2.5 km (1.5 miles) MY OPINION: I have stayed in this hotel several times and I think it is a fantastic place. I do think that the choice of dining and amount of dining areas is a little limited for the size of the hotel. However there are restaurants nearby to which you can go should you wish. The service is really good and the standard of cleanliness and decoration is excellent. However, it is not a cheap stay - generally £150 per night and upwards, but if you want to treat yourself it is well worth... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: laid back people, things to see, interesting shopping, Niagara Falls, good exchange rate
Disadvantages: a lot of homeless people around, very weak coffee

.... Toronto is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario and you can see this as you get the taxi from the airport. You can't see the other shore! It's enormous! Well, it's a sea really, Isuppose. Toronto suddenly arises from the land- it's very flat and then there are loads of skyscrapers- impressive! We had bought a pop up map of Toronto before we went and found this to be very helpful- and the Lonely Planet guide to Toronto was also invaluable. So where did we decide to stay? I had researched hotels through the Tripadviser website and eventually booked the Holiday Inn Express Downtown. Our decision was based on location-convenience to the St Lawrence Market and other attractions, and on price. Toronto is not an inexpensive city to stay in regarding hotels, especially in the summer, and prices range from the very expensive... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful