Neighbourhoods
Beaches
The Beaches (or The Beach depending on who you ask) is Toronto's top sandy destination for a bit of sunbathing, some beach volleyball or maybe just a stroll on the boardwalk. The area features four beaches - Balmy, Scaroboro, Kew and Woodbine - which means there's plenty of room to find a secluded spot. Just don't go in the water - unless swimming in a polluted lake is your thing. Cafes, yoga studios and clothing stores dot the stretch on Queen and there's plenty of local spots to beat the heat during a summer afternoon including ice cream parlour Ed's Real Scoop or fresh juice at the Wholesome Market.
Looking for something
specific in Beaches?
Akane-Ya Japan / Restaurants
Sushi places pepper Toronto's Beaches area. If you happen to be in the area and get peckish after a stroll on the boardwalk, neighborhood stalwart Akane Ya offers great appetizers...
Aki Da / Restaurants
Located in The Beach, Aki Da serves fresh sushi, tempura and other Japanese cuisine. Open for lunch and dinner....
Alex's Falafel / Restaurants
Alex's Falafel in the Beach is a favourite spot for shawarma and falafel....
Ali's Tandoori Curry House / Restaurants
Ali's Tandoori Curry House is a quaint Indian restaurant in the Beaches offering both take out and dine-in service....
Amuse / Restaurants
Amuse is a neighbourhood bistro found in a home just south of Queen East in the Beaches. Mains fall in the lower to mid twenties and might include fresh pasta,...
Babes in the Beach / Fashion Stores
Babes in the Beach sells clothing from newborn to size 16 and is particularly known for their children's snowsuits, which start arriving in the store in August. Those in the...
Balsam Bistro / Restaurants
Balsam Bistro in the Beaches might not be the most obvious place for a meal. But set back a bit from the street, the restaurant has two spacious patios and...
Beach Sushi / Restaurants
Beach Sushi is one of the many sushi joints on Queen Street East in The Beach. The sushi and sashimi here are fresh and tasty, and there are also a...
Beacher Cafe / Restaurants
Beacher cafe is a popular Queen east destination for brunch and all day breakfast. The kitchen cooks up a wide range of staples like waffles, eggs benny, french toast and...
Belgian Chocolate Shop / Grocery Stores
The Belgian Chocolate Shop is a small chocolate shop in the Beaches that sells the usual mix of truffles, nut clusters and chocolate bars....
Best Coffee House / Cafes
Best Coffee House, at the corner of Beech and Queen in The Beach, is a cozy cafe serving Illy coffee, tea, sandwiches and snacks. ...
Bibiche / Restaurants
Bibiche is a small French bistro in the Beaches with white table cloths and pink hued chairs. The menu changes regularly but generally includes classic French staples like escargot,...
Big Dog Bakery / Services
Big Dog Bakery in the Beaches offers a unique spin on baked goods, offering local, premium, human grade ingredients. But if you're not fond of chick pea flour and salmon...
Bikkuri (The Beaches) / Restaurants
Bikkuri is the de facto option for all you can eat sushi in the Beaches. Lunch is $11.99 and dinner AYCE is $18.99....
Bow Thai / Restaurants
Bow Thai is one of the Thai food options in the Beaches. The restaurant has gotten mixed reviews and usually isn't that busy....
Brick Street Bakery (Beaches) / Baked Goods
Brick Street Bakery has opened their third Toronto location - this one in the Beaches on Queen East. It's bigger and more impressive than the Leslieville one and easily assumes...
British Style Fish & Chips / Restaurants
British Style Fish & Chips at the corner of Coxwell and Dundas (the entrance is actually on Dundas) serves good ol' fashioned fish and chips. Options for the fryer include...
Bumbleberry Kids / Fashion Stores
Bumbleberry Kids is a store in the Beaches that makes having a baby that much more affordable for new parents. Everything here is sold on consignment. There are used toys,...
Cafe Florentin / Cafes
Cafe Florentin is a quaint little cafe and lunch spot in the Beaches that offers up a European style ambiance, coffees and pastries. ...
Carload on the Beach / Grocery Stores
Carload on the Beach is one of the better fruit and vegetable stores. Their produce is super fresh and their prices are cheaper than many places on Queen East....
Casa di Giorgio (Beaches) / Restaurants
The Beaches location of Casa Di Giorgio is just one of a few in the Toronto area. This is a casual, family-friendly restaurant serving a range of pizza, pasta and...
Castro's Lounge / Restaurants
Castro's Lounge is a popular pub in the Beaches best known for having one of the better beer selections in the city. The food is standard with sandwiches, wraps, pasta...
Chatelet (Beaches) / Design Stores
Chatelet has two locations in Toronto including this one in the Beach. Stuff here will appeal to those who like a more traditional or country-cute look. ...
Chopping Block / Grocery Stores
The Chopping Block on Queen East in The Beach is best known for carrying naturally raised fresh meat and chicken from Rowe Farms. They also sell homemade salsas, salad dressings...
Cook It / Design Stores
Cook It is a kitchen supply store in the Beaches that sells a range of products (blenders, toasters, utensils) for the home....
Cut N Run / Fashion Stores
Started as a home business, Cut 'N' Run now has a sleek location in the Upper Beaches on Kingston Road. ...
Delina / Restaurants
Delina Restaurant just opened near Queen and Coxwell serving the area sit-in or take-out shawarma, falafel and other fast-food Mediterranean eats....
Dufflet (Beaches) / Baked Goods
The Dufflet empire is now at three stores strong in Toronto including this popular spot in the Beaches where you can pick up all of the bakeries tastes cakes, pies...
East on Queen / Restaurants
East on Queen is a sleek restaurant/lounge in the Beaches. The cuisine is inspired by the Mediterranean and includes mussels, calamari and lamb chops....
Ed's Real Scoop / Restaurants
Ed's Real Scoop makes all natural ice cream in The Beach. Owner and ice cream aficionado Ed Francis makes over 80 flavours including pumpkin, creme brulee and raspberry with white...
Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore / Bookstore
Ella Minnow is a great little bookstore in the Beaches that specializes in children's books. They also have a small selection of toys and some pets in the back....
Femistique / Fashion Stores
Femistique is the go to source in the Beaches for lingerie....
Fill Station / Restaurants
The Fill Station in the Beaches is all about big screen sports, Guitar Hero contests and pub food ranging from potato skins to chicken wings to philly cheese steak sandwiches....
Fitzgerald's Pub & Grill / Restaurants
Fitzgerald's Pub & Grill isn't your standard watering hole in the Beaches. Sure, there's imported beer on tap, sports on TV and occasional Scrabble tournaments, but the draw here is...
Garden Gate / Restaurants
When this west end girl goes east, she takes the advice of the locals to heart... and "The Goof" (nickname explanation here) has been on the recommended list for a...
Green Basil / Restaurants
Green Basil is an Asian restaurant in the Beaches with a mainly Thai-focused menu. This place is sleek with white banquets. On the menu are the standard Thai favourites like...
Green by Nature / Design Stores
Green by Nature is a local florist in the Beaches that's a good bet for a last minute gift or some flowers for home....
Green Eggplant / Restaurants
The Green Eggplant in The Beach serves big portions of fresh fish, aged steaks, salads and grilled sandwiches. They are open for brunch, lunch and dinner....
Harvest Cafe & Fine Foods / Grocery Stores
Harvest Cafe & Fine Foods is part cafe, part specialty food store. Inside they sell coffee, tea, sandwiches, soups and prepared foods to take home....
Hudson Blooms / Design Stores
Hudson Blooms is a great little florist in the Beach that stocks fresh cut flowers at reasonable prices....
Ivory Parade / Design Stores
Ivory Parade has two stores in Toronto including this one in the Beaches. They sells a bunch of gifts, trinkets and other design objects like cards, stationary, jewelery and handbags....
Japango (Beaches) / Restaurants
Japango at 2209 Queen St. East is one of two Japango locations in Toronto - the other one being the insanely popular location near City Hall. ...
Kakayo Chocolate / Grocery Stores
As a chocolate junkie and a former chocolate store employee, I used to assume that I knew everything there was to know about this delicious confection. After paying a visit...
Kids at Home / Fashion Stores
Kids at Home in the Beaches in the east end's equivalent to Ella + Elliot. They have a great, stylish selection of cribs/bedding and other kid-friendly furniture. ...
Lapin Calin / Fashion Stores
Lapin Calin is a kid-friendly store in the Beaches that specializes in clothes for kids....
Life is Sweet / Baked Goods
Life is Sweet is a cupcake house in The Beach. In addition to freshly baked cupcakes, Life is Sweet also sells Mountain Estates coffee and Pippins specialty teas....
Lion on the Beach / Restaurants
Lion on the Beach has to have one of the best patios in the Beaches. Actually, there are two patios but who's counting. Great for a beer and some pub...
Little Tots Hair Shop / Fashion Stores
Little Tots Hair Shop is a cute little hair salon on Queen East that specializes in cutting kids hair. Prices are cheap (less than $20) and they do adult hair...
Living Lighting / Design Stores
Living Lighting is a chain of lighting stores with three locations in Toronto including this one on Queen East in the Beaches....
Mars Beach Diner / Restaurants
The Mars Beach Diner needs an update. Most diners that have been around this long has some sort of charm that make them endearing, but not this one. Time for...
Meat on the Beach / Grocery Stores
Meat on the Beach specializes in naturally raised meats and poultry including Black Angus beef, pork, veal, lamb, and air chilled chickens, turkey and geese. They also stock fresh pasta,...
Murphy's Law / Restaurants
Murphy's Law uses the classic recipe of pub fare + pint + Irish theme. This pub would be like any other if not for its impressive rooftop patio. High-up and...
Nevada Restaurant / Restaurants
Nevada Restaurant in the Beaches offers yet another patio option for lunch or dinner. The rotating prix fixe menu seems to be a popular option....
O'Malleys in the Beach / Restaurants
O'Malley's in the Beach is a local Irish Pub on Queen East that draws locals for beer, live music, pool, pub food like spring rolls and chicken strips. ...
Papa Sol's / Restaurants
Papa Sol's has recently opened in the former home of Cottage on the Beach. While there is limited seating, this is mainly a take-out spot to grab one of their...
Purple Thumb / Fashion Stores
The Purple Thumb is a small boutique in the Beaches that sells locally made and ethically produced products. Check out the list of designers currently featured in store....
Quigley's / Restaurants
Quigley's in the Beaches surprises with better than average pub food like Pad Thai, baby back ribs, mussels and calamari. There's also a good list of wine options (for a...
Real Taste of India / Restaurants
Real Taste of India is just east of Coxwell on the eastern edge of the Beaches. ...
Remarkable Bean / Cafes
The Remarkable Bean turned my Saturday afternoon from a thumb-twiddler to something more special than I had bargained for. If the name is a boast, I'll go ahead and condone...
Sauvignon Bistro / Restaurants
Sauvignon Bistro is one of the pricier bistros in the Beaches neighbourhood with most mains in the mid to high twenties. Recent options included duck confit, Lake Erie pickerel and...
Soup Noodles Pub / Restaurants
Soup Noodles Pub is a tiny little eatery in the Beaches serving tasty bowls of, uh, noodle soup!...
Spiaggia / Restaurants
Spiaggia restaurant in the east end of the Beaches offer prix fixe and a la carte Italian fare including pasta, chicken, veal and tiramisu....
The Pie Shack / Baked Goods
"Listen, I'm a pie man," says Tim McConvey, owner of the new Pie Shack in the Beaches. "Me with no pie is like an Esso with no gas." He looks...
The Tulip / Restaurants
Somewhere between Leslieville and The Beaches lies a modest strip of Queen East where The Tulip's big yellow sign (or at least two-thirds of it) light up the street. ...
Vi Vetha / Restaurants
Vi Vetha is a family run bistro on the far eastern edge of the Beaches. The menu features veal and mushroom sandwiches, a huge range of pasta (including gluten free...
Whitlock's / Restaurants
A good bet for brunch in The Beach, Whitlock's features a brunch buffet on Sundays. Good for pancakes and waffles....
Wholesome Market / Grocery Stores
The Wholesome Market is a health food store in the Beach that has a good selection of organic and natural products including baked goods, nuts, eggs, soy products, pasta, soups...
Wild Earth Bakery and Cafe / Baked Goods
Wild Earth Bakery is shiny and brand new. And there's something refreshing about stepping into this Beaches bakery. For one thing, the tables and chairs match, quite the anomaly...
Yoshi's Sweets / Baked Goods
Yoshi's Sweets on Queen East in the Beaches bakes up a range of tasty sweets and hot out of the oven treats including scones, tarts, croissants and cookies....
Yumei Sushi / Restaurants
Yumei Sushi is one of the many sushi options in the Beaches. ...
Zane's Patisserie & Boulangerie / Baked Goods
We go bursting into Zane's in a flurry of cold air, loud with hats and scarves and camera gear that gets dumped on two of only a few metal stools...
Neighbourhoods
Other Neighourhoods
- Annex
- Baldwin Village
- Bayview and Leaside
- Beaches
- Bloor West Village
- Bloorcourt
- Bloordale Village
- Cabbagetown
- Chinatown
- Church Wellesley Village
- Corso Italia
- Danforth
- Distillery District
- Dundas West
- East Chinatown
- Financial District
- Forest Hill Village
- Harbourfront
- Junction
- Kensington Market
- King East
- King West
- Koreatown
- Leslieville
- Liberty Village
- Little India
- Little Italy
- Mount Pleasant
- Ossington
- Parkdale
Community
Something missing?
Know a great local business we should include on the site?
