Neighbourhoods
Annex
Bordering and enveloping Toronto's most prestigious university, The Annex is a student-friendly neighbourhood sporting easy-on-the-wallet pizza joints, sushi restaurants, pubs and cafes. Bloor Street is the main drag with institutions like Honest Ed's, The Bloor Cinema and Sonic Boom anchored conveniently near the Bathurst subway stop. Further south on Harbord, new-ish restos like Tati and the Harbord Room bring in the 30 plus crowd to a stretch that is quickly becoming a dining destination.
Looking for something
specific in Annex?
918 Bathurst / Galleries
918 Bathurst is an eclectic community centre located at--you guessed it--918 Bathurst Street, just a few blocks north of Bloor. Though to some it may be a well-kept secret, the...
93 Harbord / Restaurants
93 Harbord serves well-executed dishes with Middle Eastern and North African influences....
A Different Booklist / Bookstores
A Different Booklist promotes literature from across the African diaspora, the Caribbean, Asia and Latin America....
A Nerd's World / Galleries
A Nerd's World has brought an eye-catching storefront to Bathurst St. south of Dupont. With a massive shelf of retro cameras bookended by walls of black and white portrait photography,...
About Design Corp / Fashion Stores
"About Design Corp is about nothing." I thought I was in an old Seinfeld episode when I heard that line. But I let Dean Hutchinson go on. "It's the idea...
Acme Burger Company (Bloor St.) / Restaurants
Acme Burger near Bloor and Bathurst is the second outpost of the uber-popular orginal Acme on the Queensway. The burgers and fries here might not be organic (and therefore its...
Ahimsa Yoga / Fitness Clubs
Ahimsa Yoga is a yoga studio on the second floor near Bloor and Borden. The studio offers three streams of practice including sukha, sthira and virya. ...
Akai Sushi / Restaurants
Akai Sushi opened in the Annex two months ago. In an area with all too many sushi joints as it is, I was initially skeptical whether another was needed, but...
Ali Baba's (Annex) / Restaurants
Ali Baba's in the Annex has cheap meal deals every day of the week, making it a favourite among students and Annex weekend partiers. Most options on the menu are...
Alternative Arts / Design Stores
Alternative Arts is a well-regarded framing store that also sells a variety of prints, cards and stationary....
Angus and Company / Design Stores
Angus and Company carries a mix of antique, vintage, and contemporary furnishing and finishes including chandeliers, dishes, glassware, baskets, lamps and more....
Annapurna / Restaurants
The atmosphere at Annapurna vegetarian restaurant in the Annex strives for quiet, calm and meditative - just what you'd expect from a resto operated by followers of Hindu meditation guru...
Annex Billiards / Bars
Annex Billiards is a billiards club, so move east to the Brunny if you want to dance, kids. Most patrons here get that, thankfully, and make proper use of the...
Annex Hodgepodge / Restaurants
The Annex Hodgepodge, a new take-out eatery in, you guessed it, The Annex, encapsulates the spirit of its host neighbourhood perfectly. Serving a mix of high-brow, low-brow, old-world...
Annex Pet Supplies / Services
Annex Pet Supplies will deliver what your pets need on the weekends, if you're too busy playing fetch to get out to the store. The emphasis here is on local...
Annex Wreckroom / Bars
The Annex Wreckroom is found at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst, upstairs from the oh-so-good George's Deli + BBQ. The bar caters mainly to UofT students looking for some...
Aroma Espresso Bar / Cafes
When the Annex area JJ Muggs/JJ Albany's/Albany's finally bit the dust last year, I wondered what would take its place. The Bloor West & Albany Ave location is a big...
Aroma Wellness Centre and Spa / Fashion Stores
Aroma Wellness Centre and Spa offers an array of services, from holistic facials and naturopathic medicine, to waxing, to massages and treatments for your hands and feet....
B Espresso Bar (Bloor St.) / Cafes
The folks inside the new b Espresso Bar are a classy bunch. Many of them are wearing stylish black outfits, for example. Many of them have really nice hair. They...
B.B.Ques Gourmet Grill / Restaurants
Serving ribs, chicken and potato skins, B.B.Ques is a popular take-out spot on Spadina. They also deliver....
Bakka Phoenix / Bookstores
Bakka Phoenix Books manager Chris Szego says "science fiction is not just a genre, it's a community." With their new space on Harbord just west of Spadina (which was previously...
Bar Mercurio / Restaurants
Bar Mercurio serves simple Italian bistro fare and offers a number of gluten free substitutes for its pizza and pastas....
Barbara Edwards Contemporary / Galleries
Barbara Edwards Contemporary is the gallery belonging to local art dealer Barbara Edwards. Inside she features the work of both Canadian and International contemporary artists....
Barton Snacks (Bathurst) / Restaurants
Barton Snacks is one of those throwback snack shops but with a bit of a healthy twist. Here you'll find chips made with avocado oil, natural chocolates from ChocoSol ,...
Big Fat Burrito (Lee's Palace) / Restaurants
Big Fat Burrito has claimed a coveted space inside Lee's Palace where they dish up tasty burritos to concert-goers as well as hoards of students and Annex residents....
Big Sushi / Restaurants
Walking along in the Annex a couple nights ago, I came face to face with the glowing neon lights of the newest Sushi place to open up on the strip...
Bike Fix / Services
The Bike Fix at Bathurst and Harbord specializes in bike repairs and tune-ups. For $50 bike tune-ups include degreasing of the derailleurs and re-lubrication. The Bike Fix also sells used...
Bikram Yoga (Annex) / Fitness Clubs
Bikram Yoga is a hot yoga studio that has two locations in Toronto including this one in the Annex....
Bistro Tournesol / Restaurants
Bistro Tournesol serves classic bistro dishes like mussels, bouillabaise and great frites....
Blast Athletic / Fitness Clubs
Blast Athletic is a two-year-old training facility where, rumour has it, hardcore fitness folks go. Located on Dupont, just west of Spadina, when you walk into Blast, you may wonder...
BMV Books / Bookstores
BMV Books is one of Toronto's most loved independent bookstore chains. The photo above is outside their location in the Annex. ...
Body Harmonics / Fitness Clubs
Body Harmonics has two Toronto studios and 14 years of experience . By phone, instructor Georgia Burns tells me that the studio is actually known outside of the GTA -...
Book City / Bookstores
Book City has five locations in Toronto. It's first store (pictured above) was opened in 1976 in the Annex. Their shelves are stocked with new and older titles and they...
Boulevard Cafe / Restaurants
The Boulevard Cafe is a two-story restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine....
Brunswick House / Bars
The Brunswick House requires that you pass through not one but three check points before you find yourself within its hallowed halls. You must first prove your identity; then get...
bspoke athletics / Fitness Clubs
bspoke athletics is a fitness studio on Dupont that offers cycling, strength training, coaching and aerial yoga....
Burrito Bandidos (Annex) / Restaurants
Burrito Bandidos arrival in the Annex is sure to bring a smile to the face of many a U of T student. But with Big Fat Burrito setting up shop...
Butler's Pantry (Mirvish Village) / Restaurants
The Butler's Pantry on Markham Street in Mirvish Village is one of two locations for this popular brunch and lunch restaurant....
By The Way Cafe / Restaurants
Looking to enjoy this balmy autumn weather, some friends and I stopped into By The Way Cafe's big corner patio for a late brunch. Fast, friendly service along with...
Caribbean Roti Palace / Restaurants
This low key Annex joint has been cooking up roti and other Caribbean dishes for more than 25 years....
Chabichou / Grocery Stores
I happened by Chabichou on a wet and blustery day. It was perfect - full of cheese and comfort foods, with a cooking show quietly playing on the big screen...
Charlie's Gallery / Bars
Charlie's Gallery on Harbord fits in perfectly with the area's mellow vibe - where its line-up of adorable restaurants and bars, but low-key atmosphere, make it feel like an inverse,...
Chilango Cycles / Services
Chilango Cycles is a one-man operation shop located on Harbord street. They sell road bikes, commuter bikes, and also do repairs and bicycle fittings. Unique to their shop is their...
China Garden / Restaurants
China Garden offers cheap but generous servings of noodle bowls, rice dishes and sizzling hot plates, plus a variety of hakka-style curry dishes (a highlight: the Fung Mei Mein). Follow...
Clay Design / Design Stores
Clay Design sells mugs, plates and other pottery. They offer pottery classes too....
Coal Miner's Daughter / Fashion Stores
Dear reader, I bought. How could I not? Janine Cockburn and Krysten Caddy's cozy wee Mirvish Village shop Coal Miner's Daughter melted my snobby, high-fashion heart, the bitchy little muscle...
Communication Art Gallery / Galleries
Communication Gallery is a tiny art space on Harbord Street near Bathurst that exhibits fine art from a wide variety of visual mediums. Perhaps its most noteworthy exhibit to date...
Commute Home / Design Stores
Commute Home is my perfect design store. There are many design stores to love in this city, but Commute's inventory of constantly fresh products and designs appeal to my short...
Cora Pizza / Restaurants
On Spadina across from UofT, Cora Pizza battles for neighbourhood pizza supremacy with Papa Ceo and Pizza Gigi....
Corner House Restaurant / Restaurants
Corner House Restaurant is a local favourite tucked into a residential area on Davenport. Popular with the pre-Tarragon theatre crowd, the Corner House is open for dinner only and features...
Country Style Hungarian Restaurant / Restaurants
Having spent the holidays away from home, I missed out on family dinners and all festive platefuls of comfort food that come along with the season. Feeling incomplete, I...
Crepes a GoGo (Annex) / Restaurants
Crepes a GoGo made its return to the Annex last week at Spadina and Bloor, a long awaited move since the restaurant shuttered its Bedford and Bloor location in 2002....
Crystal Rolls / Restaurants
A while back I reviewed Asia Republik, a new Vietnamese-Thai-Chinese restaurant along Bloor West in the Annex that dubbed itself, "Best Cheap Eats with Class". The food was great...
CSI Coffee Pub / Cafes
CSI Coffee Pub is a new coffee house (no forensics involved — I know that's what you were thinking) situated on the ground floor of the Centre for Social Innovation...
Curbside Cycle / Services
Curbside Cycle does indeed have its roots on the curb, when owner Don Watterson first set up shop outside of the Brunswick House over 15 years ago. If this were...
Daddyo's Pasta & Salads / Restaurants
Daddyo's is quick, cheap, and totally mouth-watering--and no, I didn't read that off the back pages of NOW Magazine. Daddyo's on Spadina excels in the form of Spicy Italian Sausage...
Dance Cave / Bars
The Dance Cave is a grungy Annex dance club upstairs from Lee's Palace. It's a student favourite and features alt, modern-rock and percussion jams....
Dessert Trends / Baked Goods
Dessert Trends is helmed by a gold medalist in the Culinary Olympics, and features an array of existing and custom design options for wedding cakes, custom cakes, and pastries. They...
Diverso by Ferraro / Restaurants
Diverso by Ferraro, located in the Annex just steps from the Dupont station, is a family-owned restaurant that specializes in Italian coffee and cuisine and hopes to replicate the success...
Dos Amigos / Restaurants
Much like Italian food, Mexican is a cuisine that has been commercialized and turned to trash, worldwide, by fast food chains and supermarket freezer-aisles. When I see the stuff out there...
Duke of York / Restaurants
The Duke of York is a popular pub in the Annex serving up nachos, wings and other pub favourites....
E Sushi / Restaurants
E Sushi is one of the many cheap sushi joints in the Annex. There's not much that distinguishes it from the others but they do offer AYCE sushi daily starting...
East West Futons / Design Stores
Trendy and affordable furniture & bedrooms for small space living. Check out the organic & latex mattresses....
Ewanika / Fashion Stores
Ewanika spent 11 years on College Street before recently heading up the nearby Bathurst Street to its elegant new digs at Dupont, far from the bar denizens of its former...
Ezra's Pound / Cafes
This spot indulges your desire to breakfast (or lunch) in a film by Truffaut or Rivette....
Faema / Cafes
This was the gorgeous sight set before me last night at Faema cafe (672 Dupont, at Christie). Not for me, but for my mother -- a really picky Tuscan....
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria / Restaurants
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria opened this past week at the corner of Bloor and Dalton, with aspirations of making authentic Naples pizza easily (and quickly) accessible in an elegant setting. Replacing...
Fanny Chadwick's / Restaurants
Fanny Chadwick's, located at the corner of Howland and Dupont, is a short skip and a hop from the Dupont subway. The name, I learned, is a homage to the...
Fighting Arts Collective / Fitness Clubs
The Fighting Arts Collective is made up of a variety of martial arts group who share the airy space near Dupont and Ossington. For more on the collective, check out...
Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen / Restaurants
Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen is a cheap but filling Thai restaurant in the Annex. A good spot for neighbourhood Thai takeout or to grab a quick bite to eat....
Frangipane / Baked Goods
The stretch of Dupont that Frangipane Patisserie occupies is a motley collection of businesses, restaurants and chiropractic clinics. The crooked sign looks fresh and bright on the grey street so...
Fresh / Restaurants
This is the Green Goddess, one of the many amazing rice bowls served at Fresh. Fresh now has three locations - 326 Bloor Street West in the Annex, 894 Queen...
Future Bakery / Restaurants
More than just a bakery and cafe, "Futures" is an Annex institution serving ready-made hot meals with an Eastern European influence like beef borscht, schnitzel sandwiches and perogies. They also...
George's Deli & BBQ / Restaurants
George's Deli & BBQ is an Annex stalwart that was packed to the gills on a recent rainy afternoon, and it's no secret why. The window rotisserie unit was jammed...
Ghazale / Restaurants
When I moved back to Toronto after spending my college years in Montreal, one thing I couldn't figure out was why this city was relatively deprived of the falafel...
Ghazi Juice & Desserts / Restaurants
Ghazi Juice & Desserts is a spin off of the popular Ghazale take-out spot a few doors east. The focus of this place is the juice bar. They offer a...
Gobo Sushi / Restaurants
Gobo Sushi, just south of Dupont on Christie, makes for a tasty and affordable local sushi option on the fringes of the Annex....
Good For Her / Services
Good For Her is an 11-year-old Annex hideaway that blends discreetly into its residential surroundings. While the name may suggest female exclusivity, Good For Her opens its doors to everyone,...
Grapefruit Moon / Restaurants
Grapefruit Moon is a cozy spot on Bathurst that's best for brunch. But they also have a range of lunch and dinner options....
Grassroots / Design Stores
Grassroots offers a range of environmentally-friendly products including bath soaps, cleaning products, baby products, kitchenware and stationary. They also have a store at 372 Danforth Avenue....
Green Beanery / Cafes
Green Beanery is part coffee equipment store, part cafe. Walking in through the front doors at Bloor and Bathurst, there's nothing but a sea of bodums, home roasters, espresso machines...
Green Room / Restaurants
The Green Room is as hard to find as it is to describe. A two-floor lofty old space in the alley behind Bloor West & Brunswick Ave, this dim-ly...
Greg's Ice Cream / Restaurants
I'm an ice cream addict, and Greg Ice Cream has always been the Holy Grail of ice cream shops for me. The place used to be a favourite hangout...
Guu SakaBar / Restaurants
Guu SakaBar is the second Toronto location of the Vancouver-based Izakaya franchise. Just like Church Street's Guu Izakaya, Guu SakaBar is a blast from the moment you enter until the...
Hacher & Krain / Design Stores
Hacher & Krain is a fine knife shop that pledges allegiance to a variety of forging regions. While there are some stores in Toronto, such as Tosho Knife Arts in...
Hair Place / Fashion Stores
The Hair Place opened in 1919 and went co-ed in the 1970s, as did the institution that houses it, University of Toronto's Hart House. While the clientele is mostly UofT...
Harbord Bakery / Baked Goods
An Annex institution, the Harbord Bakery has been on many "Best of Toronto" lists. After all these years, they still make amazing bread (they are well known for their challah),...
Harbord Fish & Chips / Restaurants
So everyone already knows Chippy's. We've tasted it. It does the trick... if you can get passed the obnoxiously loud music and the servers who "sing" along even louder. These...
Harbord House / Restaurants
Harbord House is a quaint gastropub that took over the old Rowers Grill spot on Harbord Street many years ago. Located in a charming Victorian house converted into a bar,...
Harbord Room / Restaurants
The Harbord Room, 89 Harbord Street, was recently voted the third best new restaurant in Canada by Enroute Magazine (and #2 in Toronto by this site). Toronto critics have raved...
Herbs & Nutrition / Grocery Stores
Herbs & Nutrition just opened its newest space in Toronto, and the store is huge. All that room means lots of healthy, organic products, and tons of selection and variety....
Hero Certified Burgers (Bloor and Bathurst) / Restaurants
Hero Burger at Bloor and Bathurst inside Honest Ed's is a little more revered than some of its sister Toronto locations, acclaimed for cooking its burgers "just right" more often...
Hey Lucy (Annex) / Restaurants
Hey Lucy on Bloor Street is the second outpost of the restaurant that first drew post-theatre crowds for cheap martini nights on King Street. ...
Hot Yam! / Restaurants
Hot Yam! is a volunteer run vegan restaurant at the University of Toronto. Sadly, it's only open on Thursdays for lunch (and closed at all other times)....
Hub Coffee House / Cafes
The Hub Coffee House and Locavorium didn't take long to catch on with residents in and around the Christie and Dupont area. Within days of the cafe's late July opening,...
Ideas Incorporated / Galleries
Ideas Incorporated, a new gallery space near Dupont and Bathurst, says it has one goal: human expansion into the universe. With this in mind, the art in shows on side...
Indian Kitchen / Restaurants
The Indian Kitchen has surfaced where Nataraj once stood on Bloor St. in the Annex. Like its predecessor, it has an AYCE lunch buffet ($9.99)....
Indian Rice Factory / Restaurants
Toronto's oldest and finest Indian restaurant serving classic cuisine, fabulous wine and sake list....
Indian Rice Factory Chai Bar / Cafes
Indian Rice Factory Chai Bar doesn't do its chai the teabag/shortcut way--perish the thought! This is masala chai done the authentic way, albeit, with a slightly tweaked method to cater...
Insomnia / Restaurants
Insomnia serves French and Mediterranean food and have nightly DJ sessions. The above photo is of the avocado chicken with melted brie sandwich, one of their specialties....
Japan Sushi / Restaurants
Japan Sushi just might be the least popular sushi restaurant in the Annex. There's nothing really wrong with it, but without an AYCE offering or the following of New Gen...
Java Mama / Grocery Stores
Specialize in fair trade coffees and chocolates. A wide range of organic baking supplies and artisan crafts....
Jerk King / Restaurants
Jerk King offers cheap Caribbean eats near the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Check it out if you don't mind food that's been sitting under a warming lamp....
John's / Restaurants
John's is the sibling restaurant of John's Italian Caffe in Baldwin Village and John's Classic Pizza in Little Italy....
Karma Co-Op / Grocery Stores
Karma Co-op is a not-for-profit food store tucked away in a residential area on Palmerston Ave. Though it has served as an alternative to commercial grocery stores for nearly 40...
Kensington Natural Bakery and Cafe / Baked Goods
One of my favourite spots in the city to pick up wheat and gluten-free goods is the Kensington Natural Bakery and Cafe. Found on Bloor St. West across the street...
Kenzo Ramen (Annex) / Restaurants
Kenzo Ramen has expanded beyond its Bay/Dundas location with a new spot in the Annex....
Kilgour's Bar Meets Grill / Restaurants
Kilgour's is a student friendly pub in the Annex serving of reasonably priced beer, nachos and wings....
Kinna Sohna / Fashion Stores
A gallery of exotic clothing, jewellery, art, textiles and unique gifts directly from master artisans of far away lands....
KO Burgers / Restaurants
KO Burgers is the new name for Wing Shop 366. They changed their name back in the Spring after realizing their burgers were actually more popular than their wings....
KOS / Restaurants
All day breakfast, homemade burgers and a large patio. Now with a second location in Kensington Market....
Kula Yoga Studio / Fitness Clubs
Kula Yoga Studio on Brunswick Avenue is winning over Annex yoga devotees with its eco-friendly facilities and range of yoga classes including hot yoga, expanding flow, live music flow, restorative...
L'Espresso Bar Mercurio / Cafes
L'Espresso Bar Mercurio is the more casual, coffee-infused sibling of Bar Mercurio just across Bloor street in the Annex. Photo by confusedbee on Flickr....
Labyrinth Comics / Bookstores
Labyrinth Comics in the Annex casts its net wide, past Marvel and DC to the places where comics intersect with cartoons and movies in manga, anime, Pixar and Disney. With...
Labyrinth Lounge / Bars
Labyrinth Lounge is a favourite among UofT students with its cheap drinks specials throughout the week. Three is the magic number here, a number that will bring you all sorts...
Lakvino Ristorante / Restaurants
Lakvino is an Italian restaurant in the Annex, and on its menu can be found all of the things one would expect from such a place: pizza, pasta, antipasto, salads...
Le Paradis / Restaurants
On an appropriately grey Parisian day, we head to Le Paradis to see what all the fuss is about. Luckily, we arrive early enough to be the first ones there...
Lee's Palace / Bars
Lee's Palace is The Annex's cartoonish rough diamond of a concert venue. It stands out vividly amongst the numerous sushi restaurants, bars, cafes, and more sushi restaurants that line Bloor...
Little Island Comics / Bookstores
Little Island Comics is a comic store for kids. Some might argue that all comic stores are for kids - but they'd be mistaken. Anyway, the different between most comic...
Live / Restaurants
Every review I've read of Live has awarded it five stars. Restaurant critics just drool over the place. Any what's not to like? Great philosophy, brilliant flavours and good atmosphere....
Loire / Restaurants
Loire takes over the space formerly home to Olive & Lemon with what the owners are calling "casual gourmet" fare with influences from their times spent in France, Italy, Switzerland...
Lucky 13 Tattoo Shop / Services
Lucky 13 Tattoo Shop is hard to miss near the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Its bright orange sign beckons those seeking tattoos and piercings in a clean and friendly...
Madeleines Cherry Pie and Ice Cream / Cafes
Someone at Madeleines Cherry Pie and Ice Cream has written on a blackboard in careful cursive. "She sent for one of those squat, plump little cakes called Petites Madeleines." The...
Madison Avenue Pub / Bars
6 floors, 11 bars, 5 patios, live entertainment, darts, billiards and sports bar....
Mariko Japanese Restaurant / Restaurants
Mariko has two locations in Toronto - one in the Annex and the other on the Danforth. Both offer a cheap but basic AYCE sushi option....
Marlene's Just Babies / Fashion Stores
Marlene's Just Babies is like an Aladdin's cave of baby gear. The shop is three storefronts wide and stuffed to the brim with everything from strollers and car seats to...
Martino Pizza / Restaurants
Martino Pizza is a tiny take-out pizzeria on Dupont. Surprisingly, they also have an extensive menu of Thai dishes (delivery or take-out only)....
Mayday Malone's / Restaurants
Mayday Malone's is where to go near Bathurst and Dupont when looking for a casual, sports-friendly pub. The menu features pub standards like chicken wings and pizza. There are a...
Measure / Bars
Measure is the new bar that's opened in the old Annex Live space, nestled between the Tranzac and the Lab. It re-opened under the new name at the end of...
Menchie's / Restaurants
Menchie's is a US-based frozen yogurt chain that has taken a flyer on Canada. While supply has already seemed to outstrip demand for this fad-ish product, Menchie's just might be...
Messis / Restaurants
Messis features a well-executed Italian influenced menu and tasty mains like basil crusted roast rack of New Zealand lamb with an herbed mushroom and brie polenta and sweet onion balsamic...
Metsa Studio / Fashion Stores
Metsa, an Estonian word meaning "my little house in the forest," is Markus Uran's line of beautifully tailored menswear and accessories. At his Harbord street studio, he crafts streamlined "heritage...
Midoco Art and Office Supplies / Design Stores
Midoco may not be on the shortlist of go-to art supply stores for some of the more serious artists in the city, but for students and hobbyists it's the type...
Miles Nadal JCC / Fitness Clubs
The Miles Nadal JCC offers over 75 classes a week, a gravity studio and an indoor running track and pool. This newly renovated spot offers modern design, and staff so...
MoMo's / Restaurants
MoMo's is a casual, sub-level restaurant at the corner of Harbord and Robert which cooks up simple but tasty Middle Eastern food....
Momo's Groceteria & Bakery / Baked Goods
Momo's Groceteria & Bakery offers Mohamed Abu-Taah's Middle Eastern baked goods to the grab-and-go crowd. Mohamed has long served the surrounding Harbord community with his take on tastes from back...
Monsieur Barber Shop & Spa / Fashion Stores
Monsieur Barber Shop & Spa opened quietly in the Annex about five months ago just steps from the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre. Co-owner Al Rubaie tells me he was...
Mt Everest Restaurant / Restaurants
Mt. Everest Restaurant features Nepalese and Indian cuisine. The extensive menu includes dishes like Aloo Gobi and Chicken Tikka Masala. Lots of vegetarian options available....
Nancy's Cheese / Grocery Stores
I was almost alarmed the first time I laid eyes on Nancy's Cheese, squinting through a snowstorm from the other side of the street. "Is that a cheese shop?!" I...
Nella Cucina / Design Stores
Nella Cucina offers high quality kitchen equipment for the professional or at-home chef, and also offers cooking classes on its store's second floor....
New Generation Grill Fusion / Restaurants
New Generation Grill Fusion is the sister restaurant to the popular New Generation sushi restaurant further east on Bloor. The menu here is less focused on the usual nigiri, maki...
New Generation Sushi / Restaurants
Months after a kitchen fire shut down New Generation Sushi, this late night sushi spot in the Annex is not only BACK, but busier than ever. I've been...
Noah's Natural Foods / Grocery Stores
Noah's Natural Foods has four locations in the GTA including this one in the Annex. Although their prices are higher then most other health food stores, they have a great...
Noka / Restaurants
Noka is a newly opened sushi spot in the Annex found right next to Sushi on Bloor. Formerly Sushi 101, this location seems to bank on the line-ups and overflow...
Noodle Bowl / Restaurants
Noodle Bowl has a whole range of noodle dishes spanning the cuisines of Southeast Asia. It's decent food and a good bet for those who are looking for a filling...
Nue / Fashion Stores
Nue has opened up in the Annex, a place virtually barren of clothing stores, but thirty-somethings, cute moms, and those looking for nice work-wear now have a reason to visit. Ever...
One Love Vegetarian Cafe / Restaurants
One Love Vegetarian Cafe adds to my belief that we're pretty spoiled for choice in Toronto when it comes to vegetarian/vegan food. With everywhere from Cafe 668 to Rawlicious offering...
Papa Ceo / Restaurants
Annex Pizza joint Papa Ceo is a favourite among UofT students. Choose from options like the Tina Turner, Godfather and Sofia Loren....
Parentbooks / Bookstores
Parentbooks goes beyond Dr Seuss and books about Grumpy Birds and has a thorough inventory of titles for kids, their parents, councellors, therapists, educators and others connected with the kids...
Paupers Pub / Restaurants
2 story pub features rooftop and side patios, live entertainment, darts, excellent draft beers and great specials....
PAWfect Spa / Services
Pawfect Spa is a friendly little grooming shop at Avenue Road and Dupont. Owners Christina and Elsie will pamper your dog royally with award winning grooming services and an...
Peaks and Rafters / Design Stores
Peaks and Rafters is a furniture and home decor design line with a location in Port Carling as well as this one in Toronto. They're a full-service company that will...
Pimlico / Design Stores
Pimlico is a clean, well-lit space that appeared on Dupont Street recently. Carrying a selection of mostly Canadian- designed housewares, this tiny shop is already attracting interior designers and design...
Pita-Q (Bloor and Spadina) / Restaurants
Pita-Q at Bloor and Spadina is just one Annex answer to cheap, filling shawarma. Cheap deserves another mention. Two can eat here for under $10, making Pita-Q particularly popular with...
Pizza Gigi / Restaurants
Pizza Gigi has been serving pizza to UofT students and Annex residents for more than 30 years....
Pizzaiolo / Restaurants
Pizzaiolo's deep-dish pizza is some of the most satisfying in the city. Pies are doughy and crispy on top with a spicy bottom, toppings right out to the edges and...
Playa Cabana / Restaurants
Playa Cabana sits on a quiet residential stretch of Dupont Street just east of Davenport, and is one of the more recent arrivals to the Mexican restaurant scene in Toronto....
Posies / Design Stores
Posies owner Karina Lemke is becoming well known for her work on Rich Bride Poor Bride, which means Posies has a(n even) larger than average wedding portfolio. Located on...
Pretty Beauty & Books / Fashion Stores
Pretty Beauty & Books is petite little Mirvish Village shop offering a unique hybrid of beauty and books. Its mantra is clean living, and both Pretty's books and makeup reflect...
Puck N Wings / Restaurants
Puck N Wings is all about the number 50. 50 wings! 50 salads! From Red Thai to Maple BBQ, the flavour varieties seem endless here which works just fine for...
Q Space / Bookstores
Q Space is a "concept" space, so bear with me while I attempt its description. Opened a few months ago at the corner of College and Borden, this spot serves...
Queen Video (Bloor St.) / Services
Queen Video remains the reigning monarch of Toronto's indie video scene, thanks to an astronomically large library, and an empire that has grown to encompass Queen West, Annex and Little...
Real Thailand / Restaurants
Real Thailand, near the corner of Bloor and Spadina, has been creating a huge range of chicken, fish and meat Thai dishes since 2000. ...
Red Fish Blue Fish Creative Cafe / Cafes
Red Fish Blue Fish Creative Cafe is a new spot in the Annex that is exactly as it sounds: a haven for mamas and their babies. The space, located in...
Remenyi House of Music / Services
The Remenyi House of Music stares the Royal Conservatory of Music in the face across Bloor Street, so it's no surprise that it caters to a more classically-oriented customer, with...
Ring Music / Services
Ring Music offers a concise guitar shopping experience for serious players impatient with endless walls of instruments. The chaff-free selection is boiled down to the basics - playable models by...
Risque / Fashion Stores
Risque is a women's clothing store on Bloor in the Annex that carries a stylish selection of dresses and tops....
Rose and Sons / Restaurants
Rose and Sons opened its doors a mere two weeks ago, taking over the People's Foods space that served as an Annex staple for decades. And though it's still in...
Rose Emporium / Design Stores
The Rose Emporium at Dupont and Huron imports strictly roses, so they're able to offer competitive prices for the most romantic gifts. They do same day deliveries and custom arrangements,...
Roti Cuisine of India / Restaurants
Roti Cuisine of India is a new addition to the Annex serving up a long list of vegetarian and meat rotis. Prices start at around $7. For Toronto roti fans,...
Sakura Japanese Cuisine / Restaurants
Sakura Japanese Cuisine brings something to the Annex that isn't not in short supply of - sushi. The AYCE dinner menu runs about $20....
Salt & Pepper / Cafes
Salt & Pepper has gone from concept catering to a fully fledged cafe at Davenport and Bedford Road in the Annex. A fully fledged cafe, that is, with just six...
Sammy's BBQ / Restaurants
Sammy's BBQ has taken the place of George's Deli and BBQ which has moved across the street and south of Bloor on Bathurst. Like its predecessor, Sammy's serves up tasty...
Sarah's Shawarma and Falafel / Restaurants
Sarah's on Bloor is a long-standing taste favourite of mine. I would not recommend eating there every day as the final product is rather greasy, but the falafel combination...
Say Cheese / Restaurants
Say Cheese opened in the Annex several months ago, but has been operating mainly as what owner Nigel Koo terms a "test kitchen." It wasn't until about a week ago...
Scoop & Bean / Cafes
Scoop and Bean is the best concept for a café ever. I'm not saying this brand new Bathurst/Follis joint invented the coffee and ice cream combination (the Italians did?), but...
Secrets from Your Sister / Fashion Stores
Secrets From Your Sister, when it opened 10 years ago, simultaneously updated, expanded and dramatically improved the experience and selection when buying a bra in Toronto. It's only getting better, and...
Seekers Books / Bookstores
Located in the Annex underneath Kilgour's Bar, Seekers speciality is New Age books, including those on mysticism, meditation, Eastern philosophy and the Occult. For those who identify as thoroughly...
Serra / Restaurants
A busy Italian eatery in the Annex, Serra features a variety of sandwiches, pasta and pizza....
Shas Yoga & Pilates / Fitness Clubs
Shas Yoga & Pilates occupies a clinical space on the Annex/Yorkville border. Small classes and individual attention mean no slacking - Lisa is technique-focused and wants to make sure you're...
Sichuan Secret Restobar / Restaurants
Sichuan Secret Restobar has all their bases covered. They serve up Chinese cuisine (dim sum, seafood, chicken and duck), all in a cozy atmosphere....
Skirt / Fashion Stores
Skirt is a boutique clothing store catering to the "young and trendy" in the Annex. "Our clothes are geared toward urban, young women," the sales clerk tells me. "University-age." The store,...
Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company / Restaurants
Sky Blue Sky is the name of Wilco's sixth album. It's also the name of a cozy sandwich shop on Bloor Street West, right in the heart of Koreatown. When...
Smoke's Poutinerie (Annex) / Restaurants
Smoke's Poutinerie has arrived in the Annex, perhaps where it has always belonged. Locals seem to agree as already this much-loved poutine spot has line-ups out the door....
Sonic Boom (Annex) / Services
Sonic Boom, Toronto's biggest independent record shop, can now be found on Bathurst just south of Bloor, less than a minute-long walk from its former location. As promised back in...
South Hill Home / Design Stores
South Hill Home stocks both classic and contemporary furniture in their large storefront on Dupont. ...
Southern Accent / Restaurants
Southern Accent in Mirvish Village serves up some of Toronto's best cajun cooking. Mains include rare finds like voodoo pasta and cracker catfish but save room for scrumptious sides such...
Space Vintage Clothing Gallery / Fashion Stores
Space Vintage is a funky lower level vintage shop in Mirvish Village which stocks one of a kind dresses. They'll also do on-site alterations....
Splendido / Restaurants
Ranked as one of Toronto's top restaurants, Splendido offers a highly inventive menu with dishes such as British Columbia Dungeness crab cake served with quail egg, jelly fish salad and...
Spynga / Fitness Clubs
Spynga = Spinning + Yoga. An unlikely pair, maybe? Surprisingly, the hybrid makes perfect sense. Peppy co-owner Casey drills me through intense military-style spinning ("Sit! Lift! Sit!") then brings...
Stubbe Chocolate / Grocery Stores
Stubbe Chocolate offers a range of truffles, cakes and other chocolate delicacies. They also offer chocolate workshops for adults and children. ...
Sushi Couture / Restaurants
Sushi Couture adds a little bit of upscale sushi to the Annex. This isn't your standard Sushi on Bloor raw fish. A former chef of Japango on Elizabeth St. brings...
Sushi on Bloor / Restaurants
Sushi on Bloor continues to be one of the most popular "cheap sushi" joint in the city. Expect line-ups to get in on weekends at this busy, two-floor spot on...
Suspect Video / Services
Suspect Video is Toronto's original genre emporium. Since its founding, in 1991, Suspect has accumulated a hugely extensive and wildly eclectic inventory that caters to most every taste, though classic...
Sweet Fantasies / Restaurants
Sweet Fantasies is easy to miss in the Annex save for the throng of people in front enjoying their double scoop of ice cream. Serving ice cream and gelato, the...
Sweet Pete's (Annex) / Services
Sweet Pete's has expanded with a second location in the heart of the Annex. They sell a large range of bikes and offer repairs and tune-ups as well. More info...
Tati Bistro / Restaurants
Adopting (and giving a vibrant repainting to) Kensington Kitchen's well-loved spot on Harbord, Tati Bistro offers a moderately priced, classic French menu. ...
Ten Thousand Villages / Design Stores
Hand crafted fair trade products from around the world. Ten Thousand Villages also have many other locations....
Thai Basil / Restaurants
Open for a few months now, Thai Basil on Bloor (just west of Spadina) appears to be making good use of a beautiful storefront once inhabited by the now defunct...
Thai Spring Roll / Restaurants
Thai Spring Roll is a decent Thai option in the Annex, especially after they gave themselves a bit of an upgrade with a fancy new blue sign. ...
The Annex Live / Restaurants
The Annex Live sees some pretty slow Mondays. Entering with a group of hungry friends, I was surprised to be the only patrons in the shiny, streamlined dining room. Forgoing...
The Bedford Academy / Restaurants
The Bedford Academy is a popular Annex watering hole on Prince Arthur with a secluded patio and decent pub grub....
The Beguiling / Bookstores
If you're a comic fan in Toronto, chances are good that you already know about The Beguiling Books & Art, which The Toronto Star refers to as "Toronto's most discerning...
The Bike Joint / Services
The Bike Joint is where you go when your beater bike needs fixing. Don't get me wrong, the store can handle all sorts of bikes, but it really comes into...
The Central / Bars
The Central has a little bit of everything....from two patios (including a sunny second story one), live music and a restaurant, this Mirvish Village bar offers lots of reasons to...
The Grape Lounge / Bars
The Grape has been open for 56 days on a strip of Bathurst and Dupont notoriously absent of a bar scene. Steps away from the Vesta Lunch, The Grape's biggest...
The Pour House / Restaurants
The Pour House is a popular Irish pub in the Annex that serves up a range of Irish beers and typical pub grub like nachos, chicken wings and calamari. They...
The Pump / Restaurants
The Pump is a modern pub in the Annex with the standard beers on tap and sports on TV....
Theodore 1922 / Fashion Stores
Theodore 1922 has faced some negative criticism on this site in the past. But it seems the reign of David, the former owner who commenters below accused of classless service...
THR & Co. / Restaurants
THR & Co. is the new offshoot from the same team behind the neighbouring The Harbord Room. Partners Curt Martin, Liz Campbell, Chris Shiki, Cory Vitiello and Dave Mitton hope...
Tik Talk Cafe / Cafes
On Harbord Street near UofT, Tik Talk Cafe offers a quite retreat inside a red brick house. ...
Tokyo Sushi (Annex) / Restaurants
Tokyo Sushi in the Annex is not related to the other Tokyo Sushi restaurants in Toronto. And that's a shame. This one ends up being just another cheap sushi option...
Toose Art Supplies / Design Stores
For lazy UofT students, Toose Art Supplies is the ideal location to stock up on paints, pastels, paper and other art, architectural and graphic supplies. Yep, it's located right across...
Toronto's Spanish Bookstore / Bookstores
Toronto's Spanish Bookstore has a massive selection of books for Spanish speakers (readers) or those attempting to learn the language. They sell the books at their Bathurst St. storefront as...
Tosho Knife Arts / Design Stores
Tosho Knife Arts is probably one of the worst places to visit in Toronto with a clumsy coworker or toddler in tow. That's because the Mirvish Village latest addition proudly...
Trainers Fitness Center / Fitness Clubs
Trainers Fitness may not have the frills of other downtown Toronto fitness clubs. There are no steam rooms. No towel service. The classes are basic and the showers are communal....
Tranzac Club / Bars
The Tranzac, a bar just south of Bloor on Brunswick, is a favourite of Toronto's indie musicians. It also doubles as a watering hole and live performance venue....
Trove / Fashion Stores
Trove stocks chic yet wearable clothing, shoes, boots, purses, jewellery, hosiery and shawls from a wide range of local and international designers. They also have a great selection of greeting...
Tutti Fruitti / Grocery Stores
Tutti Fruitti might be closing up shop at Yonge and College, but the Annex location remains to satisfy our collective sweet tooth. The shop is a kaleidoscope of colours with...
Twice Found / Design Stores
International 20th century decorative and functional ceramics, glass, wood, and vintage jewellery....
Universal Grill / Restaurants
Universal Grill is a cherished gem at Shaw and Dupont, located amongst the surrounding residential, and somewhat industrial neighbourhood. We indulged in a leisurely Sunday brunch outing, arriving just before...
Vesta Lunch / Restaurants
Vesta Lunch is a classic diner on Dupont that serves of tasty hamburgers and other greasy fare....
Victory Cafe / Restaurants
Much like its eclectic Mirvish Village neighbours, Victory Cafe likes to wear a lot of different hats. Cafe, pub, art bar, restaurant, you name it, Victory seems to morph...
Vidya Institute / Fitness Clubs
Vidya Institute is a classic yoga studio offering an array of classes, from pre-to-post natal classes, hatha and yoga for stress management. They also offer yoga teacher training programs....
Vinny's Panini / Restaurants
Vinny's Panini is the type of no fuss, no muss, and unquestioningly authentic place die-hard panino fans pray for. Opened 6 years ago because Vinny Pennella knew his mom...
Vintage Grounds / Fashion Stores
Vintage Grounds is the newly named, newly designed, newly street-level incarnation of the former Vantage Ground. Owner Lily wanted to move her Annex shop up from its basement space below...
Yoyo's Yogurt Cafe / Restaurants
Yoyo's Yogurt Cafe has placed itself right in the line of frozen treat fire. It's a few doors down from Greg's, just a couple blocks away from Sweet Fantasies, and...
Yuki Japanese Ya / Restaurants
Yuki Japanese Ya takes over from Rolu, another Japanese restaurant that used to be in this spot....
Neighbourhoods
Other Neighbourhoods
- Annex
- Baldwin Village
- Bayview and Leaside
- Beaches
- Bloor West Village
- Bloorcourt
- Bloordale Village
- Cabbagetown
- Chinatown
- Church Wellesley Village
- Corktown
- Corso Italia
- Danforth
- Distillery District
- Dundas West
- East Chinatown
- Eglinton West
- Etobicoke
- Financial District
- Forest Hill Village
- Harbourfront
- Junction
- Junction Triangle
- Kensington Market
- King East
- King West
- Koreatown
- Leslieville
- Liberty Village
- Little India
- Little Italy
- Markham
- Mount Pleasant
- North York
- Ossington
- Pape Village
- Parkdale
- Port Lands
- Queen West
- Richmond Hill
- Riverside
- Roncesvalles Village
- Rosedale
- Scarborough
- St. Clair West
- St. Lawrence Market
- Upper Beaches
- West Queen West
- Yonge & Bloor
- Yonge & College
- Yonge & Dundas
- Yonge & Eglinton
- Yonge & St. Clair
- Yonge & Wellesley
- Yorkville
Community
Something missing?
Know a great local business we should include on the site?
