Neighbourhoods
West Queen West
West Queen West is gallery central with some of the city's most cutting-edge galleries dotting the street-scape from Trinity Bellwoods Park to Dufferin. Anchored by the nightlife and cultural destinations that are The Drake and Gladstone Hotels, this neighbourhood oozes creativity, community and fun. Not to be overlooked are hidden gems like Julie's Cuban and Luna Cafe up Dovercourt or the burgeoning South Ossington strip.
Looking for something
specific in West Queen West?
107Shaw Gallery / Galleries
107Shaw takes the idea of opening a gallery in one's home to a certain extreme. Unlike those enthusiasts who cobble together makeshift exhibition spaces in small apartments that aren't...
69 Vintage / Fashion Stores
I love vintage stores. I hate their smell. I don't like shopping in basements, garages or sketchy back rooms. I'd rather not stumble blindly through dimly lit spaces, crashing into...
751 / Bars
With the disappearance of Queenshead Pub at Queen & Bathurst, the strip was aching for a dark, cool and not-so-chic bar for locals to kick back in. The Queenshead...
99 Gallery / Galleries
99 Gallery is the gallery space at 99 Sudbury. The 5,000 square foot space is committed to showcasing local and international emerging artists working in a variety of forms of...
99 Sudbury / Fitness Clubs
99 Sudbury may have mythical status as Toronto's famed after hours club, but these days the only music here is the alt rock infused by the fitness club that now...
A-OK Foods / Restaurants
A-OK Foods is utterly without pretensions; a refreshing move from the sister restaurants of one of the most celebrated restaurants to hit the city recently, Yours Truly. To suggest that...
A2ZANE / Fashion Stores
A2ZANE has finally found a permanent home On Queen West near Bathurst, the former pop-up shop spent the past year in a smaller spot further west, following earlier pop-ups and...
Addis Ababa / Restaurants
Still going strong after all these years, Addis Ababa fills tummies in West Queen West with the area's tastiest Ethiopian specialties....
Anne Hung / Fashion Stores
Contributed by Michelle Williams Pine floors, and space to browse around without bumping into crowded racks are some of the best features about the atmosphere at Anne Hung. But the...
Anne Sportun / Fashion Stores
Anne Sportun specializes in hand-crafted jewellery made in downtown Toronto by a team of highly-skilled goldsmiths....
Apalla / Restaurants
Apalla has taken over the space formerly home to Indus Junction. Not much has changed with the decor but the menu has been updated and includes offerings like lamb, chicken...
Appletree Natural Foods / Grocery Stores
This health food store has a good selection of bulk items, tasty homemade baked treats and vegetarian sushi rolls. ...
Art History / Design Stores
Art History is a treasure trove of antiques and all around cool junk, with pieces to fit everyone's budget. I wouldn't call it a design store, more of an indoor...
Art.27 / Fashion Stores
Art.27 is a beauty and wellness boutique focused on organics, natural ingredients, and ethically sourced labour and production. These aren't just buzz terms for owner Camelia Nicoara. In fact, so...
Atomic Design / Design Stores
Atomic Design on West Queen West is the bomb. (Forgive me, I had to.) I had no idea what to expect from this little store the first time I stopped...
Banu / Restaurants
Mr. C has been excited to go for Iranian food at Banu ever since I discovered that you can smoke from a Shisha/Hookah on the patio. Friday night, we...
Barton Snacks (Queen) / Restaurants
Barton Snacks now has a second location in Toronto to fill up on snacks, ice cream and soda. The West Queen West location follows quickly in the footsteps of their...
Beaver Cafe / Cafes
Cafe by day - bar (or sometimes raging dance party by night), the Beaver defies categorization. Good for lunch, dinner, drinks or a pick-me-up latte in the afternoon. ...
Bicyclette / Fashion Stores
Bicyclette Boutique has found its permanent home on West Queen West near Trinity Bellwoods, offering its unique selection of urban-meets-whimsy clothing. Though I'm not much of a gusher, especially when...
Bluebird Handmade / Design Stores
Bluebird Handmade is a veritable cornucopia of handmade goods and craft supplies that opened in The Annex at the beginning of the year. Originally devised as a retail-fronted, workshop-backed operation for...
Brockton Collective / Galleries
Brockton Collective is housed in a nondescript industrial building on Dufferin just north of Queen. With tenants ranging from a reclaimed lumber shop to a chic hair salon to a...
Brodawka & Friends / Fashion Stores
Brodawka & Friends is a misnomer of sorts if you take the new shoe boutique's name at face value. That's because the West Queen West shop represents the realization of...
Brooklynn / Restaurants
Brooklynn arrives near Queen and Dufferin from the same owners of the Hideout. Expect more of the same here - basically a hybrid bar/restaurant that gets pretty packed on weekends....
BYOB / Design Stores
BYOB is just like your favourite kitchen knick-knack store, but instead of your countertop, everything here is for your bar. That makes BYOB a dangerous place for someone such as...
Cabaret Vintage / Fashion Stores
Contributed by Jessica Pollack About a year ago I was wandering Queen West with my brother Adam and we stumbled upon Cabaret Vintage. Anyone who loves scouring the racks of a...
Cafe Bernate / Cafes
Cafe Bernate is easy to miss with its modest stony grey exterior. On a recent visit, owner Angelo Cassani greets me and I feel like I've entered a 1970's grandmother's...
Capsule Music / Services
Capsule Music is a temple of twang - three cramped rooms loaded to the ceiling with guitars with f-holes or candy-apple race car finishes, and amps in battered tweed. Old...
Carmen / Restaurants
Carmen, the new sister restaurant to Kensington Market's Torito is now open on Queen West in the space formerly occupied by Caju. Chef Luis Valenzuela and Veronica Carmen Laudes celebrate...
Champagne and Cupcakes / Fashion Stores
Champagne and Cupcakes have moved locations east on Queen St., but still provide the same enviable stock of flirty and girly dresses and accessories, many of which are the creation...
Charlie / Fashion Stores
Fast fashion tends to translate into shit quality, which is why I steer clear of H&M and its ilk (among other reasons--I'm sure I'll harp on that in a future...
Chippy's Fish & Chips / Restaurants
With a weighty familial and cultural legacy on my shoulders, I walked into the Annex institution Chippy's looking for some crispy goodness, with a side of absolution. My Devonshire dad and...
Chosen Vintage / Fashion Stores
Chosen, says owner Melissa Ball, is very much in a Clueless stage. Picture Alicia Silverstone in a slinky stretch maxi and Stacey Dash by her side in chunky heels and...
Church Aperitivo Bar / Restaurants
Church Aperitivo Bar has opened in an old church at the corner of Queen and Dovercourt after an extensive (and lengthy) renovation. Was it worth the wait? The restaurant serves...
Circuit Gallery / Galleries
Circuit Gallery is a web-based project co-founded by Claire Sykes and Susana Reisman. Modelled after Jen Bekman's highly successful 20x200 concept, it takes advantage of the internet's wide reach...
Clint Roenisch / Galleries
Clint Roenisch Gallery, nestled in the hub of the West Queen West "Art + Design District," is a small gallery that packs a punch. Having opened its doors in 2003,...
Coupe Bizzarre / Fashion Stores
Montreal/Toronto studio Coupe Bizzarre sits on Queen St W split between #704 and #710. Which might mean a quick game of "where's my hair stylist today", but they're a...
Czehoski / Restaurants
Czehoski was once described to me by a friend as "that pricey place down Queen West with the awesome signage." Though this is hardly a thorough or even remotely complete...
Dark Horse 3 / Cafes
Dark Horse has once again proven to be one of the most tenacious purveyors of coffee in Toronto, and their new location proves three isn't just a crowd. With this...
Deluxe Boutique / Fashion Stores
Deluxe Boutique has been a quiet West Queen West fixture for many years, after weathering the 2010 fire that ravaged the apartment above the shop. After a necessary closure, some...
Demarco-Perpich / Design Stores
Recently relocated from Summerhill to Queen just west of Ossington (very recently -- still finishing up the facade), Demarco-Perpich is new to Queen West, but is building on long standing...
Devil's Workshop / Fashion Stores
Buying a ring for a loved one is not for the faint of heart. With so many different stones, metals, designs, sizes and price-points, a trip to the local jewellery...
Dlish / Baked Goods
Dlish cupcakes, the new West Queen West bakery dedicated solely to the creation of the ubiquitous, individually-sized treat, is offering up these ever-loved confections with a striking amount of care...
Dog & Bear / Restaurants
The Dog & Bear pub is the latest iteration of 1100 Queen Street West, a space best known as the former home of the Social. Converted by members of the...
Doll Bar Inc. / Fashion Stores
Doll Bar Inc. is a new salon dedicated exclusively to hair extensions. In the same way blow dry bars such as Blo and Do My Hair have found success in...
Done Right Inn / Bars
The Done Right Inn is a low-key bar near Trinity Bellwoods Park. In the summer, head to the back patio and settle in for a few pints under the shade...
Dough by Rachelle / Baked Goods
Dough by Rachelle, alternately known as Dough Toronto, produces a variety of gourmet donuts--from apple fritters, to double chocolate--using seasonal ingredients. They're sold only on Thursday mornings out of Beast's...
Downward Dog Yoga / Fitness Clubs
My experience with Downward Dog began with a Level 1 class, led by studio co-owner and 30-year yoga veteran, Diane Bruni. I mistakenly overestimated my abilities - "Level 1" does...
Drake Cafe / Cafes
The Drake Cafe is not new, and yet has retained an almost unexpected degree of hipness. Part of it is certainly its attachment to the Drake Hotel, that West Queen...
Drake Hotel / Hotels
The Drake Hotel - self-proclaimed as the city's "Hot Bed For Culture" - is a modern boutique hotel and one-stop experience that makes both nightlife lovers and design nerds soil...
Drake Hotel General Store / Design Stores
Since almost the day Jeff Stober sunk millions into rejuvenating the Drake Hotel, gossip has been following him around as he sought to buy up real estate in the area....
Drake Sky Yard / Bars
The Drake Sky Yard is prime drinking, eating and lounging real estate in the summer. It gets packed early, especially on weekends. A full lunch and dinner menu is available...
Drake Underground / Bars
The Drake Underground is one of the best live music venues in the city. It has a decidedly different vibe than the rest of the Hotel. Programming features local and...
Dufflet / Baked Goods
Dufflet, now with three locations in Toronto, makes premium all natural desserts like the chocolate cupcakes (above), tarts, pies and cakes. ...
Dutil / Fashion Stores
Dutil Denim is denim floor to ceiling, quite literally. With stacks of jeans, shorts, overalls, shirts, and remnants rolled up near the ceiling, you won't find anything of another creed...
Edward Day Gallery / Galleries
Contributed by Dory Carr-Harris Easy to miss if you're not looking for it, the Edward Day Gallery sits in a cosy enclave next to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA)...
El Almacen / Cafes
El Almacen is a South American-style cafe specializing in mate, a tea-like infusion made from the leaves of a species of holly which is particularly popular in parts of Brazil,...
Ella + Elliot / Fashion Stores
Ella + Elliot stocks imaginative, stylish nursery furniture with European flair. The store is curated almost like a gallery and is the exclusive Canadian seller for a number of different...
Erin Stump Projects / Galleries
Erin Stump Projects is a small art space in the heart of West Queen West, near Dovercourt. Having opened its doors in April 2011, it's definitely a newcomer in an...
ESP Gallery / Galleries
ESP Gallery, along with Ten Eighty Gallery, is one of the newest galleries to surface near Queen and Dovercourt. So far their exhibitions have featured emerging, talented contemporary artists....
Eye Love Brow and Beauty Bar / Fashion Stores
Eye Love Brow and Beauty Bar shares a light-filled, loft space with Lebel and Crowe on West Queen West, and is located up the same slender staircase, and announced by...
Eyesore Cinema / Services
Eyesore Cinema is fiercely disdainful of most Hollywood fare. Owner Daniel Hanna has lovingly curated Toronto's finest selection of obscure cinematic oddities, for rental and purchase. Lovers of live action...
Fat Bastard Burrito Co. (Queen St.) / Restaurants
Fat Bastard Burrito Co. on Queen St. is the popular Mexican restaurant's Toronto location--their first was in Etobicoke--and is open for lunch, dinner and take-out. The menu includes burritos, quesadillas,...
Fawn / Fashion Stores
Do you ever see those girls walking down the street who look simply effortless, their clothes the perfect mix of feminine and pure edge? They drape themselves in lots of...
Feel Good Guru / Restaurants
Feel Good Guru has been a quiet fixture in my neighbourhood, across from Trinity Bellwoods Park, for the past several months. I've even walked in--on an occasion where I was...
Fitzroy Boutique / Fashion Stores
Fitzroy Boutique is a bit hard to notice from a street-side perspective, but those who pass by BYOB will notice that half of the window space has been taken over...
Frankie's / Restaurants
Frankie's is not, as many curious onlookers might assume, a new restaurant. Nor does it have (as it boldly claims on its front signage), the world's best burgers--but they're pretty...
Fresh Collective / Fashion Stores
Five years old and still going strong, Fresh Collective is a gem of a boutique in Toronto's Queen West fashion district. It offers the work of about 20 local...
Fresh on Crawford / Restaurants
Fresh on Crawford serves up some of the best vegetarian and vegan brunches, lunches and dinners in Toronto. This is one of three Fresh locations but the only one with...
Garrison's Barbershop / Fashion Stores
Garrison's By The Park probably has the best view of any barber shop in the city. Most barber shops look out on a stretch of retail streetscape or the hallways...
Gaspard / Fashion Stores
Gaspard has a dress with which I have fallen in love. It's a quilted Liberty, sandy-brown cotton, and printed with birds from neck to bottom hem. "It's based on drawings by...
Georgia Scherman Projects / Galleries
Located on Tecumseth just south of the Queen West strip, Georgia Scherman Projects is, as the name suggests, a project-based gallery. A circular sentence if I've ever written one,...
Gino's Pizza / Restaurants
Gino's Pizza is pizza chain with dozens of locations scattered across Southern Ontario. They have three outposts in Toronto including this one near Queen and Niagara. The menu is your...
Girl Friday (Queen St.) / Fashion Stores
Girl Friday's location on Queen St. features an array of dresses hand-picked by owner and designer Rebecca Nixon. You'll find products from brands such as Soia & Kyo and Paper...
Gladstone Art Bar / Bars
The Art Bar is the Gladstone's intimate, mixed-used space. Best for live music, The Art Bar also features comedy and film nights, video game tournaments and art and performance events....
Gladstone Ballroom / Bars
This beautifully restored ballroom at the Gladstone is a favourite event space for magazine launch parties, fashion shows and live music....
Gladstone Cafe / Restaurants
Gladstone Cafe is the poorer across-the-street neighbour of the Gladstone Hotel's own café. But score one for a totally unpretentious cheeseburger and fries. The menu here is truckstop-meets-foodie with a...
Gladstone Hotel / Hotels
The Gladstone Hotel, a once run-down flophouse, has been recently transformed into a boutique hotel, situated in the heart of the vibrant West Queen West art scene at the edge...
Gladstone Melody Bar / Bars
The Gladstone Melody Bar, for me, has always been that place I visit once a month to bask in communal Simpsons nerdom. But as of this past Monday, it will...
Graven Feather / Galleries
Graven Feather had piqued my interest long before I actually made it in to have a look around. A street-level door hinting at the staircase behind it in a plain...
Gravitypope / Fashion Stores
Gravitypope is a 4,000 square foot vision for shoe-lovers. The west coast import just opened at the foot (ahem) of Ossington at Queen, offering a Candy Land of chunky pumps,...
Green Shag / Fashion Stores
Green Shag offers man hockey-themed cuff links, shirts, pocket squares and suiting. Embarrassing tag line aside ("everybody needs a shag,"), this bespoke retailer's goal is to make you look your...
Happy Child / Restaurants
Happy Child recently opened in the former location of Double Deuce Saloon on West Queen West. Its only signage is a sandwich board and the logo of a somewhat deranged...
Harlem Underground / Restaurants
Harlem Underground is the latest addition to chef Anthony Mair's soul food mini-empire, taking over the space from his previous Irie Food Joint and joining Richmond Street's Harlem Restaurant on...
Heel Boy / Fashion Stores
I was browsing the selection at Heel Boy. I moved past the sandals and towards the purses near the cash. As I picked up a Nine West gold handbag ($160)...
Helmutt's Pet Supply / Services
Helmutt's will give you everything your pet needs from nutritional food products to organic treats, bowls, toys and everything in between. If they don't have it in stock, just ask...
Hits & Misses / Services
Hits & Misses shows that punk's not dead as the walls of 45s will remind you that punk was a singles medium first and foremost. The vinyl revival means that...
Hoops Sports Bar (Queen) / Restaurants
Hoops Sports Bar on Queen St. is an ideal place to bunker down during a game. All Hoops locations (and there are several in the GTA) offer large, flat-screen TVs...
Hot Shawarma / Restaurants
Hot Shawarma across from the Gladstone Hotel lives up to its name, serving up falafel and shawarma plates and sandwiches until the wee hours of the morning....
Huh / Fashion Stores
For everyone in the market for flirty and flattering dresses, Huh should definitely be on your short list of places to shop. This little Queen West boutique is more than...
Hunter and Cook / Galleries
The Hunter and Cook headquarters unveiled itself to the world on Thursday night. The launch party for the new home of the arts and culture magazine started by Jay Isaac...
INabstracto / Design Stores
Kate Eisen is one of West Queen West's longest standing residents, going back to Stardust Lounge days. Like the best vintage stores, INabstracto showcases a curated collection rather than just...
Industrial Storm / Design Stores
I think it's a rule that names rarely reflect reality. I mean, The Democratic People's Republic of North Korea is not exactly the shining star of freedom that the name...
Izmi Sushi / Restaurants
Izmi sushi is a standard sushi joint on Queen that doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the hundreds of other Japanese restaurants in Toronto....
jacflash / Fashion Stores
From a distance, jacflash looks like another design shop. It's the telltale minimal black frame that screams, "I'm a trendy furniture and other thingamabobs shop". As you get closer,...
Julie's Cuban / Restaurants
Thoughts turn to smoochin' once Toronto escapes the clutches of its winter prison. The newly summer-skinned brothers showing off tats and sisters in sundresses come charging through TTC turnstiles...
Katharine Mulherin / Galleries
Katharine Mulherin, now in its tenth year, is spread across various store fronts on Queen Street West. Edgy and relevant, this gallery is one of the most respected and...
Klaxon Howl / Fashion Stores
Klaxon Howl, the former Queen St. West resident, may not position itself as an exclusive brand, but you need to know where to look if you want to shop through...
Knit Cafe / Cafes
The Knit Cafe is a knitting space meets cafe. So you can roll out your bundle of yarn and enjoy your latte at the same time. Check out our previous...
Kol Kid / Fashion Stores
Kol Kid sells a range of educational and decorative toys, shower gifts and bedding accessories. There's stuff here for both newborns and toddlers. I once bought an Ernie puppet (of...
La Hacienda / Restaurants
La Hacienda serves up big plates of Tex Mex on Queen West. It's certainly plated its share of nacho orders throughout its 22-year run. Classic round yellow chips and high-quality...
Lady Mosquito / Fashion Stores
Lady Mosquito is packed with cheery embroidered totes, sculptural felt brooches and dyed palm seed necklaces. The itty-bitty West Queen West spot peddles vibrant South American-made bags and accessories, reflecting...
Lebel and Crowe / Fashion Stores
Lebel and Crowe is easy to miss from the West Queen West street-side, squirreled away up a long, narrow staircase and in the back of a high-ceilinged, white-washed loft space....
Little Tibet Restaurant / Restaurants
Longstanding Queen Street West resident Little Tibet Restaurant serves an authentic Tibetan menu: mostly mild, all tasty, with a wicked chili sauce on the side. ...
Love of Mine / Fashion Stores
Love of Mine is the best new store that's opened this year (so far). A jewelry buyer for many years, owner Anna Damelin has chosen a stellar collection of designers to...
Luna Cafe / Cafes
There are lots of great cafes in this city, but one of my all time faves just might also be the most off the beaten path. Nestled on the corner...
Mabel's Bakery (Queen St.) / Baked Goods
Mabel's Bakery just opened its second location on Queen West at Beaconsfield Avenue. "This area needed something different than restaurants from bars," owner Lorraine Hawley says simply as she scans...
Magic Pony / Design Stores
Magic Pony has moved down the street, but co-owner Kristin Weckworth assures me it's the same Magic Pony that has brought funky toys, original prints, books and other art to...
Mavrik Wine Bar / Restaurants
Mavrik Wine Bar may easily be missed on bustling West Queen West. For whatever reason, the wine bar trend has never really caught on in Toronto. The whole mixology craze,...
Meg / Fashion Stores
Contributed by Natalie Taylor Photos of women in mid-dress adorn the walls of the quaint, chic boutique Meg, in the heart of West Queen West. I question if the photos...
Milagro on Queen / Restaurants
Milagro near Queen and Euclid is the third location in the burgeoning Mexican cantina's empire. For authentic Mexican food (not Tex-Mex) in Toronto it's tough to find a better place...
Mini Mioche / Fashion Stores
Mini Mioche is a Toronto-based company that makes and sells baby and kids basics made out of organic and eco-friendly fabrics. Their location on Queen St. is their flagship....
MOCCA / Galleries
The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA for short) is slightly hidden behind a courtyard off Queen. Inside, the gallery showcases innovative art by Canadian and international artists whose works...
Nadege Patisserie / Baked Goods
My road to Nadege Patisserie was longer and harder than I ever could have expected. 4 weeks, to be exact, as our visit fell on their one-month anniversary, and about...4...
Nearly Naked / Fashion Stores
On Queen St W at Shaw, Nearly Naked has an always-rotating inventory of pretty underthings: bras, lingerie, sleepwear, and hosiery. ...
Neat / Design Stores
Neat (Space. Edited.) has moved from Yorkville to Queen West, taking up Portobello's old space and making it new (and neat) again. One-stop shopping for high-design organizational solutions for...
No Foundation / Design Stores
No Foundation is a boutique cultural gift shop and art museum with a quirky edge. Its inventory includes handmade jewelry, eccentric canvas paintings and sculptures, as well as other original...
Noce / Restaurants
Noce is something of a West Queen West institution, having overlooked Trinity Bellwoods Park for years. On a block increasingly littered with bakeries, you might expect almond croissants or baklava...
Nomad (Queen St.) / Fashion Stores
Nomad, the popular Richmond Street men's store, has recently opened this larger West Queen West outpost. It's filled with neo-trad offerings like sturdy Filson totes ($135--$455), emerald-green Canada Goose...
Nunu Ethiopian Fusion / Restaurants
Nunu Ethiopian Fusion isn't your traditional Ethiopian restaurant. Found two doors down from Addis Ababa near Queen and Northcote, the just opened eatery is owned and operated by a woman...
Nyood / Restaurants
Nyood is a nyoo (opened this spring, signage isn't even up yet) hip Mediterranean restaurant with a stunning futuristic decor and gourmet mouth-watering dishes. A rooftop patio is in...
Nyood Bar / Bars
Nyood Bar is located above (predictably enough) Nyood Restaurant, and borrows some of the same sharply-dressed, posh-esque ambiance. Quick note about my experience with the Nyood brand thus far: years...
Oliver Spencer / Fashion Stores
Oliver Spencer decided back in 2002 that contemporary menswear was missing something: him. The clothes he wanted to wear didn't exist yet, or that is how he saw the state...
One of a Kind Pasta & Grill / Restaurants
A neighbourhood favourite, One of a Kind Pasta & Grill offers a huge selection of pasta, meat dishes and other items....
Oyster Boy / Restaurants
Oyster Boy is famous for being one of the best oyster houses in the city. They also do a brisk business in supplying the rest of the city (both restaurants...
Pari Nadimi Gallery / Galleries
Pari Nadimi gallery is sort of hidden away on Niagara St. It's worth meandering south from Queen to take a look inside this large warehouse like space that showcases sculpture,...
Parkette / Restaurants
Parkette has opened its doors just steps from Trinity Bellwoods in the old Tern Art Supplies space. Walking in, we're greeted by friendly wait staff who seat us at a...
Paul Petro / Galleries
Paul Petro gallery is an institution on Queen West. Not to be confused with Paul Petro Multiples + Small Works down the street, this older sibling features two floors of...
Penguin Toronto / Fashion Stores
Penguin's first official store in Canada has arrived on West Queen West. New in store is their female clothing line, which joins its classic line of men's blazers and polos....
Pink Eye Optical / Fashion Stores
Pink Eye Optical might sound like a place with an infection but this new eyewear boutique on West Queen West is a welcome addition to the hood, stocking a nice...
Piola / Restaurants
Piola has taken up residence in the monstrosity that is the Bohemian Embassy. Its opening signals the arrival of global restaurant chains to the neighbourhood and is also probably the...
Play / Bars
Play on Queen is the first level of the infamous Wicked. (Second floor is for members only.) If Wicked is Lust in Dante's inferno, Play is perfect as its predecessor,...
Politica / Restaurants
Politica is nestled in a residential stretch on Strachan Avenue between King and Queen streets. The vibe here is definitely more King St. (west of Bathurst) than West Queen West....
Poppies / Design Stores
Poppies was way ahead of its Starbucks neighbour in recognizing the hipness of a West Queen West address. It's a cheerful space filled with floral eye candy, and small...
Poutini's House of Poutine / Restaurants
I've been waiting a long time for Poutini's House of Poutine to open. When I found out that a new poutine place was opening on West Queen West, I...
Propeller Gallery / Galleries
Propeller Gallery is a community-oriented gallery on West Queen West....
Public Office / Design Stores
Public Office opened quietly back in February as an extension of the Production Kitchen design house, which is located upstairs (at 780 Queen West, with entry off Gore Vale Avenue)....
Quasi Modo / Design Stores
Quasi Modo specializes in modern furniture, lighting and accessories for the home and office....
Queen Specific / Galleries
Queen Specific is located immediately west of Dufflet Pastries, who co-sponsors this unique art project on West Queen West. A two by eight foot window display, monthly exhibitions are programmed...
Queen Street Qreative / Galleries
Nestled in between two of downtown Toronto's most popular photography shops on Queen Street East, friends of mine recently opened a new gallery space that doubles as a specialty print...
R Squared Cafe / Cafes
R Squared Cafe is already bustling in the home of what once was Quaff Cafe on West Queen West. The former cafe was purchased by new owners, totally made over,...
Raging Spoon / Cafes
The Raging Spoon is a cafe with a social concience. Housed in a former Church on Queen St., the cafes serves drinks, lunch options and houses a small gallery space...
RaviSoups (Queen St.) / Restaurants
RaviSoups has opened a second location in Toronto, this one just down the street from the Drake on Queen St. Inside, the decor isn't quite as slick as the Adelaide...
Red Tea Box / Cafes
The Red Tea Box is a teashop and lunch spot on Queen West that's been around for about a decade. In addition to their vast tea selection, they offer a...
Response / Fashion Stores
This store carries Toronto designer Glynis Dupuis's Response collection as well as an innovative selection of shoes, jewellery, and accessories that are hand-picked to work with her clothes....
Robber / Fashion Stores
It's pretty easy for me to spend an entire day wandering around Trinity Bellwoods in West Queen West, checking out stores and spending money on just about everything (from clothes...
Romni Wools / Design Stores
Romni Wools overwhelms with its rows and rows of baskets filled with all colours and textures of yarn. The aisles can get a little narrow, but if you don't mind...
Rotate This / Services
Rotate This is Toronto's indie record store archetype (the vinyl copy of the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack on the wall is almost too obvious). They carried vinyl long before vinyl's unexpected...
Rue Pigalle / Fashion Stores
Rue Pigalle is, in fact, a transplant from Yorkville. The move down to West Queen West was natural, owner Isabelle Fish tells me, as she believes the consumer base will...
Rus-Teak / Design Stores
Rus-Teak is a furniture store on Niagara Street which sells solid wood antique and reproduction furniture from China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan....
Saigon Flower / Restaurants
Saigon Flower seems to excel when the West Queen West bars close up shop for the evening. This is not the prettiest Asian fusion restaurant around, but it does work...
SANKO / Grocery Stores
If you're familiar with the West Queen West area, SANKO would probably have already made your radar. A small Japanese, grocery and gift store which also sells ready to eat Japanese...
Sekai Nail and Beauty Bar / Fashion Stores
Sekai Nail and Beauty Bar provides West Queen West dwellers with a wide range of organic spa treatments at a seriously reasonable price. With a focus on organic and fair-trade...
Simon Carter / Fashion Stores
Simon Carter, a UK-based label, has been a menswear competitor in Toronto for 2.5 years, but did you know that its Queen St West location is the only store in...
Spectacle / Fashion Stores
It's been a while since I've received customer service like this, especially at an eyewear store? Not since the days of "Wenches and Rogues" on College Street, ran by all...
Spice Trader / Grocery Stores
If you love spices, this store will not disappoint. The Spice Trader has the good stuff. In past lives I was a total skeptic about overpriced specialty food items, spices...
Squirly's / Bars
Squirly's is a small bar on Queen near Niagara is a good bet for a cold pint and cozy conversation among friends. They have food too including a weekend brunch....
Stephen Bulger Gallery / Galleries
Focuses on the exhibition and sale of international contemporary and historical photographs that define the tradition....
Stylegarage / Design Stores
O.K., so Stylegarage looks like it was once a garage. At 1500 square feet, it's a pretty damned big garage, but you could imagine some sort of car collector parking...
Sunny Mummy / Fashion Stores
Sunny Mummy is relatively new to the West Queen West neighbourhood, taking over a former gallery space at the base of the Trinity Bellwoods condos. Onsite childcare is included in...
Susan Harris Design / Fashion Stores
More details coming soon. Susan Harris Design is located on Tecumseh just south of Richmond....
Swan Restaurant / Restaurants
Swan is consistently mentioned as one of the best brunch spots in the city. And there are regularly long line-ups to match this reputation. But with a little online research...
Sweet Lulu / Restaurants
As the prevalence of "NO SUBSTITUTIONS!" clauses on menus grow, it's getting harder to customize your dish in this town. Now, while I can hardly blame the eateries for...
Sydney's / Fashion Stores
Sydney's may have been burned recently, but the modern menswear retailer has not let a little smoke and soot taint the image of its emerging brand. Entering the former Heel Boy...
TAN Coffee / Cafes
Visiting T.A.N cafe felt like re-uniting with an old MySpace friend, when I made my way over there last week. A few months back, I had helped Melissa hang pictures...
Tealish / Grocery Stores
Tealish knows a thing or two about location. Having been in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood for quite a few years now, their location on Walnut about 1/2 a block...
Ten Eighty Gallery / Galleries
Ten Eighty Gallery is a new gallery near Queen and Dovercourt that shows work of young and talented Toronto artists....
Ten Spot / Fashion Stores
The Ten Spot's look is a little bit NYC and definitely urban. All surfaces are sleek, reflective, immaculate, loft-like and/or industrial. The Ten Spot is brightly lit, and the lighting...
Terroni / Restaurants
I've mentioned Terroni in other reviews on the site, but when it comes to doing a review of this authentic Italian eatery itself, I've never managed to get any co-diners...
Thai Elephant / Restaurants
Thai Elephant is a run-of-the-mill, westernized South-East Asian eatery across from Terroni on Queen. It offers all of the usual dishes you'd expect from your local Spring Rolls outlet, and...
Thank You Shop / Design Stores
Thank You, a one month old shop on West Queen West, can only be described as a treasure trove of found objects. Not simply an antique store, nor craft store,...
The Beaconsfield / Restaurants
A great neighbourhood spot across from the Drake Hotel, The Beaconsfield offers good sized meals like salmon with spaghetti squash, poutine and short ribs. ...
The County General / Restaurants
The County General is Splendido's tattooed cousin from the South, with a penchant for rock music and bourbon. But don't let its tough-as-nails attitude fool you, because just like...
The Dog's Bollock's / Restaurants
The Dog's Bollocks takes over the space that hasn't found a consistent tenant since the popular Gypsy Co-Op served both beer, good tunes and the best late night candy store...
The Midpoint / Bars
The Midpoint was an uninspiring pizza joint at one point but since it put the emphasis on cheese and dough in its past it has slowly gained a following as...
The Paper Place / Design Stores
The Paper Place is one of Toronto's best sources for premium paper, stationery and other paper-related products....
The Samuel J. Moore / Restaurants
The Samuel J. Moore is a newly opened West Queen West eatery that pays homage to its 19th century digs by taking the name of its builder. The historic site...
The Savoy / Bars
The Savoy on West Queen West, long-awaited by anyone who gets excited about fancy-sounding names and beautiful, architectural brick doorways, has finally opened. And it's... pretty good. Yet another competitor on...
Thomas / Fashion Stores
Thomas very quietly opened about a month ago on the second floor of the West Queen West storefront previously housed designer Michael Joseph Thomas' previous project--Ruins. Thomas closed down the...
Timmie Doggie Outfitters / Services
Timmie Doggie Outfitters is what happens when two graphic designers open a dog boutique. With two Timmie-the-Dog inspired locations on West Queen West and in Leslieville (pictured), Timmie's offers top-notch...
Twist Gallery / Galleries
Twist Gallery is now officially open after finishing up some recent renovations. Taking over the space formerly occupied by SPIN Gallery, just above the Social, new owner, Nadia Kakridonis,...
TwoBirds Bridesmaid / Fashion Stores
TwoBirds Bridesmaid has locations in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., and has opened up a location in Toronto. The company is founded on the idea that bridesmaids dresses...
TYPE Books / Bookstores
TYPE books is my neighbourhood bookstore. Actually, that's not true. There's also Babel and Monkey's Paw - both good for certain occasions, but TYPE is my go-to. I depend on...
UFO Restaurant / Restaurants
UFO Restaurant is a small greasy spoon diner in an old-school environment close to Trinity-Bellwoods. It serves a variety of classic comfort foods, such as a full breakfast and and...
UNIT / Bars
UNIT, like a barfly's Diagon Alley, has been on Queen between the Drake and the Gladstone for four years, even though many people don't know it's there. It's been quietly...
Ursa Restaurant / Restaurants
Ursa lives up to the hype — and there's been a lot of it. Brothers Lucas and Jacob Sharkey Pearce opened up shop at the end of January in the...
V by 69 Vintage (Queen St.) / Fashion Stores
V by 69 Vintage (Queen St.) opened in the space that previously housed Pho Pa on West Queen West just a few days ago. I'd spied goings-on in the storefront...
Valhalla / Design Stores
I missed the part where Odin was big on thank-you notes, but Valhalla is still a heck of a stationery and gift store. Right by the door is a...
Verso / Design Stores
Verso has a somewhat unusual address. A black pylon outside of West Queen West fixture INAbstracto announces it, but you have to pass through to the back, where you'll find...
Vinny Massimo's Pizza & Pasta / Restaurants
Massimo's has been getting a lot of press lately. First, there was the whole sanitation and rats issue that forced the popular late night pizzeria to close temporarily. And then...
Visual Eyes Optical / Fashion Stores
Visual Eyes Optical specializes in delivering bougie frames to the public. They have an optometrist on site, and they offer laser vision consultations. They carry brands like Ray Ban, Tom...
W Lifestyle / Fashion Stores
The big W marks one of Toronto's favourite hair salons. On Queen St W at Tecumseth. ...
Walnut Studios / Galleries
When I first discovered Walnut Studios, I never expected it to be so hidden. Following the pungent smell of cow manure around the bend from The Old York bar...
West Salon & Spa / Fashion Stores
West Salon & Spa is brand new, and in a prime bit of WQW real estate between the Drake and the Gladstone -- perfectly situated to primp scenesters on their...
White Squirrel Coffee Shop / Cafes
White Squirrel Coffee Shop knows what you need, Trinity Bellwoods. You've got your albino squirrels - fine. Keep 'em. But what you lack is ice cream, dear park, and this...
Wicked / Bars
Wicked just might be that....Want to know more? Check out our previous coverage of Wicked....
Woolfitt's Art Supplies / Design Stores
Years ago, a trip to Woolfitt's meant making the trek to nowhere land Queen Street. The store was the hidden gem for Toronto art supplies. It was beyond the park....
Yogurty's (Queen West) / Restaurants
Yogurty's, the burgeoning do-it-yourself frozen yogurt chain owned by Yogen Fruz has taken over the long standing Second Cup location at the corner of Queen and Palmerston....
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
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Know a great local business we should include on the site?
