(cc: photo credit: VROG in Bristol)

What kind of cuisine can’t you live without?  You will have no problem finding anything your palate desires in Toronto.  Whether it’s Cajun, Barbeque, Chinese, Mexican, French or Indian, there are plenty of choices of great restaurants.  Come along with us while we peruse the wide variety of foods prepared by expert chefs.  Try one or if your are feeling adventuresome try several.  Your won’t be sorry you did.  And, the next time you come to town for a visit, you’ll already have your own list of hot restaurants in Toronto.

 Crocodile Rock is the “Best Party Bar in Toronto” according to the Toronto Star.  A nightly DJ plays rock music while the 25 and over crowd, dressed casually, enjoys great food.  Their popular roof top patio is located in the Toronto entertainment district on Adelaide Street.  Dance or just listen to classic rock, retro, top 40 and disco music.  They feature half price appetizers and $3 drinks every Saturday night until 10pm.  While you are enjoying all of the entertainment try the Cajun dishes for which they are so well known.  Croc Alfredo and New Orleans Steak are two of the best dinners you’ll find in Toronto.

The Sultan’s Tent and Café will prepare a sultan’s feast for you while you watch beautiful sultry belly dancers.  It’s everything a Moroccan restaurant should be complete with shimmering lanterns overhead and plush divans.  Shall we order you?  Your first course is Haria, a hearty bowl of chick peas, kidney beans and lentils in a base of tomato Moroccan spiced broth.  Second course is B’stila, a sweet and savory Moroccan pastry filled with chicken, almonds, eggs, onions and saffron sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar.  Next in your third course you will be served Mango Glazed Salmon, saffron basmalti rice under a supreme piece of salmon with a glaze of mango chutney.  Fourth course is Brule Royale, a rich crème brule covered in pistachios.

Camarra Pizzeria Ristorante has been serving award winning pizza and lasagna for nearly 50 years.  Order the most original pizza you’ve ever tasted.  The best thing is that you get to choose your own toppings such as artichoke, asparagus, eggplant, Italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini and more.  Maybe your in the mood for pasta, shrimp, salmon or chicken instead.  Camarra’s will prepare these dishes in authentic Italian style.  But, don’t forget dessert with selections like tiramisu, triple berry mousse or delectable dolce.

Waterfalls Indian Tapas Bar & Grill offers up something different with their attentive service and Indian cuisine that is reasonably priced.  You can smell the authentic aroma of spiced dishes cooked in the traditional Tandoori clay oven.  But hold on, they don’t stop at serving Indian food to perfections.  If you have some in your party who would prefer something form an Italian or Mediterranean menu, they are in luck.  They offer exquisite dishes in both of these venues.  If you are locally located you will be happy to know that Waterfalls offers catering outside of their location and private function seating at their restaurant.

Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant was one of the first locals to offer vegetarian cuisine in Toronto and it’s still going strong.  The longevity of this business says it all.  You can’t compete if your food and service are not top notch.  It’s located midtown on Bathurst Street, so it’s available no matter what part of the city you’re coming from.  Some of the dishes offered are: Falafel Plate, Tofu Burger, Grilled Eggplant on Pita, Pita Pizza and daily homemade soups.  Annapurna doesn’t just serve up authentic vegan fair, but also holds steadfast to their philosophy of Sri Chinmoy who dedicated his life to a message of peace in the pursuit of unification of all mankind.

Barberian’s is an upscale steak house, opened in mid century and still going strong.  The décor is comfortable with dark woods and framed newspapers of days gone by.  Barberian’s highlights 8 steaks seasoned with their own secret spices.  But start your meal with one of their exquisite appetizers such as fresh oysters on a half shell or a jumbo shrimp cocktail.  Then move on to a bowl of fresh seafood chowder – it’s to die for.  After a filling steak with all the trimmings leave room for dessert.  Their house chocolate mousse is light yet just the right touch to end a wonderful meal.

Bistro 990 offers French food that will make you feel like you are dining in Paris.  Yet, it’s not completely old Paris.  Some of it’s new offerings start with d’oeuvres such as octopus and vegetables in citrus marinade.  Then you’ll want to order the Linguini aux champlgnons prepared with portobello mushrooms, walnuts and sun dried tomatoes.  Finish your savory meal with a bit of their homemade ice cream or sorbets.  Bistro 990 can boast a celebrity visits due to the Toronto International Film Festival.  Just some of the stars that have graced their tables are Marlon Brando, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Redford, Drew Barrymore and many, many others.

Blowfish Restaurant and Saki Bar is a rare Japanese treasure that offers excellently prepared sushi and sashimi, of course.  But, you’ll find such variety to choose from starting with sea bass or black cod in sweet miso marinade.  It suit’s the King West area with it’s upscale décor and sophisticated cocktail lounge.  And let’s not forget the Saki.  You’ll have your choice of 3 high quality grades served 11 different ways.  For the meek at heart, pear and raspberry Saki is served.  Still, if Saki is not your thing, choose from their extensive wine list.

Canoe Restaurant is touted as the best Canadian cuisine restaurant.  The meat enticed menu is full of choices such as grilled veal tenderloin accompanied by goat cheese and acorn squash.  But, you are just as likely to choose from the finest Canadian fresh fish dishes prepared by Chef Anthony Walsh.  You’ll enjoy the spectacular downtown view on the 54th floor of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower where you’ll look down upon the city’s night lights.

Toronto Hot Restaurants

It should be clear after perusing this list of Toronto eateries that you’ll have many choices of every type of food conceivable.  The city is spiced by it’s many cultures and it shows in it’s restaurants.  It’s hopeful that you’ll be adventuresome and try a variety of food that you haven’t had before.  You just may find a new favorite cuisine.

Save money, eat more.  Book discounted hotels in Toronto at Hotels Cheap.

(cc: photo credit: lhabbmar2008)

Toronto

Acqua Ristorante, located at the intersection of Front and Young, is on the same block as the Hummingbird Center and the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto.  It’s a busy lunch and pre-theater dinner spot.  The food can be as top-of-the-line as duck and butternut squash risotto to a grilled ribeye.  Enjoy a seat at the beautiful mahogany bar for a cocktail before dinner.

Alice Fazooli’s is as unique as it’s name.  This Italian-Cajun restaurant is located in an old printing press warehouse that’s been made over.  They have an extensive wine list and tap beer from Germany, Belgium, England and, of course, Canada.  You’ll find Alice Fazooli’s busy, however, you’ll still be seated quickly with friendly staff and service.  The Pacific shrimp is especially excellent.

Babalu’u combines smoldering salsa dancing and oh-so-good Latin food.  You’ll find them in the heart of Yorkville.  The Seared Sea Bass or the Smoked Chicken Fusilli are the menu choices, but don’t leave before trying your hand at the merengue out on the dance floor.  Even if you aren’t up to any hot salsa dancing, watching others makes for a full entertainment evening.

Goldfish Restaurant is located in Toronto in a glass fishbowl-like structure.  Choose between one of the favorites, tuna, squid or stuffed capon.  Add their double dipped Belgium fries for a unique night in dining.  If you’re really feeling frisky, top your dinner off with a shot of vodka.

Dimmi is close to the downtown Yorkville attractions.  It offers the simplicity of pizza and pasta but with a gourmet twist and flavor.  The friendly, quick and helpful service staff makes the dining experience complete.  Dimmi’s thin crust pizza and pasta comes in choices of Shrimp and Baby Clams, Tiger Shrimp,  It’s the perfect place to dine with friends, business associates or while on vacation.

Fancy Shoes is a pasta joint named after the famous gangster Carmen “Fancy Shoes” Travolta.  It has under-world hangout décor in a gangster theme.  Weather beaten brick walls and tinted windows give it the unique atmosphere of a swaggering ghost of times gone by.  Chef Laura Prentice whips up some of the best pasta dishes you’ll ever taste.

Ottawa

Big Daddy’s Crab Shack and Oyster Bar boasts being the hottest restaurant in Ottawa.  If the crowds laughing and enjoying the ambiance and fun of this restaurant is any hint to their popularity, they must be right.  You’re going to love their Crab Alfredo or Blackened Yellowfin.  You choose, you can’t go wrong with either dish.  In the summer, ask for a table on the outdoors patio.  Who would have guessed the French Quarter of New Orleans was really in Ontario.

Black Cat Café is a soothing wine bar with a noodle bar.  The location will surprise you, but it’s worth the effort to find this quite, even romantic restaurant.  The light pastel walls and wicker chairs sit on warm wooden floors.  Enjoy a glass of Canadian white zinfandel before you partake of their Ginger Lime Shrimp with rice noodles and Asian vegetables.  But, save room for a dark chocolate truffle with a glass of dessert wine.

Claire de Lune, located near the Chateau Laurier, this is believed to be Ottawa’s king of fine dining.  In the summer months the restaurant opens it’s bright blue awnings to the street making way for a French sidewalk cafe.  Using local, fresh ingredients in their dishes of French cuisine, they offer Wild Mushroom Risotto and Spicy Pancetta.

Eggspectations is a trendy breakfast/brunch diner with a delightful solarium surrounding, located in Ottawa.  Their menu offers eggs Benedict in twelve different ways.  But don’t miss out on trying one of their many specialty omelets.  But don’t be fooled, they’re not all eggs.  Their’s meat, fish, pasta, salad, burgers and great desserts and coffee drinks as well.  Their upscale décor features the circus of eggs (Les Cirques des Oeufs).

Euro Star Bistro is owned and run by two Lebanese sisters,  Jeanne d’Arc and Marie “Mama” Antoinette. It’s located on the trendy street Elgin in Ottawa.  They are open 22 hours a day – wow.  The two sisters invite and revel in the different characters that may come bay day or night.  No one is turned away no matter how off-the-wall they may seem.  With that kind of introduction, it’s worth it to go and see who stops by.

Courtyard Restaurant is a massive stone building on George Street in Sussex.  You may enjoy private rooms while dining or choose to eat outdoors on the cobblestone courtyard in nicer weather.  City scenes adorn the outdoor tables.  Eat dessert first, if you dare to order the Maple Sugar Pie.  Then you can start what will be an exquisite meal with Whalesbone Oysters on the half shell and then AAA Angus Striploin – grilled.

Green Papaya Restaurant, located in a building with pealing green paint in Ottawa.  If you can get past the buildings exterior, you will love the rich interior of golds, greens, reds and oranges, full of antiques and tapestries.  Their Indian cuisine is equally as impressive with the favorite  Red Curry Panang as well as milder menu selections.

Ontario’s Hot Restaurants

All of these dining experiences are excellent choices, yet we all have individual tastes.  Whether you choose one or more of these restaurants on your Ontario trip, you are sure to find scads of restaurants that fit your taste to a “T” in any part of this province.  And one more thing to remember, “There’s No Place Like This.”

Travel tip:  Pay less for your hotel room and you’ll have more money to enjoy these fine restaurants in style.  Click here for the hottest hotel deals in Toronto, Ottawa or anywhere else your travel plans call for.

An incredibly worldly city, Toronto a great spot for visiting singles, couples or families. Here’s a look at 50 things to do there after flying in to Pearson International Airport:

1. Visit Canada’s tallest building – the CN Tower.
2. Meander through the corridors, passageways and stables of, Casa Loma.
3. Visit the chic shops and indulgent restaurants in Yorkville.
4. Take in a show at the historical Elgin or Wintergarden theatres on Yonge Street.
5. Get a history lesson at the Royal Ontario Museum.
6. Marvel at the architectural wonders of Union Station.
7. Experience the urban living mecca that is the Manulife Centre, located on Bloor Street West.
8. Find produce from all over the world at Kensington Market.
9. Immerse yourself in the culture and Asian way of life in Chinatown.
10. Shop ’til you drop at the Eaton Centre mall.
11. Tour a Greek Revival row-house at the Mackenzie House.
12. Visit in November to be a part of the enormous Santa Claus Parade.
13. Lose yourself in a museum solely revolving around shoes at the Bata Shoe Museum.
14. Take a day trip on Via Rail.
15. Bust a sweat at the Wellington, an uber-swanky fitness club.
16. Explore the heart of Toronto’s gay and lesbian communities on Church Street.
17. Enjoy a concert or performance at the Sony Centre (formerly the Hummingbird Theatre).
18. Head to the One of a Kind Show and Sale, featuring 750 Canadian Artisans bi-annually.
19. View some of the finest art on the Toronto scene at YYZ Artist’s Outlet.
20. Take in a musical show at Massey Hall.
21. Ice skate in the winter and people watch year-round at Nathan Phillips Square.
22. Re-energize with an oxygen treatment at the O2 Spa Bar.
23. Catch a Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre.
24. Tour the artsy shops of Queen Street West.
25. Live the Greek life in Toronto’s East End’s Greektown.
26. Let the kids loose at the Children’s Own Museum.
27. Tour the maze-like underground Toronto world of The Path.
28. Laugh yourself silly at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Cabaret.
29. Experience a Blue Jay’s game at the retractable-roofed Skydome or a concert at Rogers Centre.
30. Roam through the campus of  University of Toronto.
31. Observe the rich history of Toronto’s Old City Hall.
32. Compare Old City Hall with the architectural advances of New City Hall.
33. Tool through the “hippest address in town,” The Distillery District.
34. Visit the Museum of Television in its brand new location.
35. Check out the largest enclave of Victorian Homes in North America in the Cabbagetown Neighbourhood.
36. Be amazed by the beauty and grace of the National Ballet of Canada.
37. Wander amongst the vast offerings of Yonge Street.
38. Take a break from the hustle and bustle at Toronto Islands Park.
39. Shoot pool at the Andu Pool Hall on College Street.
40. Listen to the glorious sounds of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
41. Head to services at St. Michael’s Cathedral.
42. Watch the animals at the Toronto Zoo.
43. Go medieval at the Medieval Times Dinner Show.
44. Eat pasta  at a restaurant in Little Italy .
45. Spend hours at the entertainment complex and night club, the Sound Academy.
46. Take in a show at the Canon Theatre (formerly the famous Phantom of the Opera’s Pantages Theatre).
47. See lives music at the Horseshoe Tavern.
48. Take in a show at the Canadian Opera Company.
49. Catch your breath at High Park.
50. And don’t forget the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Tip:  Saving money on your hotel means you can afford more activities.  Check out Hotels Cheap for great hotel deals in Toronto.

(Photo via flickr cc)

cc: photo credit: .: Philipp Klinger :.

As the largest city in Canada, Toronto attracts millions of visitors every year. The city can cater to every budget, from world class luxury to bargain-basement budget. It’s easy to find places to go if your pockets have no bottom, but when you’re on a shoestring budget, you might scratch your head and wonder what you can do to stretch your pennies.

Staying at a youth hostel will generally run you between $15 and $30, a fantastic price for a clean bed and some built-in travel buddies. Your fellow hostelers are gold mines: they’re on a budget, too, and will surely know of some great deals for food and travel within the city.

Speaking of travel, Toronto has an excellent public transportation system. Use it. You don’t need to rent a car or hail a cab to get from one place to another. Just grab one of the free maps, figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, and you’ll get there for the cost of the change in your pocket.

Toronto has some great free attractions downtown, and any budget traveller should pay them some serious attention. Kensington Market is a multicultural mix of restaurants, pubs, cafés, thrift shops, and some very colorful people watching spots. Toronto’s China Town is one of the biggest in North America, reflecting the culture and tastes of the city’s eclectic Asian cultures. The Beaches is a great area for people watching as you walk down the boardwalk, play in the sand, or simply enjoy the light reflecting off Lake Ontario.

When you head to Toronto, know that you won’t have to break the bank to have some fun. Just take a good guidebook, an open mind, and the will to try new things.

If the youth hostel doesn’t appeal to you, the cheapest hotels in Toronto (or anywhere) are here.