Taste sensation... lunch in The Distillery district.
Try the blueberry bison salami and ice wine, writes Ute Junker.
Favourite flavours
Anything goes in Toronto. One of Canada's most multicultural cities, it offers a smorgasbord of global cuisines, from Albanian to Indian and everything in between.
The local drop
There are 150 wineries in the nearby Niagara region. Companies such as Flat Rock Cellars produce quality rieslings but the region's signature drop is its ice wines - made from grapes frozen on the vine.
Top tables
Two of Toronto's trends - homemade charcuterie and no-reservation restaurants - collide at Black Hoof (928 Dundas Street West, 416 551 8854), which has, perhaps predictably, become one of the hottest tables in town. If you're not fussy about which animal parts you're willing to wrap your mouth around, you'll love superbly prepared offerings such as horse tartare, bone marrow and tongue in brioche. If you're a bit more squeamish, stick with cured meats such as duck prosciutto and blueberry bison salami.
There's more than tea to Red Tea Box (696 Queen Street West, 416 203 8882), although their afternoon tea is one of Toronto's best, with choices ranging from traditional treats to Asian alternatives such as kaffir lime tartlet. The savouries are just as special, from an Asian pulled pork sandwich with lime, green papaya and carrot slaw, to a three-soup salad or bento box featuring Balinese-style braised lamb curry.
Ten per cent of Toronto's population is Indian and Gerrard Street has become the place to go for authentic subcontinental cuisine. Lahore Tikka House (1365 Gerrard Street East, 416 406 1668, lahoretikkahouse.com) offers wonderfully gaudy interiors and fabulous curries but no beer with which to wash it down: the Muslim owners have a no-alcohol policy.
Budget bite
Every Saturday morning at the farmers' markets at the Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenue, 416 596 1495), you'll find what may be the best hot dog in North America. Buddha Dogs (buddhafoodha.com) are made using artisanal breads, homemade sausages, chutneys and cheeses - a budget gourmet treat.
Special night
Rosewater (19 Toronto Street, 416 214 5888, libertygroup.com) has managed to remain a foodie favourite for nearly a decade and not just because its original 1850s interiors make it one of the most beautiful restaurants in town. The menu of updated classics - try the thyme and garlic roasted cornish hen with grilled portobello mushrooms and ricotta gnocchi in natural pan jus - is matched by superlative service, making for a great night out.
Locals love
Summer means enjoying the great outdoors while the weather is good and temperatures average 16-24 degrees Celsius. The Sky Yard, the rooftop bar of the Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West, 416 531 5042, thedrakehotel.ca) is known for its hip crowd, cocktails, film screenings and murals by local artists painted on the adjoining buildings (murals are replaced every nine months).
Don't leave without trying
One of the restaurants in Toronto's historic Distillery District (55 Mill Street, 416 364 1177, thedistillerydistrict.com), one of the city's most atmospheric dining destinations. The brick-lined streets, studded with restored Victorian buildings, are home to an array of galleries, boutiques and dining outlets, including Archeo for pizza and pasta, The Boiler House chophouse and, for fresh seafood, Pure Spirits Oyster House.
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