Kensington Market - south of the Annex - is another "hip" area in Toronto. At one point a Jewish neighborhood, the area is now home to eclectic shops, boutiques, and plenty of places to eat. The eastern border of Kensington Market is Chinatown (which runs primarily along Dundas Street heading eastbound). Kensington Market also hosts Pedestrian Sundays on the last Sunday of each month between May & October, when the streets are closed to vehicular traffic.
Kensington Market & Chinatown are fun places to walk around, and the sidewalks are always bustling. Check out the vintage clothing shops in Kensington before going for some bubble tea or dim sum in Chinatown.
To get there from Bloor Street, you can cut through the UofT campus, to the southwest corner (College & Spadina) and then head a bit further west to Augusta Avenue. If transit is your thing, take the Bloor line westbound to Spadina, followed by the Spadina streetcar southbound to College Street or Dundas Street. You will be transferring to the streetcar line within the station, so no need to get a transfer.
Here are some of our favorite places in Kensington Market:
Bar: Sneaky Dee's (431 College Street). They serve food (brunch, lunch & dinner), so it's not a straight-up pub, but they do have a well-stocked bar and live music to boot.
Restaurant (Casual): Free Times Cafe (320 College Street). Non-kosher, but plenty of Jewish-style food on the menu. Their Sunday brunch includes staples like lox, latkes, and challah... in addition to live klezmer music. They also have tasty Middle Eastern food.
Restaurant (Fancy): La Palette (256 Augusta Avenue). Fresh, seasonal French food with a great wine selection. And unlike most French restaurants, you can find veggie-friendly food here.
Shopping: Bungalow (273 Augusta Avenue). Great vintage wares and sometimes at even better prices. While in college, we found extra-long hand-knit scarves here for $5 apiece.
Pedestrian Sundays
Kensington Market
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