Some Toronto questions for a first timer

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Hi there!

Headed to Toronto in February 2005 for a long weekend. We are staying at the Sheraton Centre...

1. Quickest way from airport?
2. Cheapest way?

We are arriving around 10pm Thursday...leaving around noon Monday.

Any great restaurants/galleries/etc that are off the beaten path?

As for the Sheraton, any room floors, styles, etc that should be considered? Is the Club level worth the points?

Thanks so much for your insights!

Quickest Way:


Airport Limousine: Fixed price 40 -45 C$ for the car, they are standing outside of arrivals area. Very efficient and reliable


Cheapest way:

Airport Express Bus: Stops at major downtown hotels ( Sheraton is part of it), costs 13 C$ per person, runs every 30 minutes I think, but do not know until which time in the evening since you are only arriving at 10 PM

Would recommend Airport Limousine

Thanks so much. Do you have to reserve that in advance or just hail when we arrive?

jen,

The airport limosines are right outside the terminals, and are usually in a different lineup then the taxis, shuttle buses. Careful, because some are actually taxis, and will charge by the meter. The real airport limos (usually Caddys or Lincoln Towncars) charge you a zone fare (flat rate) depending on your destination, and you should inquire when you get in the car, what the fare will be. Here's one limosine service that we frequently use, and find them very reliable. And you can ask the guard at the lineup at the terminal to request one for you, if there isn't one already waiting in line. Also you can reserve one, and check rates in advance, by calling their 24 hour toll free number. The company is called "Airline Limosines", and their cars are easily recognized by their license plates, which all have "FLY" and the car number on the plates.

Here's the link: www.airlinelimo.com

Also the bus service, as mentioned in the above post, is a good inexpensive way to get to and from the airport to your hotel, but at a later hour the service frequency may not be too often.

bj-21.

Thanks so much!

Hi there.

T.O. is my home town, and so I may be able to offer some suggestions.

'Canoe' is a restaurant on the 52 floor of the TD Centre (King & Bay business district). It's close to the Sheraton. Canoe offers a great view of the Toronto Island, and the fare is outstanding, but on the expensive side. A cheaper alternative to lunch/dinner there is sitting by the window seats in the bar for drinks. Martinis will run you about $10 CAD. Definitely make advance reservations for lunch or dinner, and check the opening times as it used to be closed on weekends as it caters to the Financial District types. 66 Wellington St W 416-364 0054

'Lounge' is another place that is getting some good word of mouth. It's on Bloor Street (North of the Sheraton)...not walkable. Big couches and groovy people. ( I don't know the address/ph number)

Finally : *JK* (after chef Jamie Kennedy, a Toronto gastronomic icon...not the experiment guy). Menu changes everyday, depending on what's fresh and how JK feels. Portions are all appetiser size to encourage grazing and sharing. (ie: Burgers are marginally larger than a silver dollar, with homemade bun to match). 9 Church Street 416 362 2532

Hope this helps.

[QUOTE=blackjack-21]jen,

The airport limosines are right outside the terminals, and are usually in a different lineup then the taxis, shuttle buses. Careful, because some are actually taxis, and will charge by the meter. The real airport limos (usually Caddys or Lincoln Towncars) charge you a zone fare (flat rate) depending on your destination, and you should inquire when you get in the car, what the fare will be. ]

Blackjack-21 and jen:

I realize this is a month-old thread (so jen might not be following it anymore), but I'm not sure Blackjack-21's answer is completely correct.

At the airport, there are easy-to-find lines outside the arrivals area for "limos" and "taxis". Both are served by town cars (the regular metered taxis aren't allowed to pick people up in this area). You'll get charged a flat rate if you take a car from either the taxi or limo line-up, but you'll get charged about $10 more if you pick up one from the limo line-up. I have no idea why. (I've only taken a limo a few times - by accident or because there was a long line of people in the taxi line with no taxis and no one in the limo line-up). Stand in the taxi line-up, wait for a town car (probably no more than a few minutes' wait) and ask them the fare when you get in. It should be in the range of $40-45. They take credit cards, but there are a few bank machines in the public part of the arrivals hall.

When you leave to go back to the airport, call Maple Leaf Taxi (a regular metered taxi service, but generally the most clean and professional of the bunch IMO) at 416 465 5555. Ask the dispatcher to quote you a flat rate to go to the airport. It should be in the range of $30-40 (I'm not sure exactly what zone the Sheraton is in; I used to pay about $34 from a spot a little further north, but I think the rates might have increased a little in the last few months). You can order a car service for pick-up, but Maple Leaf is decent and probably $10-15 cheaper.

And be sure to visit the Bata Shoe Museum at Bloor and St George. A fun, interesting museum where they have done some serious scholarship about footwear, culture and society (the exhibits on aboriginal footwear, footbinding, etc are fascinating). And, of course, they have a great gift shop.

Thanks so much for the updates...I've been crazy with the Holidays...but I'm in Toronto mode now.

Any other suggestions?

I have lived in TO for a long time. There are godzillions of restaurants, and a great many great restaurants. But it all depends on what you like to eat, whether decor and ambiance are critical for you, how much you want to spend, whether your life revolves around food (i.e. how far you are willing to travel for an interesting dining experience), are you interested to try new things, etc. This is a VERY cosmopolitan city. Some of the most interesting places (IMO) are outside of the city, although some are inside. You have lots of good choices, but you need to give us some clues about what you want to eat.

Well actually there is a difference between limos and taxis. Unlike taxis in the city the airport taxis are generally full size cars, sometimes town cars but more often a Crown Vic or a Marquis or simillar. The taxis are, as a rule, older and the standards are not as strictly enforced, you may (or more realisticallly will) get a dirty cab or one in not great condition (I've had one with a cracked windsheild for example). The limos are always late model Lincolns or Cadillacs with leather seats a uniformed driver and more likely a radio and cell phone free ride. It's a matter of taste if you think this is worth 10 bucks.

The other thing to be aware of is that in bad weather, and especially later at night the wait for a taxi or a limo at the airport can at times be very long indeed, I've had to wait in excess of an hour on more than one occassion although granted this has not been recent and I think things have improved.

Not always the most practical advice for someone staying at a big hotel but good advice for a residence or other small location (and keep in mind that Maple Leaf is essentially an east end company, if you are much west of University Ave they will usually have a longer wait for them as you will only have drivers on fares available rather than someone waiting at a nearby stand) yes you can call a specific cab company to a big hotel but it's a bit like swimming upriver, especially if the drivers waiting at the hotel don't take kindly to it (and generally they won't). Maple Leaf is the company I use too, they went through a bad patch a few years ago where Beck was a much better company but they seem to have fixed that. The only company I avoid specifically is co-op because almost all of their cabs are natural gas powered and therefore allowed to be on the road for 7 years instead of 4 for the regular cabs, it's now been 5 years since the new rules came in force and the co-op cabs are falling apart where everyone else has newer cabs. Just ask the bellman to get you a cab with a flat rate to the airport.

First off, thanks so much for all the patient help. We are staying at the Sheraton Centre. We love good food, decore usually isn't an issue...if the restaurant is pricey, that's OK, then we hope its quiet so we can relax and enjoy. Loud is good if it is inexpensive, and hole in the wall takeout is good too, especially after a lot of shopping.

In Vancouver last year, we spent so much on Boxing Week sales, we lived in Noodle Houses to make up for it in our budget.

We are quite adventurous in what we eat. Any seafood is great...any oriental as well...no need for Italian though, we live forty miles from NYC...there's tons of good cheap Italian food here. If possible, we like to get great dishes that stink in the places here. For example, there's nowhere outside of NYC close to me where I can get good Thai food...I tend to get that at least once during a getaway.

Decor-wise, trendy for the sake of trendy isn't worth it to us. We were never the "too cool for the room" types. I'd rather a tiny place with amazing food.

Because we are used to NYC prices, any tab under $100 for two for dinner won't shock us, and that's without alcohol. If a place is amazing and hugely expensive, we try to go there for lunch to save $$$, and then find a noodle house for dinner.

Back to the airport issues, we are flying Jetsgo (can't beat $55 each way, no matter what) so I don't know if that effects our choices, based on what Terminal we arrive in.

Once again, thanks so much for all of your help. Feel free to pick my brain for restaurants in NYC or at the Jersey Shore.



Jen

The "Tundra" in Hilton Toronto has very nice food. Canadian cuisine, as they labeled themselves. Rustic stuff but in a gourmet setting.
There's a restaurant near the Sheraton (I think one block or so west of University) called the Monsoon. Nice fusion.
Walk up the old China Town (Dundas and Spadina) area and go into an authentic Chinese restaurant (just follow where the Chinese go). Toronto's Chinatown is much better than NYC's in terms of food quality.
Another road less traveled, take the subway (Sheraton is at Queen station on Yonge train, go north and change to Bloor train, get off at Pape) to Pape (or Chester) and walk around there. Go into one of the ethnic restaurants there.
I'd definitely take a "limo" into the city. Not much more than a cab but lots nicer.
Enjoy YYZ!

Try the "Whistling Oyster". Very inspired sea food experience, pretty yuppie atmosphere. $$$, so not too bad. Tons of great stuff to eat...It's near Skydome, I think on John St, but any telephone book will tell you...

Pretty close to Sheraton, but in Feb a taxi will be must-have if you're during a cold snap....

First a warning, there is a BAD chain steakhouse in the Sheraton called the Bifteque, avoid it.

OK, the Sheraton is directly across the street from City Hall with the public square in front with a public ice rink. Walk through the square bearing left and walk beside city hall. You will come out by the exit of the underground parking lot. on Chesnut Street. Just a little further along to the north and across the street is the Metropolitain Hotel which contain Lai Wah Heen which is an excellent top end Dim Sum restaurant, some claim the best in North America, bring money. http://www.metropolitan.com/lwh/

For Thai in a nice atmoshpere I like Young Thailand on Church Street at Lombard (a short walk east and south from the hotel) or Bangkok Gardens on Elm Street (just of Yonge Street on Elm Street, one block north of the Eaton Centre). Or if you prefer a little noise and crowding and a lower price the Salad King on Gould Street just off Yonge, again just a block north of the Eaton Centre but on the opposite side of the street, it's next door to the Ryerson University Campus and is always packed. I also like Real Thailand on Bloor near Spadina.

Some Toronto highlights:

Second City (get discount tickets at the half price ticket window at Dundas Square beside the Eaton Centre shopping mall), skating at Nathan Phillips Square across the street from your hotel, walk through Chinatown closeby (try New Ho King Restaurant). I've also heard the Skydome Tour is very cool along with the Hockey Hall of Fame, a must see.

Just a couple thoughts.

Have fun.

neilmactor