things to do in toronto
 

i will be flying through YYZ next week with a 6-hour layover. does anyone know whether this is enough time to go to downtown area? are there any recommended restaurants/pubs/taverns in downtown that will get me all prepared to the long-haul flight afterwards? what is the best way to avoid any traffic congestion? is there an efficient public transportation system between Pearson and downtown?
i'll appreciate any comment and suggestion

No, 6 hours is a little too tight to go to downtown, especially with rush hour traffic. If you do want to leave the airport, there are quite a few eateries around the airport area. I can recommend some if you indicate your preference.

thanks, student. i think i will prefer an all-american type cuisine. i get to toronto at about 6 pm and leave at 11:55 pm. figure this should be a good time to have a decent dinner before the flight. btw - do you have any clue as to the quality of food served onboard AC? i think i am arriving at terminal 1 and flying from terminal 2 to europe (or vice versa...) it'll be great if you could recommend on anything that you may think of in regards to my expected YYZ experience.
thaks in advance

If you are flying to Europe then it's vice versa, T2 is flights to/from the US, T1 is all other flights, European flights don't leave from T1 directly, you check in and clear security at T1 then take a bus to an infield terminal.

Remember you have to clear customs on entry to Canada, assume that will take half an hour, then you need to be back at the airport and checked in before the cutoff at 9:55 (yes, the cutoff is two hours) so you have at most, 3 hours and a bit to work with, assuming no delays, if you take the bus/subway downtown that will take pretty much an hour each way, again assuming no delays. Leaving you just over an hour to find a restaurant, get a meal and turn around and get back on the subway. Yes it can be done but I personally wouldn't recommend it.

The restaurant situation at Pearson is pretty dismal unfortunately but I don't think you have much choice.

thanks bytepusher. do you know of anything worthwhile in a nearby location?