"Toronto’s notoriously rigid licensing laws were relaxed at the beginning of the pandemic to allow shuttered restaurants, bars and retailers to become bottle shops, selling takeaway alcohol in order to bolster their businesses. A slew of fine new vintners have since opened their doors, including Grape Glass, launched by Nicole Campbell and Krysta Oben in June, which specialises in natural wine."

"The Windsor Arms is a gem. Tucked away in a side alley off bustling Bloor Street, it opened in its current form in 1995 but the historic four-storey red-brick townhouse itself dates back to 1927."

"Brothers Leeto and Leemo Han, who were raised in Philadelphia, opened Oddseoul in 2013. Melding South Korean staples with favourites from their hometown, their small sharing plates are imaginative delights."

"Blurring the lines between retailer and workshop, Kid Icarus allows visitors to observe the screenprinting process while they shop. In addition to the studio’s own line of greeting cards, posters and colouring books, Kid Icarus sells a good range of arts-and-crafts supplies, currently available online to be collected outside the shop."

"The Art Gallery of Ontario (originally the Art Museum of Toronto) boasts one of the largest collections in North America, although only a fraction of its 90,000 pieces are on show at a time. The extensive displays range from painting and photography to sculpture, not to mention Canada’s largest archive of African art."

"Robarts Library, the 1973-built brutalist brainchild of firm Mathers & Haldenby, is a gargantuan 14-storey block of concrete that houses the University of Toronto’s book collection. Despite its hard appearance it has a rather soft nickname – the Peacock – thanks to the resemblance it bears to the bird."