11 Best Shopping in Toronto, Ontario

This Torontonian start-up has hit the nail on the head, providing stylish men's clothes—Tiger of Sweden, Sand Copenhagen, and John Varvatos—to residents of the city's downtown condos. This huge airy branch carries ladies' clothing as well, including brands like Melissa Nepton, Soia & Kyo, and Hilary MacMillan. Head up to the lush purple-carpeted mezzanine level for business and evening wear and a round on the purple pool table.

You can almost satisfy your sweet tooth just by inhaling the delicate wafts of chocolate, dried fruits, and roasted nuts in this gourmet chocolate shop that specializes in fair-trade ingredients. Big sellers include truffles, mango chili and raspberry fruit bars, and gelato. For something different, try the Bicerin, a thick mixture of melted chocolate, espresso, and whipped cream.

Nearly 70 vendors occupy the historic permanent indoor market and sell items such as fish, meats, produce, caviar, and crafts. The building, on the south side of Front Street, was once Toronto's first city hall. The best time to visit is early on Saturday from 5 am, when there's a farmers' market in the building on the north side. Get there after 9 and it quickly becomes the worst time to visit.

Founded in 1979, Corkin Gallery is one of the most fascinating in the city with its mission to showcase art spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. The gallery’s unique, industrial space complements the experience of viewing its roster of artists, such as Barbara Astman and David Urban, and spanning media from painting to photography, sculpture, and mixed media.

Most of the reasonably priced jewelry at this Distillery District shop is Canadian-designed, and all of it is unique and handmade. Pieces range from inexpensive glass-and-silver pendants to Swiss-made stainless steel rings and pricier pieces set with pearls and other semiprecious stones.

One of the city’s longest-running rare bookstores occupies a nondescript brick building overflowing with more than 50,000 titles dating from the Renaissance to the present day. Family owned and operated since 1978, you will be astounded by the innumerable variety of books that cover every inch of this building ranging from art to fiction, travel to politics. Knowledgeable and friendly staff are ready to recommend fascinating reads. D & E Lake also specializes in selling fine art, coins, and modern and vintage maps and posters—all as impressive as the shop’s book collection.

Browse traditional, as well as contemporary and even avant-garde art from the Canadian Arctic—a far cry from the traditional whale carvings and stone-cut prints you may expect—at this family-owned gallery founded in 1961.

Flatiron’s Christmas Market is the only year-round Christmas store in Old Town Toronto and is one of the oldest gift shops in the neighborhood. The owners are proud supporters and members of the LGBTQ+ community; their small shop is packed full of imported and handmade European Christmas decorations, as well as off-season gifts such as Canadian souvenirs, home decor, and more. Its novelty and cute offerings have attracted celebrity clientele such as Liza Minnelli, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Halle Berry—this is the perfect spot to buy small and unique gifts for your loved ones back home.

For more than 10 years, HAVEN has been the go-to shop for premium and modern men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, as well as hard-to-find Japanese labels such as Junya Watanabe, NEEDLES, and KAPITAL. The store occupies an expansive, 1,500-square-foot, light-filled space with soaring ceilings and knowledgeable, friendly staff. Exclusively available in store is HAVEN’s namesake brand; inspired by classic Canadian designs, it offers utilitarian clothing in cotton, wool, and Gore-Tex to complement the country’s climate.

Fluevog's funky shoes are perfectly displayed in this roughly converted high-ceilinged industrial space. The building was once the distillery boiler house, which explains the three-story brick oven that takes up a third of the floor-space, and the safety ladder leading to an overhead catwalk. Take a seat on the stunning embossed leather couch when trying on the fun, quirky merchandise.

Canada's biggest auction house hosts more than 100 auctions every year, in person and online. They feature Canadian and international fine art, including many prestigious collector and catalogue auctions; in addition, special auctions include Indigenous art, jewelry, and decorative arts.