by Jennifer D'Agostino
The holiday season is upon us! Get ready for 24 days of festive food and drinks as we countdown to Christmas Day. From eggnog lattes, holiday cocktails and where to get your peppermint fix this year, we’ve got the deets on all the holiday eats in Toronto! [Photo of the Toronto Christmas Market Beer Garden by Jennifer D'Agostino]
The cold weather is here, so drop by Riverdale Perk Café for your seasonal latte fix! The eggnog latte is a fan-favourite, and will satisfy your craving for holiday flavours. The cozy corner café is the perfect place to start making your holiday list.
Todmorden Mills is hosting Christmas in the Valley, an homage to the Christmas traditions of the 1890s, and of course, it includes old timey food! Take a trip back in time, and grab some classic treats from the days of yore. With every item baked in a historic kitchen, these eats are the real deal.
Stop by the infamous Mad Batter Bakers for your gingerbread fix! This bakery has gained quite the reputation for its adorable gingerbread men, women and kids. Impeccably decorated, the cookies come in all shapes and sizes, including snowmen and mittens. It is the perfect afternoon pick me up!
Impress your family and friends this holiday season with your baking prowess! George Brown College offers a hands-on class that guides you through the basics in making the perfect traditional Christmas cookies. Learn how to make decorated sugar cookies, cranberry pistachio icebox cookies and more!
Shangri-La’s Nutcracker High-Tea service is back this year! The menu is filled with festive treats like chocolate and ginger scones, vanilla and peppermint panna cotta and a selection of luxe finger sandwiches. The tea gets into the holiday spirit too with offerings like Rose Ginger Sencha, Apple Orange Crumble and Spiced Chamomile. Plus, it comes with a glass of prosecco or an elderflower fizz mocktail. Reservations are recommended.
Head to the centre of the city for the ultimate holiday cocktails. There’s an ice bar right in Nathan Phillips Square as a part of the Holiday Fair. Stop by The Polar Point Resto-Lounge tent for a cocktail while you take in the sights and sounds of the market.
Don’t forget to stop by Wanda’s Pie in the Sky. The pie shop is offering a selection of traditional cookies again this year, like linzer cookies, gingerbread and more! All the cookies are made in-house and impeccably baked. You can grab a couple for yourself, or pre-order a platter for your holiday party.
If you head to one of Butter Avenue’s locations, you can get your hands on the limited edition candy cane macaron! Indulge in your favourite holiday flavour, with a Parisian flare. The macaron cookie is made with traditional almond flour and is coloured with those classic white and red stripes, filled with peppermint cream.
You’re already prepping for your own family dinner, but why not have a pre-holiday dinner at Montgomery’s Inn? Fill you plate with traditional holiday foods from the Jane Austen era. Guests will feast on roast goose, mincemeat pies and other dishes from that period at the historical museum.
Sunday is always brunch day in Toronto and this holiday season you can have brunch with the man in red himself – Santa! Mariposa Cruise lines host a buffet brunch and a two-hour cruise of Toronto Harbour. Kids will be able to take a photo with Santa and get a goodie bag!
Start the work week off with a power lunch at Carbon Bar. The southern-themed restaurant celebrates the season with a special holiday lunch menu all month long! The menu features the restaurant’s signature southern cuisine like pulled pork tacos, fried chicken sandwiches, blackened sea bass and more.
Swing by Mary McLeod’s bakery on Queen East for some of the best shortbread in the city. All her shortbread is made by hand, and is the perfect gift for co-workers, family members and friends. Shapes include candles, snowmen and angels. You can grab one of the holiday gift boxes, complete with holly and ribbon! Mary McLeod’s also sells Hanukkah-shaped shortbread.
Bobbette & Belle is one of the best bakeries in the city, so you should make plans to check out its holiday menu. Everything on the menu is worth trying at least once. This year, holiday offerings include decorative cookies, gingerbread men, chocolate covered almonds, peppermint bark, salted caramel, a chocolate hazelnut spread and more!
Head to the East End for the ultimate holiday drink: mulled wine. You’ll find the traditional warm and spicy libation at The Toronto Christmas Market in the Beer Garden. The spiced wine is also known as gluhwein, and is prepared with cloves, cinnamon sticks, aniseed, citrus and vanilla. While you’re there you might as well grab a smoked turkey leg from Mill Street Beer Hall.
Grab your nautical gear and the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find, and head down to the harbourfront! Mariposa Cruises celebrates the holidays with loads of gourmet food, festive cocktails and a three-hour tour through Toronto Harbour. Plus, there will be an ugly Christmas sweater and Santa costume contest.
Colette Grand Café is serving some serious holiday cocktails this year. If you love mint, try the Candy Cane Crush, a cocktail with tequila, Cointreau, lime, cranberry juice, Crème de Menthe and a candy cane salt rim! If you’re looking for a stiff drink, try Slaybells, made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Capo Capo, Domaine du Canton, lemon juice and pear bitters.
If you’re cooking up a vegan feast this year, stop by the Toronto Vegan Winter Market. All the top vegan food establishments like Tori’s Bakeshop, Yam Chops, and Chocosol will be on hand to help you plan out the ultimate vegan dinner. Sample the wares, and decide what you want to bring home to the table this holiday season.
If you haven’t already, now’s the time to get your reservations in for Christmas dinner! There are loads of restaurants to choose from including Royal York Hotel, Café Boulud, Azure and more! Diners can expect a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s, as well as new twists on Christmas culinary traditions. If you want to get a table, you better book it now!
Have you been scouring the shops looking for unique gifts this year? You should check out chocolate artist David H. Chow’s Instagram feed for inspiration. From chocolate ornaments, to towering Christmas trees, David H. Chow is a master at creating custom chocolate treats! His social media details what’s in stock and where to find his masterpieces.
It’s not too late to reserve your Buche de Noel at Raihier Patisserie. Whether you’re a chocolate or vanilla lover, the pastry chefs have something for everyone’s tastes. You can order custom decorations too. Whichever you pick it is sure to be a favourite on your dessert table.
Now’s the time to order a fresh turkey to-go! This year, the Royal York Hotel is doing all the hard work for you. The fully cooked turkeys are Ontario raised and roasted with onion sage stuffing. The meal comes with roasted butternut squash, Royal York cranberry sauce, herbed roasted chateau potatoes, maple glazed root vegetables and pumpkin tarts for dessert!
Start your holiday celebrations a little early with an epic night at Gladstone Hotel. The annual 12 Beers of the Holidays is back and boasts beers from some of the best breweries in the city. Come in your ugliest Christmas sweater, bring friends, and celebrate with 12 of the top breweries! Did we mention there will be live music?
Grab the family and head to Evergreen Brick Works for the Winter Village! There will be flavourful bites from local food trucks like Fully Loaded T.O., Born2Eat and Arepa Republic. At the Sipping Container you will find craft beer, hot apple cider, a selection of teas and more! There will be cozy campfires to help keep warm and you can roast s’mores!
Grab a last-minute gift for the foodies in your life at SOMA (and maybe a little treat for yourself, too). SOMA’s holiday treats this year include gingerbread toffee, panettone, hot chocolate, chocolate salami and more! Or, if you can’t decide, you can always get The Box of Plenty, the ultimate gift package with all of Soma’s holiday offerings!
Happy Holidays!
