Little Italy Toronto Guide

Little Italy is a stretch of College Street between roughly Bathurst Street and Ossington Avenue, and the honest description is that it is now more a restaurant and nightlife strip than an Italian neighbourhood. Italian families who settled here in the mid twentieth century moved north and west over the years, to areas such as Corso Italia on St Clair Avenue West, but some old cafés and shops remain among the newer bars. The street rewards a slow evening more than a short daytime visit.

A route that fits an afternoon into dinner:

1. College and Bathurst. Start at the eastern end, a short walk from Kensington Market, which makes a natural earlier stop, and orient yourself by the streetcar tracks.
2. The first blocks west. Look at the mix of older shop signs and newer cocktail bars that shows how the area has layered over several decades.
3. An old espresso bar. Café Diplomatico, at College and Clinton, is the best known, with its patio and its long record as the area's meeting place. Order a coffee and look at the street.
4. Clinton and Grace Streets. Turn up either one for a glimpse of the residential houses that sit behind the shops.
5. Palmerston Boulevard. Walk a block north to see one of the city's most admired streets, wide and lined with mature trees and large houses.
6. Back to College for dinner. Choose a trattoria or a pizzeria and sit on a patio if the weather allows. The street has everything from casual to formal.
7. Trinity Bellwoods. After dinner, walk south along Shaw or Crawford Street to the park, or continue on to Queen Street West for a drink.

Reservations are sensible for groups at weekends, because the popular rooms fill early. Menus change, so treat any restaurant you read about as a starting point and check its own site before you set out.

When to come

Evening is the point. During the day a coffee and a short walk are enough, and the street can feel sleepy on weekdays. From late afternoon the patios fill, and on Friday and Saturday nights the street is loud and busy with groups going out. When Italy plays an important football match, the street fills with flags and horns, and in the summer the pavement terraces extend across most blocks. Winter is quieter but still pleasant, with the restaurants warm and less crowded.

The College streetcar, the 506 Carlton, runs along the full length of the strip, so there is no need for a car or to return downtown. If you are staying in the downtown core, board the streetcar at College subway station or walk west from Kensington.

Who it suits, and what to skip

One caution about expectations: the street is not a museum of Italian life, and the best experience comes from choosing one or two places and staying a while. Locals tend to linger over a long dinner, then walk it off in the park or along the side streets, which is a rhythm to borrow.

Little Italy suits travellers who prefer a living street over a monument, and who plan dinner as the central event. It is also a sensible choice for a group with different tastes, since the street covers several cuisines beyond Italian. It is less useful for anyone who needs a landmark every hour or who expects a historic Italian quarter on the model of an Italian city. Skip any plan to tick the district off in a single quick pass, and do not plan a big museum session on the same day.

If you are comparing neighbourhood dining areas, our food guide sets College Street against the Danforth and Chinatown. For a livelier late night, check the nightlife guide.