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    Harbourfront Centre

    4.1 (74 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Services - Harbourfront Centre

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    Carly W.

    Seeking a little low-key meandering, we decided to start our day at Harbourfront Centre. STAR #1 - Great views of the inner harbor, the Toronto Islands, and the Toronto skyline. There's a path/boardwalk that hugs the shore and allows you to stretch your legs while taking in the scenery. Did I mention you can watch planes land at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport? Well, you can, and that's pretty cool for the aviation geek in all of us. STAR #2 - There are several parks (Harbour Square Park and Ann Tindal Park), and even beaches (HTO Beach) complete with sand and umbrellas, along the shore where you can kick back and relax or play with your furry friend. STAR #3 - Tons of fun businesses, including The Power Plant (a contemporary art museum), Amsterdam Brewhouse (brewery, duh), Tim Horton's (coffee, duh), and more! It's definitely meant for exploring. STAR #4 - It's free! There's no admission to take it all in. So if you're seeking just a walk and soaking up the local flavor, you're set! If you're seeking out something to do for the day, many options are at your fingertips here. I'd have to agree with other reviewers that there's easily something for everyone at Harbourfront Centre. So don't skip it! **Pro Tip: Be warned that it can get pretty chilly here, even on a warm day. After all, it is right next to a large body of water. So a light coat or sweater is always nice to have!

    Montage of images from Harbourfront Centre
    Ed U.

    You would think a city as cosmopolitan as Toronto would have a more enterprising lakeshore area to attract unsuspecting tourists like me. But maybe it's just as well there aren't flashy casinos or exclusive resorts that dot the city shoreline. It's just a brief boardwalk area anchored by a large building that houses a non-profit organization with a theater, a market, a performance space, and just a few places to eat. Pretty low-key with colorful Adirondack chairs provided along the way for resting and enjoying the view of the Toronto Islands. If you're feeling particularly nasty, you can get a beaver tail as you stare at the CN Tower (photo: http://bit.ly/31LAnqU). It's not what you think, it's like a flattened funnel cake. RELATED - Traveling to Toronto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2LETSfV

    Distance to places by the pier
    Mary T.

    My rating is 3.5 stars. I'm rounding up. I don't visit Harbourfront Centre all that often, simply due to distance. I come whenever there is the Vegetarian Foodfest or some other cool event. Earlier this month, we had a team event at work. We were here on a boat cruise. I got here a bit early and decided to walk around. Growing up in the Beaches area of Toronto, it felt like home being close to Lake Ontario. I walked around the pier, looking at the various ships and boats, and soaking up the beauty all around. I also went into The Terminal to check out the shops. Naturally, Timmy's was buzzing with activity and a lineup. I liked the Toronto Book Garden, which is just before you enter the main doors to The Terminal. It has the names of literary greats on the brick pathway as you walk. The flowers were also gorgeous! If I lived closer to this area, I'd be here more often, likely stuffing myself with a beavertail and riding a bike. It's beautiful. I enjoyed being down here as a tourist in my hometown. (184)

    Scott L.

    Great place to go sailing or learn how to kayak on a warm June day. We took a cruise, but really not worth any more than the ferry.

    Sarah S.

    Highlight of my time at Harbourfront Centre: it's a toss up between the honeybadger-like-man playing the random piano and just relaxing on the waterfront watching the planes. I think I spent an hour chilling out on a bench at the Harbourfront Centre. When the weather is nice, it's so nice to unwind while watching planes both small & large land at the airport over the water. It's a great place for people watching, as well! There was absolutely no one there on a Thursday morning and I kind of liked it that way. The occasional jogger or couple strolled by us, plus of course the eccentric gentleman playing the piano (so cute), but overall it was pretty desolate.

    Great city views.
    Austin G.

    Every good city has access to water and Harbourfront Centre celebrates that in Toronto. It's a new development on Lake Ontario that stretches a good while making it a great spot to stroll. As you walk along the water, you'll notice amazing views of the CN Tower. In addition, there's shops, restaurants, and cafes inviting you to stay awhile.

    Mexican day of the dead festival
    Denise S.

    Gotta give props to the Harbourfront Centre for always keeping things interesting, diverse, and FREE!! I discovered the Harbourfront Centre in high school when I came for the Canada Day celebrations and found out about their summer weekend festivals (e.g. Hot & Spicy Food Fest, Francofete, Iranian Fest, Ritmo y Color, etc.). Always bustling with energy and lots of performances (music, dance, theatre) as well as cooking demos, a market area, crafts for the kiddies, film screenings, art exhibits, etc. Where else would I have the chance to see Indonesian shadow puppets or try a free flamenco class? I have been to some awesome free outdoor concerts here over the years, including Feist, Esthero, K'Naan and Patrick Watson. The programmers and curators here really do a great job. Most people probably only come here in the summer, but there's also a lot going on year-round. Some things I have checked out included Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, Vegetarian Food Fest, International Festival of Authors (Douglas Coupland gave a talk about Marshall McLuhan), Ontario Dance Weekend (every January). The skating rink is nice in the winter and on selected Saturdays there's a DJ! Admittedly, it's much quieter (sometimes dead) in the off-season, but it rewards anyone willing to explore. You can definitely come here and make a day out of it. The gift shop has some great stuff and then there's the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery next door. Food options are the only thing that is a bit weak... There's the nearby Queens Quay Terminal that has a Sobey's, Il Fornello, and Watermark Irish Pub. In the summer, the best thing is to just grab something from one of the stands (e.g. churros!) and have a picnic, possibly on H20 beach. For free cultural happenings and Canadian content, the Harbourfront Centre can't be beat!

    Jennifer K.

    I have not been to Harbourfront Centre ever until this Summer. It is a little out of the way for me since I live in the Suburbs. But with all the events they held this Summer, I decided to make the trek down. Nice to walk around when the weather is nice. Live entertainments, exhibitions and events every week during summer. I think I would come down more often next year if there are more interesting events.

    Amazing self-portrait
    Tamara H.

    Stumbled into this place by accident while we were looking for indoor washrooms and we are so happy we did! Walking through the centre, we got to see students creating art in different workshop/open classroom areas, which then led to a free, awesome art exhibit! This was great news to us, as we had just visited AGO and the exhibit we wanted to check out was sold out. The art exhibit was focused around self-portraits and most were truly stunning. We spent a good hour walking around checking out the Canadian portraits. There's a box for donations, which I think is a great initiative. Worth checking out if in the area and what's great is they have an indoor seating area and clean washrooms. Right outside is the Harbourfront, a beautiful area to walk around in the sunshine and with a view of Toronto's CN tower in the background.

    My lovely view upon walking on the boardwalk on the Harbourfront.
    Michelle S.

    I just love coming here in the summer and just take a walk on the Harbourfront boardwalk. It's just so filled with Toronto's diversity and life, along with different types of free entertainment. In the summer they have different types of festivals going on, people selling you stuff, and food. And in the winter time they have the ice rink for ice skating. It's just so filled with life. Coming here in the summer is my thing, and just enjoying the sun while looking at the water (not jumping in it though). It's good to take a breather every now and then just take a break from the city life. Just enjoy the tranquility while you sip on a beer by the patio. I'll really miss doing this in the winter...

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    9 years ago

    Interesting place to visit and see free shows. Only thing you have to pay for is the food and parking.

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    9 years ago

    Beautiful location, nice venue, I would recommend. They could just improve the sound for concerts however.

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    Harbourfront Centre Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Harbourfront Centre

    My most favourite thing to do dung the summer months is going cancoeing and during the winter is ice skating.

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    Storys Building - Food passed around - Photo by Captured by Ivan

    Storys Building

    (6 reviews)

    Entertainment District, Downtown Core

    **Christmas Cheers with a Touch of Glam**…read more Celebrated a Christmas party at Storys Building, and the experience was a mix of luxury, fun, and high energy. The first two floors are dedicated to dinner seating, while the third floor hosts parties and gatherings. The space worked, but with the number of people invited, it felt a bit tight -- something to keep in mind for larger groups. The vibe was fantastic. Drinks were expertly crafted, the bartenders were attentive, and a DJ kept the energy flowing in the background. As the night progressed, everyone hit the dance floor, and the party truly came alive. Bathrooms were plentiful and well-maintained, and the thoughtful touch of wellness kits in the ladies' room added a hint of luxury. One minor hiccup was the coat check -- it was a bit congested and struggled to accommodate all the coats. But my biggest suggestion for improvement would be the addition of an elevator. Climbing three floors in heels and dresses proved challenging for many, and an elevator would make the space more accessible without taking away from its elegance. Overall, Storys Building delivers a lively, luxurious, and memorable party experience. The energy, drinks, and attention to detail make it a spot worth revisiting -- just come prepared for a little stair workout if you're headed to the third floor.

    I recently came here for a corporate cocktail hour as a guest and the top floor space is fantastic…read more Lovely rustic building set up with standing tables, well spaced out to include a 360 photo booth, taco station, bar and check in area. I put a pair of sunglasses in my backpack's front pocket, I fully expected it to be crushed during coat check. The staff voluntarily assured me that they would make sure it was protected. I've been to other events where the coat check staff had lost my jacket, so the extra care on my belongings added to the positive experience. The staff there were pleasant and even remembered my face when I checked out my coat on the way out. The hors d'oeuvres were great, I enjoyed everything I tried, like the mini sliders, fried chicken, and bruschetta. We also had a taco station that was good too. I didn't expect any less since they are under the same hospitality group as Byblos and Patria, which I've dined at before and enjoyed. The biggest plus is the location, at the heart of the Entertainment District. It's close to many offices and the Financial District. Our cocktail hour ended in 2hrs but there are plenty of bars nearby to extend the get together for another drink. For example, Grace O'Malley's is just across the street and not too busy to grab a seat on a weekday night.

    Malaparte

    Malaparte

    (10 reviews)

    Entertainment District, Downtown Core

    I hosted my wedding here. The venue is beautiful and the food is very good. However, the…read morefrustration dealing with the venue from an operations perspective was so immense that I will never host an event here again. As a few examples of mismanagement of our event: Not informing our guests of the silent vegetarian option despite providing allergy list, overcharging us on our final bill incorrectly but insisting it was correct, sending our event info (with our personal information visible) to another party without an apology, chasing us for payment on dates that did not align with our contract. The level of unprofessionalism is appalling for a venue of this scale, but what pushed things over the top was the dismissive attitude that Derek took towards our concerns. As an example, when raising concerns that our final invoice matching our estimate exactly was impossible, Derek disregarded it as a "happy coincidence" despite further investigation showing that the venue had just billed us wrong. This type of tone, and lack of accountability, was consistent in all our communications with him. Mistakes happen, but the flippant attitude that Derek spoke to us with incredibly insulting. Had I known management was like this, we would have picked a different venue.

    Had my brothers wedding here. Food was amazing and overall vibes of the venue were top notch…read more Although a bit pricy, very memorable moment and would love to host events here one day!

    Ontario Heritage Centre - From http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca

    Ontario Heritage Centre

    (1 review)

    Downtown Core

    Built in 1909, this former financial building is now a pretty nifty event space. I came in here for…read morea "360 Screenings" Halloween event for the screening of the Exorcist, and 360 Screenings makes it a point to host their events in "heritage buildings" around Toronto and the Ontario Heritage Centre falls right in to that categoy. While the website states that they have one of the last manually operated elevators city, I was unfortunately not able to be able to check that out. But I did get a chance to check out their Oval Boardroom and the gallery downstairs where the movie was screened. unfortunaly the event was pretty low lit (you know being Halloween and all) so I wasn't able to really admire the venue, but it seemed great for a medium sized event (I'm not great at guessing numbers but I'd say 150-ish people). The Oval Boardroom amongst a few other smaller rooms was where we spent an hour or so with actors who would act out specific scenes from the movie. It is definitely a very interesting space, again, I didn't get a chance to really walk around to see what some of the items that were a part of the Heritage Centre's deco were like, but there seemed to be a few interesting looking frames around. I'm not sure who catered the food, so I can't really speak for any of the actual venues food, we didn't have hor d'oeuvre served which is usually the case for 360 screenings, so I'm not sure if that was due to the venue or our event hosts. I would like to come and check this space out during the day when I would have a better chance to check it out, but until that happens the Ontario Heritage Centre has a fan in me!

    The Majestic Pearl Ballroom - Great Setup!!

    The Majestic Pearl Ballroom

    (20 reviews)

    Entertainment District, Downtown Core

    We were desperately looking for a venue last minute for my Mothers One Year memorial. We originally…read moreset out to have it in our backyard but due to the heavy rain all week long, we had to find a place in less than 48 hours. As Urgent as this was, we received a response almost immediately from an inquiry request from Andrew. We set up a walk through tour of the facility for the next day. This Banquet Hall is within a "strip mall" like building. To my surprise, there are multiple Banquet rooms (4 rooms total) that they have to offer accordingly to your guest count. ALL of the rooms are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Clean, spacious, and up to date renovations that surely will impress you and your guests. They offer a variety of packages & work with multiple vendors to make it your one stop shop. The Venue is located in a good area & the Pricing point is shockingly affordable. I say shockingly bc you would expect for the way this venue is set up to be far more costly than what it is. They have a good sized on site kitchen for use. Multiple small office rooms to use for party purposes (if available and upon request). Clean spacious bathrooms. Handicap accessible on the top floor. They do not have a ramp or elevator that leads to the downstair banquet rooms, only stairs. Plenty of parking on the backside of the building as well as street parking in front. Overall just an absolute gorgeous facility! We are so grateful to Marianne & Andrew for their phenomenal service. It felt like we were talking and dealing with family & Marianne made sure to take care of us in every way possible. She really was looking out for the well being of our family and took into consideration of our situation. She is the absolute Best! I am looking forward to our next big event so we can host it here. You will not regret booking Treasure Banquet Hall. Stop by and check it out for yourselves!

    Very pleased with Treasure Banquet Hall. 4 beautiful ballrooms to choose from. My two favorites…read morewere GOLD and DIAMOND. I originally booked the GOLD but the week of my daughter's party the DIAMOND became available so we luckily got it. Marianne was VERY helpful anything we asked she made it happen. From the moment of booking she made sure we were happy and if at any moment I felt worried she made sure to make it right. She knew what my daughter wanted and made it happen. Food was good, my decorations were stunning, servers were so helpful, bartender was on top of serving my guests with a smile and security guarded that door the entire night which made my guests and I feel at ease with the teenagers and younger kids at the party. I chose the emerald package so they set everything up for me and cleaned everything at the end of the night. Totally worth the price. Very happy with Treasure Banquet Hall. Family business who also treat you like family. I'll be booking again when my twins turn 16.

    Soho House Toronto

    Soho House Toronto

    (37 reviews)

    Downtown Core

    Kids love the word "aura" these days, and when my dad asked me what it means I told him "think Soho…read moreHouse 2010-2014." That confused him more but I like messing with my dad. Forreal though, the run Soho House had can only be rivaled by 2011-2015 Whole Foods. You really had to be there... but like any other prime, Father Time always catches up. I was set to do a full rise and fall piece on the Soho House right here on Yelp but in my research, I stumbled upon an article by Lydia Moynihan in the NY Post and she nailed it. I really didn't have much to add so go over and read that if you have a sec. Shoutout to Lydia. Instead, I'll just recap our experience here like any other boring Yelp Review. We came to this Toronto location before the Taylor Swift concert, and I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like prime Soho House. A beautiful, discrete brick building with an old school interior. Whoever designed this one needs a raise. I'm so tired of the cookie cutter half-assed modern architecture. The ones in LA and NY now feel like it is just a bunch of dorks trying to be seen by God knows who. There is no soul in those locations. We grabbed a drink in the lobby and went upstairs for our 5pm dinner. I domed a couple of negronis and we split a margherita pizza and a bottle of pinot noir before our mains arrived. I got the rigatoni, per the waitresses recommendation because she had a thick Italian accent. Big truss. She wasn't lying either, that rigatoni went crazy. I took like 30 pictures before a staff member came over and said no pictures, as I didn't know that was still a rule here... please don't beat me up. We closed dinner with a couple espresso martinis before setting off on foot to go see Big Tay put on a show. She really did her thing. Thank you Soho House Toronto, for giving me a taste of what the Soho House used to be in the states. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

    Come for the douche bags, stay for the salad. The interior…read moredesign here is actually nice. They have a eclectic and faux rustic vibe going on with seating and sight lines set up so that you can watch who is in the room. Truly designed for today's busy d-bag to allow them to half listen to their guest over cocktails while they scan the room to see if someone more important has walked in. The food is meh and it feels like this place simply exists for indie film and local television producers to feel like they are a part of some scene. There are 200 better places to eat a short walk from here.

    La Maquette

    La Maquette

    (5 reviews)

    St. Lawrence, Downtown Core

    My fiance and I attended an open house event whist considering the venue for our wedding reception…read morenext year. The venue itself was unique, easy to find on King Street, and had lots of space to move around in - there were two floors that we had access to. Loved the solarium area of the upstairs part of the space, which had lighted trees set up in it and overlooked a gorgeous little parkette with a water fall. They also had amazing pieces of art on the wall and had tables set up with various colour schemes for consideration. We were also treated to many passed appetizers they make in house while viewing the space. All were very good however my fave were the crispy wrapped shrimp, so delicious! The staff representing the venue were very friendly and polite, making sure we were attended to and answering any questions we had. A great venue to look into if you would like to throw a party in a unique space in Toronto with great food/drink options!

    Attended a wedding here. It was a nice venue, but definitely had some flaws…read more Venue: It definitely looks beautiful, and to be able to find a venue with a rustic feel right in the city is nice. There's affordable parking around the area. It was awkward to be told that the coat checks are at the back of the venue, because you had to walk down the aisle and basically walk all the way to where the groom is getting ready. The chairs were not the most comfortable, and they were wooden, so they were quite noisy. Also, there is not a lot of seating, so many people are standing in the front area, even thought it was probably a wedding of less than 75 guests. The upper dining areas is nice; the solarium was bright and beautiful. However, the shape of the dining area is a giant ring, which means there isn't really a central place for the wedding couple/family to sit. Staff: Friendly staff, however they need to work on their attentiveness. Half of the table I was seated at was served, coffee/tea and the other half didn't get served. And no one was checking in on us. When we finally got the attention of one of the people, he directed us to ask a server instead (guess he wasn't a server?!). Food: Very good food. Enjoyed the meal very much. Overall, it is more like a 3.5 out of 5.

    Harbourfront Centre - theater - Updated May 2026

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