I love this place! (especially the Christmas Market every December). This is a wonderful place to have a lunch or dinner,and if you like photography, its a great place to take some really great photos. In the evenings there are some great pubs and restaurants to visit as well. The Distillery District is home to several galleries, and its a great place to get inspired if you are an artist or just want to see some beautiful paintings, and photos. It's nice to see a part of Toronto's past preserved. Coming here is like jumping into a time machine and going back in time 150 years. Also a fun place to take wedding photos or take some fun shots. Great place to spend a day or evening 365 days per year. read more

Went there for the christmas market. It was very crowded. There are some little shops all around the place and it's very beautiful. I would say it's pretty easy to access but there is no metro, you have to take the tram way to get there. Pretty cool area. read more

We almost didn't go here then saw it was a short streetcar ride from St. Lawrence Market. On a lovely day this is a great walk through the old buildings stopping to eat, drink and view with something interesting for everyone in the family. The various galleries are great fun to walk though. We felt welcome to browse. There is a climbing stair structure the kids enjoyed for a while as we took turns going into the Sake Brewery (regret not trying the sample flight) and Sport themed art gallery. My other reviews in the area are Soma Chocolate and Mill Street Brewery. While the treats were good I'd suggest somewhere other than Mill Street for food or maybe bring some snacks in your bag. We left and walked East along Mill Street through a park and stopped at a public school playground then took a right up Princess Street and wandered through a local grocery store called Sobey's that is another option for a snacks before we got back on the streetcar at Front Street. read more

This wonderful and historical landmark has a very special place in my heart thus where my husband and I have met during our first date after exchanging notes from plentyoffish dating site. I love the wonderful shops in this place although it can be also on the expensive side. I enjoy walking here during summer and fall. I also do look forward to the annual Distillery Christmas celebration. read more

I went to the Distillery District for my first time on Friday. Although i didn't spend much time here, i still managed to enjoy myself. I went in December, so the whole place was set up with Christmas decorations, and some Christmas music playing. There were many small indie-style shops were open on the sides selling things like corned beef, to coffee, to booze, and even Christmas style souvenirs. Although i didn't buy anything, it was still nice to walk around and have my surrounding smell, look and feel like Christmas. I liked how the whole district was old fashion and have models of equipment used back in the day. It gave us young people a sense of how it was like in the olden days. I wouldn't mind to come back sometime and tryout some of the food places and try some of their unique brews. If you're in the area, check this place out. read more

Charming, cool, and breezy place to wander and people-watch. Tons of great shops and restaurants, where you're able to go where the wind takes you. Every restaurant offers something different - Mexican, French, seafood, pub. Take your pick. My favorite part was the area where artists have working studios and display their work. What a fun place to create and showcase one's talent. Thoroughly engrossing pieces with different mediums: photography, oils, chalk, fire, etc. Can't go wrong just taking your time and absorbing it all. read more

I loved it here, the little shops and cafes all have character and are great for wandering and browsing. The cobbled streets feel a million miles away from the main city. Some great bars and places to eat too. Certainly worth a visit. read more

This is an old part of town that I suppose was where squeegee kids would go and sleep with their pit bulls. But then rich people bought it and they turned it into a place where you can go and spend money on things that are supposed to feel old-timey. The buildings are all very nice because they cleaned up all the broken windows, dead animals and feces. They also removed the squeegee kids who I guess moved to Vancouver. Go here if you like large, corporate art installations your kids can play on or you can take instagram photos on. read more

My family and I come here every year for the Christmas Market and we love it. The stores are interesting, the vendors are friendly and its always very well taken care of. Even when there are no events going on its still a fun place to go for a bite to eat or just to walk around. read more

Probably the most over-hyped place in Toronto. Food is ridiculously overpriced, and there's nothing there worth the drive if you're from out of the city. The place is worth a visit for foreign tourists, but a once in a year trip is all it should be. This overhyped location will leave you underwhelmed after your visit. read more

Such a cute area for tourists! There isn't a TON to do, but some cute places to eat and walk around. I had brunch at Cluney Bistro which had okay brunch but free bread which was amazing and a cute atmosphere. I came on a Saturday and there was live music. read more

This enclosed space consists of vintage shops, art galleries, assorted crockery stores, and quaint bakeries. I wish I could come here at night because there were hanging lights everywhere and it seems like it would be very beautiful to walk around in. We tried some exotic chocolates from the Soma Chocolate Maker store, and grabbed tasty sandwiches at an artsy cafe called Balzac's. For tourists, I would also recommend visiting St. Lawrence Market which is within a 10-15 minute walk away. read more

This is an absolute must see in Toronto. If you only have one afternoon in Toronto, I would recommend spending about 2 hours wandering around here. The area used to be the distillery district and be filled with many factories and distilleries. It is now shops, restaurants, and bars but they have kept some of the original factory work with signs that explain the old equipment. It's a hip but retro place that is filled with history and awesome shops. We didn't eat here but I would love to get some chocolate fondue at the chocolate place next time for dessert. There is also a sake brewery here that was pretty interesting to check out and they do tastings as well. There is also one actual distillery that is interesting inside and would be a nice place to grab a drink. read more

Historically, it's cool, with original buildings which used to be industrial/warehouses. But now there's a lot of over priced clothes stores and restaurants. And it didn't really seemed to be very close to most other tourist attractions. So if you I've in Toronto, this is obviously somewhere you'd go a couple times a year for the ambiance, a nice dinner, etc. But as a tourist I can't say it was worth the effort to get there. read more

Interesting to read previous reviews here calling it a tourist trap. Fact is, as a tourist, there wasn't all that much to do on a Saturday afternoon. There are broad walkways that are kid-friendly, but on the other hand, most of the stores have fragile items. You might want to come if you're looking for a particular gift (quirky kitchenware, cosmetics, high end kids' wear) or want to take engagement photos among the cobblestone, but we zipped in and out within 45 minutes. read more

Charged a fee to walk around the shops and restaurants. Waste if time. Not nice.

This part is different than the rest of Toronto. It feels like an enclosed space, where you step into another time. There are cool art sculptures and shops. There are restaurants but I didn't pay much to those. It was just fun to walk around. read more

So its pricey, trendy, touristy. I really like what they did with the space particularly created another funky area in Toronto. I've been there a few times and its somewhere I'll go when I've run out of ideas and have no other place in mind. Its fun hence 5 stars !!! read more

We loved it! Visiting from Los Angeles, this place had great unique shops, York Distillary tasting room (yup, we bought bottles to take home), great food and lively holiday atmosphere!!! read more

This place has really grown to be a really eccentric and cool mix of restaurants, bars, boutiques, galleries and shops. While it is small in size, you could spend a fair bit of time just to see all the different shops. The architecture is interesting and I love the fact that it's mostly pedestrian-only in the main square. read more

Such a great place to visit and tour. So many restaurants and boutique stores with eclectic art to see. We wanted to try all the restaurants so we stopped by and sat at each of the bars and ordered appetizers and drinks... then moved onto the next. Such a great time. We spent half of a day here. read more

The Distillery District - Art installation. Bring your own lock if you want to participate. A vendor is set up next to this selling locks for $10. Such a rip off. - Local Flavor Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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So sorry but this was the worst food I had in Toronto. It just doesn't even come close to actual Mexican -- at best it is Mexican inspired but barely that. Had baja fish tacos which were flavorless; my margarita was way too sweet (how can you go wrong with a margarita?) and even my tres leches dessert was - well not tres leches - disclosure - I am mexican american and a visiting californian - maybe this passes for mexican up here. read more

You have to visit this area when in Niagara Falls! Little shops, terrific vibe, and fun food! Don't miss it !!

I understand this is one of the most touristy spots in Toronto, but we couldn't help but check it out twice during our visit. The shops are mostly junk, but there are a few cool places to purchase gifts. The live music and open market is a nice touch, but we maintained our window-shopping policy during the stroll. The best part of this whole place would be the brewery! The beers are unique and the food was fine. We didn't realize how big the space was until our second visit to the brewery for dinner. I can't help but recommend locals and visits to check this spot out. It's easy to get to from downtown once you figure out the bus routes...at least it was for us. read more

The distillery district is another local site to see when in Toronto! It's a nice outdoor and open air market. Quite different from St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market. We enjoyed walking around and seeing all the shops. We stopped in at one of the places and did some sake tasting! I forgot the name of the place. There are a few restaurants to choose from and some small food carts if you're hungry while visiting this place. We opted not to eat here though. This place is nice to visit and stroll around! read more

Definitely has the ole tyme vibe. But I don't think random odds and ends shops would have sold stuff for that price.

Great area to go down to for drinks. The area is built out of a restored distillery and turned into bars, distilleries, breweries, restaurants and shops. We went to two places I can recommend for drinks, a local sake place and mill st. brewery. The sake disitllary was especially unique as it's the first of it's kind that I've seen. They have unique flavors that I had never tasted in sake before and do tours to walk people through the process of making the beverage. read more

We liked the distillery district so much we came back to revisit within a short stay in Toronto. Loved the old buildings, cleverly remade into boutiques and restaurants while preserving the history and unique style. We especially liked the artisans building, where you can see artists working and selling their craft. Of note is Mehoi, who is an illustrator and sculptor, with adorable and unique style and super duper cute stuff. I put up some pics of what I bought from her. Also of note is Japanese woodcut printing artist Barbara Wyobu, who makes and demonstrates beautiful art, and has a neat life story to tell when you meet her. Our last favorite was John Fluevog shoes, which has other locations but this store is neat in an old building, but their shoes are amazing. Something for elegant, casual, punk, goth, retro, rockabilly, classy, very high quality leather, also have purses and (I think!) belts. My boyfriend bought a pair of boots and staff was super nice and very helpful. The distillery district had beautiful sculptures, and plants everywhere which was awesome. Very highly reccomended! read more

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Honestly, the view is really good, but it is WAY TOO FAR!!! Also, the Christmas market is $5 just to enter... So it's not worth it. However, if you're in the area, I recommend visiting and taking pictures! Really grunge and cool looking. Wished my friends and I visited a small cafe instead going to pizza read more

Good food great place fun to look at tomorrow's history there is a market on the weekends in the warmer weather just a fun nice relaxing place to hang out read more

So it's been a few years since my last visit to the Distillery district... and a lot has changed but a lot is still remains the same. I Still love the area, and if I ever move home... the distillery will be where I want to live. (If I can afford the high rents!) it appears a small amount of condos have popped up since my last visit and more development is planned... I still love the integrity of the old area, the new love locks display is super cute and the other pops of public art are lovely..I love the little art cooperative still stands and there are still studios in the one building. I remember the first time they opened this up to the public (before the stores came) and it was still a work in progress and we were looking at the affordable condo development. So much has changed, but I lovethat the integrity of the buildings are still intact. I wish there was a small Museum dedicated to preserving the history of this old distillery...It's touristy, but not too much. Although I'm sure it's busy when they have the winter market. it's still sparsely developed but there are a few key signature studios and stores that bring the crowds. It's still one of my fave parts of town :) I love this district... never change! read more

There's not much here aside from some restaurants and expensive shopping. The distillery buildings are old but there's nothing particularly interesting about them. It felt really touristy and not really a place where locals hang out. Can definitely be skipped. read more

I quite enjoy wandering around the Distillery District, but it's not something I'd want to do every weekend, or even every month. However, if you are visiting Toronto or live in the area and haven't been there for a while, it's definitely worth a stroll to check out the art galleries, bakeries, and shops. It's quite a unique area, with all the stores being in a series of historic buildings. read more

The Distillery District sounded like a place worth visiting, however, I was underwhelmed. While I appreciate what the city is trying to accomplish - creating a place for locals and tourists to spend their cash - I believe they fail miserably. We came here in the middle of July and found the entire area to be empty, more or less. There were very few people in the area. I thought that the galleries, shops and restaurants were pretty weak as well. Nothing really stood out as being particularly exciting or interesting. If I ever find myself in Toronto again, there is a slight possibility that I would give this area another chance, but those chances are slim. read more

Cool area, too many tourists. Not sure what the draw is... Coffee places need improvement big time. Mill street is great :)

This is one of the best places for a nice day out with a significant other. Great coffee places and small shops you could easily spend a day here just exploring the area and shops. During Christmas season when all the lights are hung up it is quite a sight to see. read more

I came during early May. It was pretty quiet. Not as lively as the other reviews have mentioned. The area is a very romantic.

Great eating, shopping, and window shopping options. Awesome that they have a bunch of different artist and craftspeople setting up shop for unique product offerings. Definitely a must see attraction if you like shopping and art. read more

Beautiful light towards the end of the afternoon. A lovely hidden gem in a not so interesting part of town. Seemed to be a great place to have a glass of wine or a cappuccino after a work night. We were thinking about buying a piece of art in Toronto and the galleries in this area were amazing, but far too expensive (thousands of dollars). We enjoyed meandering in this area for a while. read more

Pretty brick buildings. Little shops, cafes, restaurants, and galleries. There's a LOVE fence where you can hang a lock to proclaim your love. FYI: Bring your own lock--nothing around there sells locks. You can walk all the way through and find, if it stays there, a heart sculpture to proclaim more love. Accessible best by car/taxi. read more