Toronto, Ontario Travel Guide – Unique Bookshops and Cafés

Toronto has two all-Canadian chain bookstores complete with in-house cafes, in various central locations. They are Chapters and Indigo and are open 7 days a week. They all have their own music and gift departments as well as cafés for noshing and schmoozing. They even have evening live entertainment and learning sessions. However, for those who love their bookshops undiluted and their coffee in funky places, here are some off the beaten path recommendations.

Toronto’s big cybercafés provide Internet access, some at the latest super-fast speed and e-mail accounts for hourly rates. However, we will mention the ones that do not necessarily have the frenetic atmosphere catering to speed-demons.

Queen Street West between McCaul and Ossington is Toronto’s “Soho”, with interesting one-of-a-kind cafés and bookshops to keep you amused browsing for hours. The advantage of this area that it is “in transition” with both upscale boutiques and old-fashioned second-hand stores attracting a young, artistic community of residents.

Toronto does have glossy, noisy cyber-cafés, some with virtual-reality games and all the bells and whistles. Try the Tequila Bookworm (at 490 Queen West} for coffee, light fresh snacks, board games and plug-ins for your laptop if you have one – and you’ll be in heaven. They are even open here until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights – otherwise to midnight.

Abelard Books at number 519; the Village Book Store at number 239 and McBurnie & Cutler at number 698 (all Queen West) have an interesting and select stock of Canadiana, antiquarian and coffee-table books for the serious specialized reader. The atmosphere is of the real booksellers of years gone by; many which have closed in North America with the advent of the large warehouse-café size chains. There are also specialty comic-book shops and an all science-fiction shop in the Queen-Spadina areas.

The College Street strip is very cool and hip, mainly for Italian cafés such as Bar Italia, Sotto Voce, Kalendar Koffee House, Café Diplomatico – all in the ‘500′ block of the street. At 229 College is Hugh Anson-Cartwright bookshop only opened on weekdays but with its own website: www.ansoncartwright.com.

Further along opposite the Royal Cinema on College is Balfour Books at number 601 with a large stock of general used and rare books open later in the evening. The Annex area on Bloor Street West between St, George Street and Bathurst has another good selection of internet cafés and individual bookshops, including the large David Mirvish books on Markham Street (a shady, interesting block just south of Bloor) and a large specialty New-Age bookstore nearer Spadina.

Dooney’s coffee shop at 511 is a neighbourhood institution that successfully resisted a takeover by one of the large chain companies. The neighbourhood includes students at nearby University of Toronto, artists and professionals and new immigrants from around the globe: an eclectic and interesting mix. There is a large Internet café opposite the renovated Bathurst Cinema on the south side of Bloor, just east of Bathurst. Cafés and bookstores all tend to be opened to later evening hours most nights year-round.

Last but not least, the Yorkville area has a good variety of small cafés and a good bookshop called La Maison de La Presse International on Yorkville Avenue specializing in French-language books; European newspapers; and magazines of all types in different languages. Though many individually owned bookshops and cafés have folded, the best ones survive and have a loyal following of people who do not need to follow the crowds.

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