1 The campfire hot chocolate ($8) at Soul Chocolate’s east-end factory and café isn’t just a drink—it’s a show. The baristas fill a glass with smoke, torch a marshmallow, prep the hot chocolate (there’s a choice of eight different bases including classic, milk and spicy Mayan) and present all the delicious components on a custom-milled wooden platter. Customers then pour their hot cocoa into the smoky glass for a bonfire moment in the city. Want more? The owners are planning to expand their hot chocolate menu to more than 20 flavours this year. 20 Wagstaff Dr., unit C, soulchocolate.com
2 Anthony Bourdain (RIP, king) was so besotted when he tasted the soups at late chef Nguyen Thi Thanh’s humble stall in Ho Chi Minh City that he dubbed her “the Lunch Lady” on his TV show No Reservations. Thanh parlayed the stamp of approval into a Vancouver restaurant in 2020, and a Toronto location opened last year. Every Wednesday at noon, fans line up for bún riêu, a beloved classic from the original stall with a rich tomato-crab broth and vermicelli noodles topped with crab meatballs, puffed tofu, pork collar, tiger prawns and two ounces of red crab for $24. You don’t need to shell out the additional $8 to top it with even more crab (soft shell, this time), but you probably should. 93 Ossington Ave., thelunchlady.com
3Little Canada added a magical new world this year with the opening of Little North, a 600-square-foot miniature replica of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Housed in its very own temperature-controlled room, it’s a chilly immersive experience. The epic diorama took a team of 30 artists a full year to create and includes faithful renditions of actual landmarks mixed with whimsical anachronisms. (Santa’s workshop makes an appearance, and eagle-eyed Disney fans may spot Frozen’s Elsa throwing her icy girlboss vibes around.) Here’s a snapshot of one section. $36 for adults, $22 for children. 10 Dundas St. E., little-canada.ca
4 You’ve seen the weird face masks and heard the personal-best bros crowing—every wellness obsessive is banging on about the benefits of red-light therapy. Exposure to the coloured light purportedly stimulates cells to produce more energy, which can help reduce inflammation, heal injuries and even boost mood. The spa at tight-buns temple Sweat and Tonic offers 20-minute treatment sessions in its ThetaLight 360 Plus bed. It looks like a tanning bed, but instead of UV rays, it delivers four toasty-but-not-hot wavelengths of red light. Appointments are $34, but first-timers can buy an intro pack of three for $60. 486 Front St. W., sweatandtonic.com
A cute Canadian ’fit
5 The struggle to feel stylish in the depths of winter is real. Below, some head-to-toe Canadian recos for a new outdoor look.
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Kanuk Cap-Chat balaclava in camel
A ribbed-knit hat that also functions as a scarf and doesn’t completely flatten your hair? Groundbreaking. $150
Orage Mtn-X-Echo down jacket in juniper
This diamond-quilted all-gender duck-down jacket is made from tough fabric engineered with rhomboid fibres to provide extra durability. $412
Kombi Climate Series 7-1 gloves
With this new three-layer mitten system, you can wear just the base glove for semi-cold days, add on a mid-layer for more warmth or go full ski mode with a final shell that keeps moisture out. $150
Snow Goose Echo pants
The puffy quilt-like pants from Snow Goose, Canada Goose’s capsule collection by designer Haider Ackermann, is as light as a feather thanks to its recycled ripstop fabric. Tie-up hems allow for a customizable fit. $750
Baffin Elba women’s boot
This sleek space-age boot can handle sub-zero temperatures while looking like something a sexy replicant might wear in Blade Runner. $180
6 Relive some of that Blue Jays home-team mania with a stop by the Team Canada FanFest at Nathan Phillips Square. The event is hosted by the Canadian Olympic Committee and will be rocking the block the first weekend of the Games (February 7 and 8). Come for the massive screens broadcasting the CBC’s Team Canada coverage, stay for the free ice skating, food vendors and still-to-be-revealed activations.
7 The tour guys know you don’t want to endlessly trudge around outside in February, even if you are a true history nerd. That’s why their downtown walking tour hops between indoor and outdoor spaces. It starts under the big clock at Union Station at 10 a.m., every day except Monday, and costs a mere $6 (though tipping the rotating cast of guides, which has included historians, musicians and stand-up comedians, is heartily encouraged). The two-hour jaunt provides a crash course in how historical events—like the fire of 1904 or the cholera waves of the 1800s—shaped the city as we know it. Because why should tourists have all the fun? tourguys.ca
8 Why settle for a cold plunge (so 2025) when you can splash about in a warm vat of wine instead? Spanish brand Aire Ancient Baths, known for transforming heritage buildings into moody thermal bathing spas, is opening a Toronto location in an old brick-and-beam building on Front Street. In addition to multiple baths (and steam rooms with ancient Roman throwback names like Trepidarium, Vaporium and Caldarium), the hot-ticket ritual is the signature wine experience for two, a water circuit, scrub, massage and private 45-minute soak in a tub of non-alcoholic wine, which is said to soften the skin and provide a mega dose of antioxidants to protect against the effects of aging. All that relaxing doesn’t come cheap: it’s $1,560 per couple, but, hey, it comes with extra (alcoholic) wine for drinking and a cheese platter. 510A Front St. W., unit 100, relax.beaire.com/en/aire-ancient-baths-toronto
9 Kuumba, an extended celebration of Black Futures Month, returns to Harbourfront in February. This year’s theme is the Sounds of Blackness, so expect lots of music, spoken word and party vibes. Highlights include a tribute performance for Jimmy Cliff—who died this past November—a Valentine’s Day throw-down with Sean Jones and his 10-piece band, and an after-party with Toronto DJ crew Bellosound. And stick around for Diva, a night of drag queen performances produced by Hollywood Jade, a dancer (for Rihanna and Nelly Furtado, NBD) and choreographer to the stars (Meghan Trainor, Snoop Dogg, Keshia Chanté). Prices vary. harbourfrontcentre.com/series/kuumba
10 Did someone say roaring fireplaces, sweet and savoury fondues, cold-weather cocktails, and a casual bonspiel? It’s all après, all the time until February 28 at the winter chalet pop-up at the Ace Hotel’s rooftop bar, Evangeline. Warm up after a few rounds of complimentary curling on the outdoor patio by tucking into cheese or chocolate fondue with all the fixings. $45 per person, Sunday to Thursday. 51 Camden St., evangelinetoronto.com
11 If you’re looking to inhale something other than the existential odour of winter despair, a scented sensory journey may be just the thing. Visit Ratelier, an airy new café that doubles as a custom scent studio where you can play chemist with 90 fragrance oils to build your dream eau de parfum or room spray. Workshops are $59 (with extra fees if you want to buy a full bottle of your concoction) and take two to three hours. 9 Trinity Park Ln., ratelier.ca
12 Nothing warms the body faster than a tale of ill-fated love in a Southern Gothic setting. Check out Soulpepper, Crow’s Theatre and Birdland Theatre’s co-production of Summer and Smoke, Tennessee Williams’s saucy story of the demure minister’s daughter and the hedonistic young doctor who lives next door. Tickets are $67 to $124. February 3 to March 1. 345 Carlaw Ave., crowstheatre.com
Photo by Hector Vasquez
A hot cocktail (or three)
13 A hot toddy can’t compete with the creative warm cocktails Toronto mixologists are cooking up this season. Arianna, Harbour 60’s Italian sister restaurant upstairs, will be hawking Mint Condition, a mix of hot coffee and Hennessy VS with a splash of minty, herbal Branca Mentha, served in a sugar-rimmed mug topped with a cloud of whipped cream. Old-school French bistro Biff’s is bringing back their spiced Vin Chaud, a comforting glug of house-made mulled wine and Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac Napoléon sweetened with chestnut syrup. And moody Ossington cocktail bar No Vacancy is planning a mulled sake inspired by traditional German glühwein. Prices vary.
14 There’s belting karaoke, and then there’s belting karaoke while slamming back a utensil-free Filipino feast. The sing-a-long is a big part of the (loud!) vibes at Makilala, the new restaurant from culinary power couple Nuit and Jeff Regular and Jeff’s brother Joel. The stage is right next to the private party room, where you can pre-order the kamayan meal: a communal feast that piles hunks of crispy pork belly, grilled seafood, fried chicken, pancit, garlic rice, mango salad and house pickles on banana leaves. The platter is $272 and easily serves four. 105 Church St., makilala.ca
15 Many boho tears were shed when Brockton Village’s beloved Wallflower suddenly shut its doors in 2020. So there was much rejoicing when owner Jane Ferriss resurrected the intimate shabby-chic joint in the same location late last year. The revamped menu is stacked with new dishes like beer-and-marmalade-braised beef with scalloped potatoes and old favourites like devilled eggs, oysters and crustless cheesecake. Prices for mains max out at $25, and Ferriss preserved the look and feel of the OG space with its hand-painted murals, pressed-tin ceiling and shadowy chandelier lighting. 1665 Dundas St. W., @wallflower3381
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A decadent Sunday roast
16 Nothing says cozy quite like a good old-fashioned, belt-busting Sunday roast. Take your pick of comforting plates across the city. On Geary, get a thick slab of prime rib with butter-braised cabbage at Jen Agg’s General Public (201 Geary Ave.) for $59. The Dorset, O&B’s British pub at the Well (457 Wellington St. W.), has a new $60 three-course prix-fixe that lets diners choose between four starters and five roasts—including a cauliflower steak with mushroom jus for vegetarians—and ends with one of four puddings. Swanky two-storey steakhouse Black and Blue (130 King St. W.) pulls out all the stops, including an old-school tableside caesar salad, for its $69 three-course prime-rib dinner. And Man of Kent (202 Ossington Ave.), a proper slice of England on Ossington, is renowned for its reservations-recommended Sunday roast ($35).
17 If you’ve ever wanted to snag retro toys, cool LPs, 1970s housewares and ’90s tees without hitting up five different stores, then the Vintage Hall—a massive new multi-vendor market in Riverside—is the place to be. Its 2,700 glorious square feet contain booths and racks from the likes of Polyester Plus (plus-size vintage clothing), Purple Park Vintage (comics, toys, millennial nostalgia-bait books) and Letters Vintage (think-y designer pieces for capital-F Fashion fans). 754 Queen St. E., thevintagehall.ca
Photo by Rubens Alacron
An underground adventure
18 The Toronto version of the Upside Down is the Path—a mysterious maze-like underground mini city in the Financial District that only the brave (or dedicated corporate stiffs) know how to navigate. Enter Toronto engineer Jadiel Teofilo, who created a free Toronto Path app to help chilly workers winter-proof their commutes. The app has 2-D and 3-D maps as well as photos of the precise locations of more than 170 doors. The Path has added more than 65 food spots, stores and services in the past year alone, including new outposts of Freebird Market and Penny’s Hot Chicken, so it’s a good time to learn how to use it.
19 Zap some instant goodness directly into your veins with an IV vitamin drip at Trove Wellbeing. Even the needle-phobic will be soothed by the lounge’s cocoon-like spa vibes, with its roaring fire, comfy chairs and chill nurses who can help you choose between the various wellness cocktails on offer. The Vitality Support treatment ($195)—chock full of vitamins A, B, C, D and E, plus potassium—is a popular winter pick-me-up. 426 Adelaide St. W., trovewellbeing.com
20 What’s better than baking your bod while looking out onto a picturesque frozen lake? Löyly Floating Sauna, the latest addition to the city’s bustling sauna scene, allows you to do just that. The cedar sauna huts are equipped with massive windows so you can take in lake views, or watch the Queens Quay streetcars glide by, as you enjoy a proper schvitz. Peaceful. $45 per session or $200 for 5. 275 Queens Quay W.
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Photo by Beth Hamersma
A daytime(ish) dance party
21 How can you say no to a party thrown specifically to cheer people up in the dead of winter? Join Planet Fabulon, a merry band of filmmakers and freaks, for the latest edition of Solar Flair, an inclusive electronic dance party and immersive art event that features epic face painting, group art activities, pillowy lounges and a tickle trunk of costumes for anyone who forgot their wig at home. Festivities kick off at 3 p.m. to make the most of those precious sunlight hours. Kids are welcome until 6 p.m., then it’s adults only until the party wraps up at the deeply civilized hour of 10 p.m. February 14, pay what you can ($25 to $35 recommended). 163 Queen St. E., @planetfabulon
Leah Rumack has worked as the deputy editor of Today’s Parent and the features director of Fashion and has contributed as a writer to a long list of Canadian brands including Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Chatelaine, Elle Canada, Zoomer, the National Post, EnRoute and Re:porter. Her work focuses on travel, food, pop culture, beauty and fashion.
