Neighbourhood Crawl: What National Ballet principal dancer Guillaume Côté loves about Leslieville

After more than 20 years mesmerizing audiences with gravity-defying leaps and soulful performances, Guillaume Côté is retiring from the stage at the end of the 2024/25 season. Next, he’ll focus on choreographing edgy contemporary pieces for his company, Côté Danse, where he serves as artistic director. He’s been a devoted east ender for the past 25 years, and he currently lives at Jones and Dundas, near Greenwood Park, with his girlfriend, Sophie, and his two kids, who are nine and seven. “I used to love the east end for its grunginess,” he says. “Now I love it for the community feel.” Here are his go-to neighbourhood haunts.

Mercury Espresso

“Some espresso bars make you feel like an idiot if you’re not cool enough—and I’m a 40-something ballet dancer. But Mercury has a chill atmosphere, and the coffee is fantastic. They also feature local art. One day, I walked in and saw the hyper-realist work of Lily Le, an illustrator I worked with on a production called Crypto, hanging on the walls. My go-to order is a triple-wet espresso macchiato. ‘Wet’ is a fancy way of saying a bit of milk and foam. It’s a lot of caffeine.” 915 Queen St. E., instagram.com/mercuryespresso

Crow’s Theatre

“I love going to the theatre, and it just so happens that one of the best theatre companies in the city is a few blocks from my house. Every show I’ve seen at Crow’s has been spectacular. Artistic director Chris Abraham and executive director Sherrie Johnson keep things fresh and surprising. I saw The Master Plan last year, and it was really cool to see a play that was developed in Toronto about such a local subject: the waterfront fiasco.” 345 Carlaw Ave., crowstheatre.com

Ed’s Real Scoop

“Ed’s started off in the Beaches, where I used to live. Now there’s a location in Leslieville too, and when we pass by with the kids, they always beg to go in—they love their gelato. Ed’s also has awesome waffle cones. I’m a big chocolate fan. I tell my kids to just get chocolate—don’t try anything else.” 920 Queen St. E., edsrealscoop.com

The Source Bulk Foods

“I go to Costco occasionally, but it kills my soul. When I walked into the Source last year, it was a revelation. I’m always trying to be better when it comes to my carbon footprint. You can bring your own containers here, and they charge less than Costco for chocolate, coffee and even shampoo. Plus, the food is amazing. I get giant mixtures of nuts—they’re a good source of protein when I’m working out. The Source’s peanut butter and almond butter are also delicious, and I can feel good about giving them to my kids.” 901 Queen St. E., thesourcebulkfoods.ca

The Opera House

“The Opera House is iconic. I have so many fond memories of seeing shows here when I was younger. It’s grungy, but it’s intimate enough that you can bump into friends. Sophie and I recently saw a French band called La Femme. There was a big French community that showed up, and we all hung out during the show and afterward.” 735 Queen St. E., theoperahousetoronto.com

Chi Junky

“I love this yoga place because it doesn’t feel like a corporate studio. Despite being spacious and open, it’s as cozy as someone’s living room. The people are friendly, and the teachers are great. They offer a variety of classes, but I like their slower yoga flows. My dance life and personal life are not slow flow—they’re more fast flow, high impact. Sometimes I just need a more relaxing workout.” 70 McGee St., chijunky.com