Chinatown
Chinatown
3.5
About
Established in 1878, this is one of Toronto’s oldest neighborhoods and the largest Chinatown in North America. Here, you can find colorful storefronts, bustling streets, and a variety of restaurants and specialty shops. Visit the quaint teahouses and intriguing herbal stores, as well as browse the clothing stores. When hungry, pop by the steaming noodle houses for some wonton soup, hunt for the famous Peking duck, or go on a dumpling crawl. At night, Chinatown lights up in bright neon red, with lanterns lining the alleys and Chinese music blaring from the karaoke bars. Combine your visit here with a trip to Little Italy and Kensington Market—both within walking distance. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Toronto's main Chinatown has the honor of being the largest in North America. Gaping down across Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue, the area is a wonderful medley of shops and restaurants, busy signs and bright red gates, a destination for foodie fun. Chinatown's streets are always bustling, packed with people and outdoor stalls hawking fresh produce and products. The restaurants and authentic marketplaces that shoulder in against each other display shining roast ducks and menus studded with dumplings and noodle bowls. The air is pervaded with music. different languages, and the smell of fried food and mouth-watering desserts. Chinatown's restaurants represent a broad range of fare, from traditional Szechuan and Shanghai foods, to other Asian delicacies, including some of the top Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean spots in the city. Whether you're in the mood for a sit-down tea house or a bubble tea to go, Chinatown is the spot to enjoy an exciting walk and the promise of leaving satisfied.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
1,049 reviews
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Stanley H
Hong Kong, China9,465 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Toronto's Chinatown can also be regarded as a Chinatown with a long history. The original old Chinatown has long since disappeared. Nowadays, the Chinatown that everyone calls Chinatown is also the Chinatown that my friend took me to. It was re-established in the 1970s.
That day, we got off the bus at Spadina, and Spadina Avenue, where the station belongs, is also one of the main streets in Chinatown.
However, there is still some distance from the subway station to the core area of Chinatown, so as soon as we leave the subway station platform, we have to transfer to tram No. 510. As soon as we came out of the station, we were at the University of Toronto. It took about 5 stops and we got off.
The place where we got off the bus was called Nassau Street because we first went to visit Kensington Market. Although it is only a block or two away from the core of Chinatown on Dundas Street, I have noticed that some of the shops on both sides of the road have Chinese signs.
After walking through Kensington Market, we entered Dundas Street. This street is directly translated as Dundas Street from the street of the same name in Hong Kong, which makes me feel particularly friendly on this street. Since this area is still a new development, it is very neat overall. In addition, many of the Chinese around me speak Hong Kong-style Cantonese. Standing here, I really feel like I am still somewhere in Hong Kong.
Since I came here mainly to drink tea, I didn’t do any activities in Chinatown. In short, this Chinatown is a very concentrated and very popular Chinatown. There are a lot of Chinese immigrants in Toronto, and they live in scattered areas. Therefore, like Vancouver, it has already developed to concentrate business in the form of one mall.
That day, we got off the bus at Spadina, and Spadina Avenue, where the station belongs, is also one of the main streets in Chinatown.
However, there is still some distance from the subway station to the core area of Chinatown, so as soon as we leave the subway station platform, we have to transfer to tram No. 510. As soon as we came out of the station, we were at the University of Toronto. It took about 5 stops and we got off.
The place where we got off the bus was called Nassau Street because we first went to visit Kensington Market. Although it is only a block or two away from the core of Chinatown on Dundas Street, I have noticed that some of the shops on both sides of the road have Chinese signs.
After walking through Kensington Market, we entered Dundas Street. This street is directly translated as Dundas Street from the street of the same name in Hong Kong, which makes me feel particularly friendly on this street. Since this area is still a new development, it is very neat overall. In addition, many of the Chinese around me speak Hong Kong-style Cantonese. Standing here, I really feel like I am still somewhere in Hong Kong.
Since I came here mainly to drink tea, I didn’t do any activities in Chinatown. In short, this Chinatown is a very concentrated and very popular Chinatown. There are a lot of Chinese immigrants in Toronto, and they live in scattered areas. Therefore, like Vancouver, it has already developed to concentrate business in the form of one mall.
Written April 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Kitching
Greater London, UK1,198 contributions
Jul 2022
Badged as the largest Chinatown in North America it extends along two main routes. As other Chinatowns it is a collection of mainly food stores and restaurants. Note really anything exciting compared to other Chinatowns that I have visited other than larger. Ok but nothing to rave about and Kensington Market which is nearby is a better use of time
Written August 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IAN D
Wigan, UK26,337 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
Chinatown in Toronto covers a very large area. I walked down the main drag which included a Chinese shopping mall. If I am being honest a lot of the area looks rundown. Area as a very large amounts of restaurants and adjoins the trendy Kensington market area
Written May 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Khoi N
Hot Springs, AR2 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
Toronto Chinatown on Spadina and Dundas was used to be my favorite place to visit. Every time I visited Toronto, I always came to Chinatown. The food was great and lots of selection. However, this time around August 2023, I came to Chinatown in Toronto and to my surprise and sadness, the Chinatown looked rundown and the atmosphere there seemed to be Not lively and busy anymore. I talked to my relative living in Toronto and she said more shops and restaurants moved out of Toronto chinatown.
Written August 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dee
Miami, FL73 contributions
Nov 2021
Walking around and seeing all the restaurants and all the shops was exhilarating. It was cold but it did not matter. There were few shops closed, like the herbal shops. I am not sure if that has anything to do with covid. The Dragon City Mall was pretty much empty and that was on a Saturday. I could tell Chinatown Toronto was a lively place before covid. Hopefully it gets back to normal as we plan to visit again in the future. Make sure to visit Chinatown if you are ever in Toronto.
Written November 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tdsuperstar
Toronto, Canada19,563 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
So much life in Chinatown, Toronto version! Lots to check out, lots to eat, lots to experience and yeah, lots to smell at times (especially in the Summer!). On any given day, there’s so many people coming up and down Spadina. Whether you’re there to enjoy House of Gourmet, a Toronto tradition, maybe shop at Meeplemart, catch a smoothie at What a Bagel!, or shop at many of the merchants, Chinatown Toronto will keep you entertained and engaged! A must do experience while in Toronto!
Written February 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Czar Emmanuel
Manila, Philippines10,311 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
It may be the biggest Chinatown in Canada, but it's not as vibrant and colorful as the other Chinatowns I know. Restaurants and shops are sometimes far from one another. At any rate, it's still the best place to buy your souvenirs and try Chinese food. It's quite accessible. You can take buses, street cars or the subway. I took the subway up to Spadina station and from there transferred to a street car that runs along Spadina where Chinatown is located.
Written August 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
notaworldtraveller
dallas, tx121 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We walked through Chinatown on the way from Grafitti Alley to the Art Gallery of Toronto. It was 9:30am on a Sunday morning. There were some food markets with fresh fruit stands on the sidewalk that were fun to look at. Lots of reflexology and massage shops that we walked by. A fair number of restaurants open even at that hour. It wasn’t that colorful or lively of a neighborhood, not very interesting to walk through.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
candyqueen18
owen sound1 contribution
Jan 2012
i really need help can someone please tell me what store its in i heard that its in china town Toronto and im leaving this week someone please tell me , thanks!
Written January 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lindacote
Montreal Quebec24 contributions
Enjoyed the friendly people, best Chinese food in the East, super shopping, great deals, terrible car drivers - everyone for himself. Love to visit again as there is so much to do and see, especially all the different ethnic restaurants and clothing shops. Great city!!!
Written September 16, 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola!
Recuerdas más o menos las calles o la zona que mencionas para los souveniers?
Written August 25, 2018
we are looking for jewelry stores in china town and yelp is no help, any one on here can help. I heard there's great deal sto be had
Written March 4, 2018
Alba
Montreal, Canada
2 contributions
I did not ever heard about jewelry stores in China Town. Several weeks ago I found that behind the St.Lawrence market with food there is another St.Lawrence market with handcrafted jewelry and other handmade things. Maybe this also will be interesting for you.
Written March 5, 2018
je vais louer une voiture à mon arrivée à l'aéroport de Toronto le 8 aout 2018 et devrais trouver un parking près de chinatown pour 2 jours. quel est le prix de parking dans un garage pour deux jours . Merci de vos reponses
Written January 18, 2018
Bonjour,
Je suis désolé, je ne saurai vous répondre, je me déplaçais en transport en commun.
Cordialement,
Written January 18, 2018
HMADR72
London, United Kingdom
Do this hotel offer airport transfers from Airport to Hotel and vice versa
Written February 6, 2015
Take the 192 Rocket to the subway and take the subway into Downtown. $3 compared to $22. No brianer. Use google maps to work out the stops - thats what we did and saved $80 for our round trip.
Written February 7, 2015
Where is there a good health food store in China Town Toronto?
thanks
Vivienne
Written December 29, 2014
Yep I agree with the other comments, there was a great health food store just between Kensington and the Main Street in China Town.
Written February 7, 2015
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