Distillery Historic District
Distillery Historic District
4.5
About
The Distillery District is an internationally acclaimed village of brick-lined streets and dozens of vibrantly restored Victorian Industrial buildings. It’s one of Ontario’s hottest tourist attractions and home to live theatres, galleries, fashion, design and jewelry boutiques, unique cafes and award-winning restaurants. It’s all completely closed to traffic and just a few minutes walk from downtown Toronto.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown
At the heart of Toronto, Downtown is the destination for cheap eats and fast fashion. Cut through by hip and trendy Yonge Street, the vibe here is young, with a strong student influence from the Ryerson University Campus. As a result, the Downtown area is always in flux: undergoing the construction of new facilities, with fresh retail spaces and pop-up cafes. Home to Toronto's largest indoor shopping mall, a number of vintage cinemas, and a healthy nightlife centered on the area's Distillery District bar and clubs near the East End, it's both an easygoing daytime spot and a popular party place after sunset. It also features some of Toronto's best outdoor landmarks, including Yonge-Dundas Square and the Nathan Phillips Square: perfect for a concert, a skate, or a relaxing sit-down.
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Best nearby
Restaurants
3,527 within 5 kms
Attractions
521 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Iain AKirkcaldy, United Kingdom642 contributionsWorth taking a visitAbout 15 minutes walk east from Yonge/Front Street, this historic distillery district is worth taking the time to visit. Lots of nice little shops, places to eat and have a wee drink. Believe the hop on hop off bus stops at the entrance. Not a bad relaxing couple of hours.Visited October 2022Written December 13, 2022
- baroomMississauga, Canada2,169 contributionsDistillery Winter Village 2022Visited around 4:30PM to take advantage of free entry on Dec 13, Tue. Tickets ($11 + tax) to Distillery Winter Village are required Fri-Sun after 4PM but free all other times (not free on Dec 27-29 after 4PM). Intentionally avoided visiting on a Mon since I read that outdoor vendor cabins are closed on that day. No plans to shop or spend money, we were just after the ambience. We entered via Parliament St and stood in line for a quick photo op at the Big Heart installation. It was basically photo ops galore all the way to Trinity Square. The Distillery District was transformed into a stunning Christmas village complete with brightly lit LED stars, snowmen, lavishly decorated Christmas tree, countdown to Christmas sign, outdoor vendor cabins and more. Even Santa Claus and his elves were available for group photos near the giant tree, one only had to stand in line. There were a lot of people and it was a challenge to take photos without unwanted strangers in them. We only stayed until dusk, just dark enough to appreciate all the festive lights around us. We then made our way to Nathan Phillips Square to see more Christmas lights and decor.Visited December 2022Written December 30, 2022
- david nManchester, United Kingdom4,701 contributionsSure everything is better in the sunshine but .... even in the cold and damp, it was hard to visualise this area being that much better. Okay, in January, some units were closed for holidays but even the beers we had seemed pedestrian. We won't be going back anytime soon.Visited January 2023Written January 11, 2023
- John KitchingGreater London, United Kingdom1,193 contributionsWorth a visitThe buildings and the shops are great. An area where you should spend some time and easy to get to by tram from downtown. Had some great chocolate and selection of spirits. The area has been carefully restored and I just wish we had a bit more time to explore the area.Visited July 2022Written January 29, 2023
- Andrés BlancoCarteret, New Jersey675 contributionsShould't be missedWent to the distillery district to have lunch after a busy morning exploring Toronto's downtown. The buildings and surroundings had been beautifully restored. There are many eateries and shops so just keep walking if you want to see them all. The place is also like an open art gallery. They have multiple sculptures, murals, and picture-worthy spots. We had a great time exploring around.Visited August 2022Travelled as a coupleWritten February 21, 2023
- Andrea O1 contributionHighly recommend the walking tour!Highly recommend the walking guided tour! Nicole, our guide, was very knowledgeable, friendly and fun! She brought us indoors a few times so we could warm up! At the end, we were given a delicious sample of Soma chocolate ❤️Visited March 2023Travelled with friendsWritten March 10, 2023
- Kay GLlandudno, United Kingdom169 contributionsVery cool place for food,drinks and relaxingI visited here on a lovely sunny cold day, there are multiple places for drinks, food, coffee and sweet treats. Really cool place to walk around and visit. A few small shops to visit too. Would deffinitly reccomend a visitVisited April 2023Travelled soloWritten April 2, 2023
- Mark TOrlando, Florida456 contributionsAmazing treeLoads of shops, stalls and places to eat. A wonderful way to do Christmas shopping but get their early as parking can be limited. They charge a small entry fee on weekends as the holiday season ramps up.Visited November 2022Written June 4, 2023
- susvegaraMadrid, Spain1,857 contributionsGreat chill outOme of my favourite places of The city. A bit far away from downtown but easy access anyway. It's a great place to walk around, see the little shops and maybe have a drink or dine al fresco. There's so many choices. Find the love sign and the peace sign.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten September 9, 2023
- Anonymous8551,680 contributionsVery cute area! Tad confusing at night to find specific placesWe went there to have dinner at El Catrin and stopped for ice cream afterward at "Scooped". I wish we would have been there earlier in the day to see the historic displays! The ambiance is fantastic and there are many places to sit and enjoy. It was within walking distance of our hotel and easy to get to, very safe. I'll go back there when I return to Toronto.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 25, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
8,305 reviews
Excellent
4,135
Very good
3,118
Average
859
Poor
134
Terrible
59
Erika K
1 contribution
Nov. 2023 • Solo
We highly recommend this! My husband and I shopped around the distillery district first during the Winter Festival. Really beautiful and lots of nice shops. Our tour was with David and he was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job! Everything was very interesting, and we were taken to areas we wouldn't have went to had we not done the tour. David was so kind and fun. Highly highly recommend !!! Worth your buck.
Written November 23, 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.
Zainab A
Toronto, Canada3 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
I love walking around the Distillery and exploring different stores and cafes. This time I visited in the morning and noticed that it's less busy, which means you get a better chance to appreciate the architecture and explore the art galleries. At night, it's more lively and the atmosphere is magical, especially when the winter village goes live. I find that weekdays are the best time to visit if you want to avoid crowds.
I found this Distillery District map helpful
I found this Distillery District map helpful
Written November 16, 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.
Try2TravelSustainably
Hamilton, Canada239 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
A great place to visit to eat, drink, theatre and shopping. Be careful if you are going when there are events as it is very busy and sometimes they charge an entry free later at night.
Written October 15, 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.
Beth S
South Lake Tahoe, CA478 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
We thought there might be some distilleries there. It was more of a tourist location for eateries and shops. The entire history was on one placard on the West side of the location. 2 of the eateries were closed for private parties on a Monday afternoon. We were disappointed by the lack of interesting things to see.
Written October 2, 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.
Dahtorq
Torquay, United Kingdom173 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Solo
Vibrant, buzzy, a lovely place to visit.. especially on an early evening as it starts to wake up…great selection of bars and food places too
Written September 29, 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.
Anonymous855
Trabuco Canyon, California1,680 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We went there to have dinner at El Catrin and stopped for ice cream afterward at "Scooped". I wish we would have been there earlier in the day to see the historic displays! The ambiance is fantastic and there are many places to sit and enjoy. It was within walking distance of our hotel and easy to get to, very safe. I'll go back there when I return to Toronto.
Written September 25, 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.
susvegara
Madrid, Spain1,857 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
Ome of my favourite places of The city.
A bit far away from downtown but easy access anyway. It's a great place to walk around, see the little shops and maybe have a drink or dine al fresco. There's so many choices.
Find the love sign and the peace sign.
A bit far away from downtown but easy access anyway. It's a great place to walk around, see the little shops and maybe have a drink or dine al fresco. There's so many choices.
Find the love sign and the peace sign.
Written September 10, 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.
minimize940314
Los Angeles, CA3,527 contributions
Dec. 2022
Bustling. There were many people visiting the place for the Christmas activities. Access via public transportation was easy, and there were a lot of activities and shops to enjoy.
Written August 21, 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.
BDJV
86 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
We absolutely love the distillery historic district. When we went, they were having a French movie night. It was nice to walk around and visit the different shops and vendors. I highly recommend it.
Written August 4, 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.
Teammilitello
Des Moines, IA735 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
The art around here is great. The buildings were built in the 1830’s. Parking was easy. I got a coffee at Balzac’s. Safe. Clean area.
Written July 21, 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.
anna22389062110
Nigeria28 contributions
Awesome idea
Jaime
Toronto, Canada39 contributions
Great place but closed only pick up and deliveries
is there a bus service on front street from union st, to parliament st.
Well_Travelled_TO
Toronto, Canada179 contributions
If you want to get to Parliament, go north from Union to Queen Street and take the 501 streetcar.
However, if you want to get to the Distillery District, take the 121A bus from just outside of Union Station.
Dazend
Raleigh, NC2 contributions
Where can I park my car
Roam814245
Toronto, Canada36 contributions
You can park on front street, mill street or parliament street which is in that area of the distillery district.
With only 10,000 photos on Instagram (while other tourist sites have 100,000) and reading their site about a photography permit my impression is you are very limited on what you can photograph without paying for a permit. Can anyone confirm this?
luban
Oshawa, Canada97 contributions
No issues here. A group of 10 took many photos. Also weddings in the area were taking shots. No problem taking any of the artwork as we walked through such as LOVE sign, red heart.
Travel Bug
1 contribution
Are there any baby changing stations and/or nursing rooms near by?
ZNK67
Dubai, United Arab Emirates210 contributions
Sorry but I didn’t really pay attention while I was there, however I got this from the internet hope it’s helpful.
“The Distillery Historic District is an accessible site and provides for mobility-accessible parking, ramp access to buildings, shops and restaurants, washrooms with child changing facilities.”
mcj79
Washington DC, DC8 contributions
Which working distilleris and breweries offer tours and tasting?
Cinzia Nasuelli
Milan, Italy273 contributions
None. Here the distilleries do no work anymore. The area is a turistic pedastrian area with shops and bars
wonderandgetlost
Salem, NH39 contributions
What time in the morning would be best to avoid crowds? I will be there on a weekday at the end of August.
Thank you in advance ❤️
Gilvam
Rio de Janeiro, RJ485 contributions
I was there on a cold spring day.... by end of April 2018... unusually cold as I was said, and it was extremely calm with just a few shops opened.
wonderandgetlost
Salem, NH39 contributions
What time in the morning would be best to avoid crowds? I will be there on a weekday at the end of August.
Thank you in advance ❤️
Doron H
Toronto, Canada34 contributions
Any time before 4 pm is fine. However - if you also want to have dinner or see a play it will have to be the evening, in which case mid-week is your best bet
What's the best time of day to go?
Ralisa
London, UK641 contributions
I was there sort of early evening and was very nice albeit very busy. Nice places there to have a drink and people watch.
Mary C
Markham6 contributions
Where is the entrance to the underground parking
Ariane A
Toronto, Canada49 contributions
Underground parking entrance is off of Cherry Street just north of the Gardiner Expressway. Here is a great app for parking which allows you to pick your location, date and time range for parking and it will show you all parking in that area and the costs. It is super helpful. I love it! parkopedia
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Claim your listingDISTILLERY HISTORIC DISTRICT - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Distillery Historic District
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Distillery Historic District:
- Toronto Distillery District Walking Tour (From C$24.87)
- Toronto Local Beer Tour: 2 Beers at 2 Unique & Historical Pubs (From C$101.17)
- 30-Minute Distillery District Segway Tour in Toronto (From C$47.35)
- 14-Minute Helicopter Tour Over Toronto (From C$240.17)
- 50-Minute Distillery District Segway Tour (From C$70.45)
- Hotels near Distillery Historic District:
- (0.33 km) Residence & Conference Centre - Toronto Downtown
- (1.49 km) Comfy Guest House and Suite
- (0.52 km) The Percy Bed & Breakfast
- (1.54 km) One King West Hotel & Residence
- (1.38 km) The Omni King Edward Hotel
- Restaurants near Distillery Historic District:
- (0.01 km) El Catrin
- (0.03 km) Sweet Escape Patisserie
- (0.04 km) Wildly Delicious at the Distillery
- (0.04 km) Archeo
- (0.04 km) Brick Street Bakery
- Attractions near Distillery Historic District:
- (0.00 km) Dancemakers
- (0.00 km) Native Earth Performing Arts Theatre
- (0.05 km) Spirit of York
- (0.05 km) Bergo Designs
- (0.18 km) H2O Float Studio