Your Super Friendly Design District Guide – King East

Explore King East’s design showrooms, Soma chocolates, and Mies’ TD Centre

Head to King East for European design showrooms, Soma chocolates and the TD Centre by Mies.

Word of Mouth

1 “Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie (35 Tank House Ln) has beautiful design, great food and the best bread selection. I always take out-of-town clients there, and even the discerning Europeans like the food.” – Golbou Rad, Radform

2 “Morning Glory (457 King St E) has great breakfast, and it’s almost anti-design, which I prefer. They also have a secluded patio in the back, which is nice and low key.” – Klaus Neinkämper Jr, Klaus

3 “Soma Chocolatemaker (32 Tank House LN) mixes my chocolate addiction with a touch of creativity and design!” – Anthony Ghanem, Roche Bobois

4 “I eat at Mangia & Bevi (260 King St E) practically every week. Where else can you rub shoulders with the editors of The Globe and Mail and the local design community at the same time? Plus, they make a fantastic aperol spritz.” – Stefan Sybydlo, Bulthaup

5 “Cocina Economica (141 Berkeley St) – being off the beaten path is what makes this a gem. The food is good, but the magic is being able to sneak in a couple of tequilas during lunch without getting caught.” – Fraser Greenberg, Relative Space

Must-Stop Shopping Spots

6 “Best-looking establishment: Haven (190 Richmond St E). This 2nd-level store has a great vibe in its loft-like space hidden away above an old renovated garage. The shop is bright and airy and I love their selection of curated Japanese clothing brands for men.” – Phillip Hatherly, Jardin de Ville

7 “Both Acadia Art & Rare Books (232 Queen St E) and D&E Lake (239 King St E) have an inspiring selection of rare, used books; it’s amazing what you can find there!” – Maria Raco, NewWall House

Sights Worth Seeing

8 “We are so lucky to have St. James Park (120 King St E) in our city of ever-decreasing greenspaces. The gardens in the spring and summer are well-planted; it’s a pleasure to walk through.” – Phillip Hatherly, Jardin de Ville

9 “Feheley Fine Arts (65 George St) represents some of the best Inuit artists in Canada, such as Annie Pootoogook. It shares space with Pierre-François Ouellette, a Montreal gallery that often puts on shows here, so if you keep up with the exhibition schedule you can enjoy two shows at once.” – Stefan Sybydlo, Bulthaup

10 “There is a block of historic row houses on Berkeley Street; it feels like stepping into a different era. I also love Corktown Common Park (155 Bayview Ave) for its beautiful flowers, diverse ecosystem and cute hidden spots that provide a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of downtown.” – Maria Raco, NewWall House

Explore the rest of Toronto with our other Super Friendly Guides to Queen West, Midtown, West End, Uptown, King West, and Queen East.