Review: Distillery District

Tell me: What’s this place all about? A collection of 47 19th-century buildings that once comprised the Gooderham & Worts Distillery is now a major dining, shopping, and cultural hub in Toronto aptly called the Distillery District. Strolling through the neighborhood’s brick-paved pedestrian streets, visitors might feel as if they’ve been transported to Victorian-era Canada—the craftspeople who restored the old structures kept true to the original construction materials as much as possible. And while there are still breweries and distilleries here (including the Spirit of York Distillery and the Mill St. Brew Pub), there are also restaurants, locally-owned boutiques, and art galleries.

What’s it like being there? The Distillery District’s developers wanted to “​​combine the romance and relaxing atmosphere of European walking and patio districts with the hip, cool dynamic of an area like New York City’s SoHo or Chelsea,” and they’ve succeeded. Come in during the holidays for a European-style Christmas market.

Who comes here? Since the Distillery District is on the outskirts of downtown Toronto—about a 30-minute walk from the CN Tower—it’s not necessarily filled with tourists—Torontonians also frequent the businesses here, whether they’re coming for an after-work drink or an afternoon spent shopping. That said, given the photogenic nature of the Victorian-era industrial complex, there are also plenty of visitors dropping by just to take a few good Instagrams.

So then what, or who, do you think it’s best for? If you have a few hours to spare after sightseeing, this is a pretty fun mini-neighborhood to explore in the late afternoon into the evening. Do a little shopping, stop for a bite to eat, and finish with a beverage of choice in a nod to the Distillery District’s heritage.