Toronto Shopping Tips by lohki

Name of Shop: Soma Chocolatemaker

Large factory-esque setting with a counter for ice creams gelato and coffee.
Filled with many bars and bags of delicious treats a counter for buying truffels and individual chocolates.

The cafe area, with seats and stools has this wonderful partition that looks like it has been drizzled with melted chocolate. Don't forget to take a gander at the old grinder in the back corner. Some of the cacao beans are actually raosted here, then ground and turned in the amazing treats here.

What To Buy: Ummmm let me think about this.....

CHOCOLATE!

If you are a lover of all things chocolate I highly recomend trying their pure Mayan Shot. Not only is it very warm but the trace of chilli is unbelievable can be served with steamed milk, but I am a purest and love it as is.

What To Pay: Pay as little as $3.00 for a shot of hot Mayan Shot or pay as much as $100.00 for a large slab... I assume for baking.

Bars and treat bags tend to run in the 5 to $15.00 range and I am sure the single chocolates are 3 to $5.00 each.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: 416-815-7662
Address: 55 Mill Street
Directions: Distillery district, building 48
Website: www.somachocolate.com

Name of Shop: Bergo Designs



What To Pay: Depending on what you are looking for... I found a lovely espresso cup and saucer for $14.00, a great propane fireplace that hangs on the wall, $500.00 and a really, really cool round pod chair with flat screen t.v. and reclining chaise.... that didn't have a price tag. I can only assume it costs more than my rent!

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Theme: Home Furnishing
Phone: 416-861-1821
Address: 55 Mill Street
Directions: Distillery District-- Across from Mill Street Brewery.
Website: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/frameset.html

Name of Shop: Honest Ed's

A veritable histrionics of Toronto theatre history. The stairwells are lines with old theatre posters, actor’s headshots and archive newspaper reviews.

Make sure to seek out the makeshift props storage, Basement level, take the stairway by the Brita Water filters and look left!

What To Buy: The worst possible souvenirs EVER!
TACKY. And very funny.
If you are looking for "camp value" gifts..... Like a cheezy wood Toronto clock this is your place.
Need salt and pepper shakers shaped like Moose? This is your place.
Looking for an Elvis bust? THIS is your place!

What To Pay: Depends..... Some of the prices are great, be wary of the cooking section. There are way better places to buy pots, pans and utensils.

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Theme: Other
Address: The corner of Bloor & Bathurst streets.

Name of Shop: Sam the Record Man

O! Sam The Record Man….

Each time I come down here I wonder if you can last forever.

Yes there really was a Sam!

Sam Siderman who started this chain as a part of the family’s radio store in 1936.

They moved to the Yonge St. location in 1961, put up the now famous double neon record sign and have been a major Toronto landmark ever since.

I can’t remember the whole story but I do know that there was a bankruptcy issue in 2001 followed by big… BIG squawking here in the city about the

threatened closure of this Toronto institution and reopened in 2002.

What To Buy: Uhhhhhhhh Records?

Oh wait.

For those born after 1988… a record is kind of like a CD. Just a little bigger.

What To Pay: 9.99 and up.

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Theme: Music
Directions: Yonge Street, north of Dundas

Name of Shop: Eaton Centre

The Toronto Eaton Center can be accessed via the Yonge subway line. Get off at either the Queen or Dundas station.

Both stops will put you actually inside the mall. I usually choose Dundas simply because I am usually aiming for Sephora and/or H&M both are at this end.

There is pretty much anything, everything and every store you can think of in this mall including two large department stores The Bay (Queen St. end) and Sears (Dundas).

The Timothy Eaton Company started not long after our confederation. The mail order catalogue (referred to as the “Homesteaders Bible”) was a huge hit in 1884 when the first one was handed out at a farmer’s exhibition. Due to widespread population mail orders came pouring in and The T. Eaton Company had stumbled upon a great business venture and help shaped Canadian pioneer life.

The last Eaton's store closed its doors on Feb. 26, 2002 and I still miss this national institution!

What To Buy: If you can't find SOMETHING in this place you don't need to be shopping!

What To Pay: At times very expensive, but if the sales are on....... woooooo hooooo!

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Theme: Other
Phone: 416-598-8560
Address: 220 Yonge Street
Directions: You can't miss it.... The Toronto Eaton Center spans two full city blocks.
Website: http://www.torontoeatoncentre.com/contact/index.ch2

Name of Shop: The Travel Stop

Long and narrow and FILLED with anything and everything TRAVEL related. They even have some guide books here that I have not seen in other book stores.

They also claim to be Canada's largest retailer of luggage and travel gear.

What To Buy: This is my GO TO shop when I need a gift for someone. Even if they don't travel a lot, there is always something cool here.

They have small pens here that double as a nail file for your purse, great zippered wallets and my favourite blow up neck pillows.

This is also a great place to get adapters plugs for foreign countries.

What To Pay: This store is well priced despite it's TRES CHIC location!

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Theme: Other
Phone: 416-961-6088
Address: 130 Cumberland Street
Directions: Directly across from the subway enterance--Cumberland exit-- Bay Station
Website: http://www.thetravelstop.com/

Name of Shop: Silver Snail

Actually the staff is really fun in here, none of that pretentious attitude that is sometimes found in sci-fi/comic settings!

If you are in the Queen West area it is always fun to stop in the Snail!

What To Buy: Action dolls, comics, stuff!?

What To Pay: 9.99 and up

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Theme: Other
Phone: 416-593-0889
Address: 367 Queen Street West
Website: https://www.silversnail.com/shop/index.html