Things To Do in Toronto: A Local's Guide to Yorkville
Toronto is one of North America's most exciting cities to visit - and if you're staying in or passing through Yorkville, you've landed in the best neighbourhood in town. Think tree-lined streets, world-class restaurants, boutique shopping, and a wellness scene that rivals any city in the world.
Whether you're here for a weekend or a week, here's how to do Yorkville right - including a stop that most tourists don't know about but absolutely should.
Start Your Morning at Sip Sip Cafe - The Best Matcha in Toronto
Before you do anything else, come find us.
Tucked inside 889 Community at 101 Yorkville Avenue, Sip Sip Cafe has quietly become one of Toronto's most loved spots for specialty coffee and matcha. If you're a matcha person, this is your place - we take it seriously, and regulars will tell you it's the best matcha latte in the city. Our espresso is just as carefully crafted for the coffee lovers.
@sip.sipcafe
The setting alone is worth it: warm, calm, beautifully designed, and a world away from the usual tourist rush. Whether you're fuelling up before a morning of exploring or winding down after a yoga class, Sip Sip is the perfect Yorkville ritual.
Come for the matcha. Stay for everything else.
Drop-In Yoga and Pilates in Yorkville - No Membership Required
One of the best things about visiting a new city is discovering a movement practice that actually fits your trip. At 889 Community, we welcome drop-in visitors for yoga and pilates classes - no membership, no commitment, just show up.
Yin Yoga - perfect after a long day of exploring. Long-held, passive poses that release tension and reset your nervous system. Tourists tell us it's the best thing they did all trip.
Restorative Yoga - full-body rest with props and blankets. If jet lag or a busy itinerary has caught up with you, this is your class.
Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates - a precision workout that leaves you feeling strong, tall, and completely realigned. Great if you've been walking all day and want to actually use your body intentionally.
Private Sessions - visiting Toronto for a longer stretch? Book a private one-on-one yoga or pilates session tailored entirely to you. Our teachers are some of the best in the city.
We're at 101 Yorkville Avenue - five minutes from the ROM, the Mink Mile, and most major Yorkville hotels. Easy to fit into any itinerary.
Walk the Mink Mile
Just steps from our studio, Bloor Street West through Yorkville is known as Toronto's Mink Mile - home to Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and dozens of independent Canadian designers. Even if shopping isn't your thing, the window displays and architecture are worth the stroll.
Visit the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
The ROM is one of Canada's most visited cultural institutions and it's right in the neighbourhood. World-class exhibits on natural history, art, and global cultures - plan for at least two to three hours. The building itself, with Daniel Libeskind's dramatic crystal addition, is a landmark worth seeing from the outside even if you don't go in.
Explore Yorkville Village and Cumberland Street
Yorkville Village is a beautifully designed outdoor shopping and dining destination - a mix of luxury retail, local restaurants, and beautiful courtyard spaces. Cumberland Street running parallel to Bloor is quieter, lined with patios, galleries, and independent boutiques that give the neighbourhood its character.
Grab Dinner in Yorkville
Yorkville has some of Toronto's most celebrated restaurants. A few worth knowing: Alobar Yorkville - elegant, inventive, one of the city's best for a special dinner. Sassafraz - a Yorkville institution with a beautiful patio. The Chase - exceptional seafood and one of the best views in the city. Cluny Bistro (nearby in the Distillery District) - worth the short trip for a classic French brasserie experience.
Take a Walk Through Ramsden Park and the Ravines
Toronto's ravine system is one of its best-kept secrets from visitors. From Yorkville, you're minutes from Ramsden Park and easy access to the trails that wind through the city's green corridors. A completely different side of Toronto - quiet, wooded, and surprisingly wild for a downtown neighbourhood.
Visit Hazelton Lanes and the Art Galleries
Hazelton Lanes is a landmark Yorkville boutique mall with a gorgeous European feel. The surrounding streets are also home to some of Toronto's finest commercial art galleries, including Loch Gallery and Mira Godard Gallery - worth a browse even for non-collectors.
Day Trip: Distillery District and Kensington Market
If you have extra time, two neighbourhoods just outside Yorkville are essential Toronto experiences. The Distillery District is a pedestrian-only Victorian industrial heritage site with galleries, restaurants, and artisan shops. Kensington Market is bohemian, eclectic, and unlike anywhere else in the city - ideal for a Sunday morning wander.
Come Back to 889 to Wind Down
After a full day in one of the world's great cities, there's no better way to end it than a yin yoga or restorative class at 889 Community. Drop in, breathe, and let the city melt away.
889 Community is located at 101 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto. Drop-in classes are available - check our schedule and book your spot online.
Your practice. Your pace. Your Toronto.
889 Community | 101 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto | Drop-In Yoga - Drop-In Pilates - Reformer Pilates - Yin Yoga - Restorative Yoga - Private Sessions - Sip Sip Cafe - Yorkville Toronto