After a long and stressful week, a much-needed girl’s day out was in order. We decided to hit King Street West, one of the hottest new areas in Toronto. (Tip: When you hit King Street West, be sure to take the subway down as parking is a nightmare!)
10 a.m. – First on our list was a relaxing Ayurvedic Massage ($155 for 75 minutes) at Shizen Spa [1] (Cosmopolitan Hotel, 8 Colborne Street). Erit, the Spa Manager and an expert at Ayurvedic Massages, suggested this treatment as it is based on 5,000-year-old ancient Indian traditions and combines warm sesame oil and a light rhythmic touch to soothe and restore the nervous system.
12 p.m. - After our relaxing massages, we stopped by Hammam Spa [2] (602 King Steet West), sipping on tea and nibbling on fruit and cookies as we waited by the fire for our rejuvenating Classic Pedicures ($50 each). Although they couldn’t fit us in for French pedicures (Tip: Book French manis and pedis in advance!), we settled on black, pink, and sizzling orange polish, three great shades for the summer!
1:15 p.m. – Our hunger pangs lead us to Zoe’s Bakery Café [3] (548 King Street West), a great little lunch spot nearby. We recommend the gourmet goat cheese salad ($9.95) and caprese salad ($12.95), the cheddar/apple sandwich ($7.95), and the quiche with mixed greens ($9.25).
2 p.m. – No girl’s day out is complete without shopping, so we hit up Black Line studio where we grabbed some of their exclusive Paul Hardy hoodies and some seriously funky silver jewelry.
2:20 p.m. – Next on our list was Perfect Leather Goods Ltd. (555 King Street West), a supplier of fine leathers, where we scored some fab patent leather clutches ($75), cute leather belts ($5), and gorgeous driving gloves ($25 and up), which we’ll save for next season.
2:32 p.m. – Because Perfect Leather Goods Ltd. had a bit of a warehouse feel to it, we thought we’d check out Acton Leather Co. [4] (522 King Street West). We were pleased to find Kenzie shirts ($29), Etienne Aigner leather handbags ($135), chic white leather jackets ($89), and men’s black leather lined slippers ($69).
2:45 p.m. – We decided it was time to get our much deserving dads some father’s day gifts, so we popped over to GotStyle. We pressed the buzzer code (#1002) and headed up the elevator. We chose a pair of exclusive Lacoste shoes from the European collection ($175 and up), two silk ties ($100 for two), a Ted Baker dress shirt, and a gift certificate for their Men’s Spa.
3:12 p.m. –We were still in a shopping mood so we decided to hop on a street car in order to check out the other side of King Street West. We got off at First Canadian Place (100 King Street West) and discovered a bevy of stores we didn’t even know existed!
3:35 p.m. – We swung by Josef, a trendy, business casual store and bought a couple blazers and dresses (all in the $200 range). Next was Sisley (the only location in Toronto), then Options for Her, and last but not least, Birks for some jewellery.
4:35 p.m. – To tide us over until dinner, we picked out a few truffles and pralines at Eitelbach. We recommend the Nougat, Cappuccino, and Marc de Champagne truffles and the German Treecake.
5 p.m. – As we were planning on going out for dinner, we got our makeup done at Inglot [5], a great little Canadian makeup boutique. We also learned it was the only Toronto location.
6 p.m. – It was time to give Vertical’s new trendy patio a spin. Tucked away at the top floor of First Canadian Place, Vertical [6] (100 King Street West) is one of those ‘hidden gems’ you’ll regret not knowing about earlier. With a newly renovated (and absolutely stunning) outdoor dining area and patio overlooking King West, Vertical has made the transition to becoming one of Toronto’s best experiences in all around fine dining. The 6,000-square foot restaurant and bar, which includes a wine cellar, a 40-foot sandstone bar, private indoor dining rooms, and a beautiful open kitchen has become an instant hit with its fresh look and young perspective on Mediterranean and southern Italian cuisine (they just hired their new cook straight from Italy!) Popular with the after-5 cocktail crowd, Vertical boasts a refreshing new take on appetizers (grilled shrimp, salted potatoes), an impressive wine and cocktail list, and to-die-for desserts (the lemon semi fredo was our favorite!)
To make a reservation at Vertical, call 416-214-2252.