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Outdoor markets, indoor markets, farmer’s markets – you name it! If it has food (or booze for that matter), we’ll be there. Toronto is a big cosmopolitan city but you’ll be delighted to find little pockets of character tucked away in its corners.
Kensington Market is one such place and is really unique in that it’s not an established structure housing a big market. Rather, it’s a bohemian neighborhood with a hipster vibe and old Victorian homes painted in vivid colors along tree-lined streets, with 240+ shops and restaurants packed in all around.
You’ll find funky graffiti art to admire, stores (or people in their front yards for that matter) selling vintage and handmade goods, bakeries, coffee shops, and unique food establishments with international fare that can satisfy anyone’s curiosity.
On our first full day in Toronto, we were actually planning to walk to the St. Lawrence Market not far from our hotel. Luckily, before we headed out the door, my husband noticed it was closed when he looked it up on the map. Admittedly, with all the research I did, I neglected to realize that St. Lawrence Market was closed on Sundays at the time we visited (palm to face).
It was a good thing we had planned to also visit Kensington Market that week, so we just did a little switcheroo on our itinerary. It turned out to be for the best! We had beautiful weather, and happened to catch the very first “Pedestrian Sunday” event of the season at Kensington Market. The stars aligned!
Note to self: check all opening hours of attractions first..
Cheesy Crepes at Krepesz Cafe & Bar
We walked around the market for a bit when we first arrived to get our bearings. Soon after, our morning hunger crept up on us and we were in search of something to eat. We found a spot that had a sign out for Bloody Caesars – basically a magnetic attraction for us.
There’s no better way to start a Canadian day than with a good Caesar!
When it came to choosing a crepe, we decided to split the I Am Cheezy with mozzarella cheese. We got it Tito Style with a layer of crispy cheese on the outside, and added some spicy green chiles. This was truly an enjoyable and delicious brunch! I don’t know what it was about it – maybe the hot, gooey cheese, the fabulous crepe batter, or the crispy cheese on the outside – but I was so impressed.
Maybe it’s just a case of some simple elements coming together to make magic? Or perhaps that Caesar kicked in…
*Sadly, Krepesz closed permanently but I will leave this bit here as part of our experience.
Egg Tarts at Mashion Bakery
345 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2G3, Canada
Mashion may be slightly outside of the limits of Kensington Market in Chinatown (really just across the street on Spadina), but I’m still counting it. I had my heart set on trying an egg tart and Mashion came up in my research. So, after our little brunch at Krepesz, we popped over to see what the fuss is all about.
You’ll probably want to grab a whole bunch of goodies once you walk in, but as a reminder, don’t overdo it so you can fit some more food in your belly later!
We grabbed one each of two different kinds of egg tarts (a pastry tart and a butter tart), a steamed pork bun, and a veggie spring roll for good measure.
My favorite item was definitely the smaller pastry egg tart. It was a little on the sweeter side (and at $0.50 CAD for one you can’t beat that!) and the crust was nice and flaky. The butter tart filling was more firm and had a distinct egg taste to it. It was also not as sweet. I would have preferred it to be a little more soft with a sweeter custard, but still nice to explore different options with the taste buds.
Lastly, the steamed pork bun was good, but we both really wished it could have been served warm instead of room temp when you grab it from the case. All in all, not bad for our first foray with egg tarts and Toronto Chinese bakeries! I’d definitely come back for a little box of the small egg tarts.
Note: When we were there, they were only accepting cash; however, I have read some reviews that say they take debit with a minimum charge. I’d bring cash just to be on the safe side. There is an ATM a couple of blocks down Spadina if you need it (which I suggest anyway if you’re visiting the same place we went next).
Fish Tacos at Seven Lives
69 Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2K2, Canada
Whenever I visit a new place, I like to do things in threes if I can. In this case, that meant hitting up three food spots in Kensington Market! On organized food tours, they definitely take you around to more than three stops, but this was all our time (and bellies) would allow on this trip.
We decided that finishing our time at Kensington Market with a little fish taco action from the well-reviewed Seven Lives was the best bet.
There was already a nice steady line as we approached Seven Lives, who were out serving up tacos on the street outside of their tiny storefront. Their star attraction is the fish taco, but they also had salsa verde pork and chipotle chicken to choose from.
We did notice that the fish pieces in the tacos varied in size. Some people got extra large pieces while others got an average portion size. Ours were pretty average, but it worked out fine for us because we were stuffed by the time we finished ours. We don’t have to be gluttons all the time, now do we?
The verdict? The fish was incredibly tasty and crispy, and their homemade salsas were so flavorful, especially the habanero! I’d also recommend putting a little of the tomatillo salsa on there for some moisture.
We scarfed down our tacos in a shady spot in a nearby alleyway and washed it all down with some fresh lemonade. Delicioso! It’s definitely hard to resist having more than one of these bad boys, even on a full stomach.
If you only have time to stop at one place when you come to Kensington, make it Seven Lives! As much as I loved the crepe and Bloody Caesars at Krepesz, there’s just something about tacos that are simply irresistible.
Pedestrian Sundays at Kensington
So why are Pedestrian Sundays the perfect day to spend at Kensington Market? From May to October, on the last Sunday of the month, they close the main streets down for pedestrian-only traffic. The street performers come out in full force with live music and other entertaining acts and it’s just a lively, bustling place to be on a sunny day.
You can check out the monthly programs on this Instagram page dedicated to market events so you know what you’re in for. Enjoy the entertainment!
Kensington Market Tips
- Come hungry (and try to eat small portions at a handful of different stops)
- Bring cash!
- Wear comfy walking shoes
- Check the schedule for Pedestrian Sunday events
- For more info on Kensington Market: https://kensingtonmarket.to/
We will definitely return here on our next trip to Toronto! For more action and a different perspective, check out our short video we made while there:
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