Ontario Going Out

Food and Drink

You can enjoy international cuisine in all major towns. Toronto is rated as one of the best cities for dining out on the continent. Bars and restaurants offer an international selection of alcohol. Each autumn, the Niagara Wine Festival is held in St Catharines. Alcohol is sold in Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) outlets. Domestic beer is available at outlets known simply as The Beer Store and at some LCBO stores. Domestic wines are also sold through company stores.

Things to know: Liquor stores are run by the government; beer stores are run by a consortium of brewers. Licensing hours are daily 1100-0200 (although not all licensed premises are open for the full range of possible hours). It is illegal to consume alcohol unless you are in a residence or a licensed establishment.

Regional specialities:
• Maple syrup can accompany everything, from waffles and toast to pancakes and even baked beans!
• As well as a wide range of artisanal cheeses, Ontario producers make outstanding cheddars.
• Try one of the dazzling varieties of fish from the countless lakes and rivers.

Regional drinks:

• Icewine: a sweet nectar with a tantalising complexity of flavours.
• Ontario has extensive vineyards providing much of Canada’s wine.

Legal drinking age:
19.

Tipping:
It is customary to tip between 15% and 20% at bars and restaurants in Ontario.

Nightlife

Both main cities have establishments offering all forms of entertainment, from quiet clubs featuring a lone pianist, through Latin American combos to dance and rock bands and big-name international entertainers. Toronto is recognised as the third most important theatre centre after London and New York, and cabaret/dinner theatres are also especially popular in Toronto. Toronto is also known as a good jazz and blues town. Both Toronto and Ottawa host jazz festivals in the summer. Theatres with classical entertainment are also found in Ottawa.

Shopping

Toronto offers everything from antiques to luxury lingerie, if you have the money and time to spend. There are large suburban shopping centres (including Vaughan Mills, one of the province's newest mega-malls, with some 200 shops). The Eaton Centre, a glass-domed galleria in the heart of the city, is linked to 4.8km (3 miles) of interconnecting underground shopping malls with 1,000 retail outlets. Toronto's villages are full of colourful streets of renovated Victoriana, with garment shops, art galleries, antique stores and open-air cafes in summer. Kensington Market and its surrounding neighbourhood is a popular jumble of food stalls, vintage clothing shops, décor stores and quirky restaurants.

Ottawa also has a wide choice of shops and handicraft centres. The Byward Market is a popular area of craft shops, farmers' market stalls and cafes. The Glebe, Wellington Village and Westboro are charming neighbourhoods that are home to a selection of independent retailers selling everything from art glass to yoga clothing.

Shopping hours: Shops are open daily 1000-1800 in most parts of Ontario (Thurs-Fri until 2100, Sun from 1200). Many city and suburban shops are open until 2100 Mon-Fri.
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