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Distillery Historic District

Distillery Historic District

Distillery Historic District
4.5
About
The Distillery District is an internationally acclaimed village of brick-lined streets and dozens of vibrantly restored Victorian Industrial buildings. It’s one of Ontario’s hottest tourist attractions and home to live theatres, galleries, fashion, design and jewelry boutiques, unique cafes and award-winning restaurants. It’s all completely closed to traffic and just a few minutes walk from downtown Toronto.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Downtown
At the heart of Toronto, Downtown is the destination for cheap eats and fast fashion. Cut through by hip and trendy Yonge Street, the vibe here is young, with a strong student influence from the Ryerson University Campus. As a result, the Downtown area is always in flux: undergoing the construction of new facilities, with fresh retail spaces and pop-up cafes. Home to Toronto's largest indoor shopping mall, a number of vintage cinemas, and a healthy nightlife centered on the area's Distillery District bar and clubs near the East End, it's both an easygoing daytime spot and a popular party place after sunset. It also features some of Toronto's best outdoor landmarks, including Yonge-Dundas Square and the Nathan Phillips Square: perfect for a concert, a skate, or a relaxing sit-down.
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See what travelers are saying

  • Zainab A
    Toronto, Canada1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Distillery in the daytime or nighttime??
    I love walking around the Distillery and exploring different stores and cafes. This time I visited in the morning and noticed that it's less busy, which means you get a better chance to appreciate the architecture and explore the art galleries. At night, it's more lively and the atmosphere is magical, especially when the winter village goes live. I find that weekdays are the best time to visit if you want to avoid crowds. I found this Distillery District map helpful
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written November 16, 2023
  • Erika K
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bang for your Buck
    We highly recommend this! My husband and I shopped around the distillery district first during the Winter Festival. Really beautiful and lots of nice shops. Our tour was with David and he was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job! Everything was very interesting, and we were taken to areas we wouldn't have went to had we not done the tour. David was so kind and fun. Highly highly recommend !!! Worth your buck.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written November 23, 2023
  • EmLiesel
    Birmingham, United Kingdom227 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit when in Toronto
    We visited while in Toronto in February. It was a long cold walk but worth it. Given the time of the year it was really quiet which was really nice and as we didn't have to fight the crowds. We loved the red brick architecture and walking around the historic buildings. There is a great collection of shops and cafes and something for everyone. The prices were reasonable it was a really nice place to visit.
    Visited February 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 12, 2023
  • Cggrimm07
    Blackburn, United Kingdom299 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Distillery district, cool place to visit
    Interesting place to visit we visited in December so they had the Christmas market on , we visited during the day there were lots of stalls and shops to spend your time perusing. The Xmas decorations were a little different but the Dior Xmas tree looked fantastic. I would like to visit the area without the Christmas market to get a better picture of the distillery district it seemed like a chilled area to visit.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 7, 2024
  • Stefan Overton
    Colchester, United Kingdom229 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Insta Friendly
    If you’re wanting some pics for the gram then this is a good place to go. A few installations to take pictures with (shown in pics attached). For the time of year we went, there wasn’t much open and it was pretty deserted so can’t give this a proper review but from what we saw, it was fun and I expect this is bustling in the Summer but we went in the Winter time. I’m still glad I went as there are still a few things to see. I would say, the surrounding areas are pretty run down and isn’t the prettiest of areas to be in.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 9, 2024
  • vegetarian-girl
    Austin, Texas543 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great date venue
    My husband & I visited on a rainy day which took away from the experience but I can picture couples going on dates there because it was very charming & the industrial setting so quaint. There was a New Orleans theme going on & it reminds me of the warehouse district there. At night, it must be a great place to go with the lights & lively atmosphere.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 18, 2024
  • Fearless778966
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good place to know
    I’ve stayed there in the weekend and I loved it. You find a lot of stores, restaurants and good places to take a beer and wine. The atmosphere is friendly. Everybody needs to know and enjoy the place.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written June 27, 2024
  • Chaitanya
    Cambridge, Canada1,457 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Visiting Spot
    Great place to go with your partner and just walk around the streets and get the feel for victorian style neighbourhood. Good place to take friends and out of town relatives. Lots of shopping and food options and they most often have events for weekends or holiday seasons.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 19, 2024
  • Rosemary M
    39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Neighborhoods in Toronto
    This shopping and entertainment area is built on the site of the old Godderham & Worts Distillery. Apart from the architectural significance, there is shopping, bars & coffee shops and it is one of the best Xmas Markets in the world. It is within walking distance to the Port of Toronto and Marina with bicycle and walking trails and a ferry to Toronto Island Park.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written August 20, 2024
  • Travel Blog Anna Blunschi
    509 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    great industrial architecture
    This district east of the city centre is characterised by industrial architecture from the 19th century. The area has been declared as a historic monument. Not surprising, as it is rare to see architecture from this period so well preserved in North America. There are imposing Victorian buildings, chicly converted warehouses, lofts with high ceilings and cobbled streets full of character.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 21, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles8,345 reviews
Excellent
4,157
Very good
3,130
Average
863
Poor
136
Terrible
59

MandaGo
Gold Coast, Australia49 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Went here while I was visiting Toronto with some friends. We went online just to find out more details and saw that you had to purchase tickets to enter, so we bought tickets which ended up costing around 35 dollars each. We got to the location and there was a giant line up that wrapped around the entire building, so we asked one of the volunteers if we had to wait in line since we already had purchased tickets (or if there was a seperate line for people who had purchased tickets previously). They told us no, so we went into the back of the line which we waited for close to an hour to get in.

We asked a couple of others who were in the line if they had bought tickets and everyone kept saying no. We finally get to the front and we notice everyone is just going straight on in, it wasn't until we asked someone about our tickets that they mentioned: "oh we can scan them."

WASTE OF MONEY.

If we had of known you can get in for free, we wouldn't have bought tickets. Also the customer service of whoever deals with the sales of these tickets is absolutely terrible.

So next Christmas markets, save your money for some mulled wine :)
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

N S
Ottawa, Canada491 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
A popular area for Christmas shopping and restaurants in the summer and holiday season. $5.00 per person charge for the dubious privelege of joining the crowds at the Christmas Market on weekends. It does house one of Toronto's best theatre companies, Soulpepper.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Str8_Shot
Toronto, Canada22 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
I was hoping that there was going to be some really interesting historical facts about this re-purposed area, but I found little. Every store and restaurant was over-priced and the parking was not cheap. I don't care for shopping but am interested in food, history, and art. The food caters to the masses and as such I do not think the establishments are interested in quality service. The art galleries had some interesting items, but nothing that other places in Toronto don't have. Did like Corktown Designs.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Reza Sattarzadeh
Muscat, Oman2,539 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Solo
Distillery District is that area of town where you truly feel that you're walking in a historical setting. From the old buildings, most of which have become bars and restaurants, to art installations, the walking in the district is a rewarding experience. It can get very busy during the touristy season, though that matters on the time of the day. Expect to stop at a few points to take photos.
Written August 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nimit
Washington DC, DC23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Was lucky to visit this during the light festival. The decor is nice and there are a lot of nice places to go grab a drink and food. Good effort has been put into the lighting and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice evening in the city.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gary K
Oakville, Canada2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Couples
Im my opinion its good for Torontonions but nothing to rave about if you are visiting from any major global city and no Toronto is not a world class city. Whats so good about this place? Standing in line to grab a pint in one of the 3 bars in this "distillary district". Every place has lineups to get in, so if its a spur of a moment thibg to go there you will be out of luck to eat anywhere. You need reservations for most of the venues. Make sure to go before 4pm during the Christmas Market its free, after 4pm its 8 bucks.

I will say its decent to take a few pics if you have little kids and want some outdoor pics with some giant christmas tree. Otherwise trust me you will leave in 20 minutes.
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Culture42788
Toronto, Canada39 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
One of Toronto's oldest downtown areas, the historic Distillery District has become one of the hippest locales in the city -- fine restaurants, the city's most interesting theatre company (Soulpepper) and artsy shops galore. Parking is a bit tricky but if the weather is good dip your toes in. It's hot.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul W
Taplow, UK44 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Made the mistake of walking to the Distillery district from the harbour, lots of construction along the harbour side en route. The Distillery district provides photo opportunities for a number of interesting artefacts. (War of the wolrds alien statue, Heart Stature, Gren peace sign) We visiuted just after Xmas so missed all the Christmas stalls. The Tree was still lit. We stopped at a bar and had a nice drink and nibbles but that was probably the highlight of my trip to the district. After reading so many reviews of the area was expecting a little more
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BeachBuddha
Leeds, UK669 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
This place wasnt our cup of tea.

We visited mid afternoon and it was very quiet with not many places open. I believe it could be better in the evening.

We expected it to be old buildings converted into cafe bars and bars but there didn't seem to be many of them.

Lots of abstract statues.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rostand63
Tampa62 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Many of the lights were on and working in various art works, AS art, and exhibits for kids, even though long past Christmas. The area is very old English, with cobblestone walkways and small brick buildings. It was cold and a little rainy which is probably why everything wasn't on. What we did see was impressive!
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Distillery Historic District - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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