Cluny Bistro, Toronto

Whenever the Distillery District is mentioned by a curious stranger to someone from Toronto, oftentimes the immediate advice they get is to visit Cluny Bistro as a matter of must. Indeed, this spacious French Bistro with dazzling decor is an attraction in its own right – depending on the season, it has a patio sparkling with some 8,000-to-80,000 twinkle lights, so it's hard to miss.

Open 364 days a year, this place serves an award-winning brunch on weekends and holidays, lunch from Monday to Friday, and delightful dinners seven days a week. Whether you’re in for any of these, you'll be delighted to know that nearly all items on the menu are made from scratch. For extra fun, they also have a curated wine list with nearly 200 bottles. The available seafood options are just as exiting and absolutely mouthwatering, e.g. the tuna tartar.

Subject to preference, you are welcome to dine-in or take Cluny home – from coffee to cocktails, delicate eclairs to fresh-baked baguettes, made-to-order crepes to sandwiches, this cafe has anything you want. The in-house collection of pastries or a box of macarons, house-made terrines and preserves, or artisanal pantry items, including the signature frite spice or imported canned escargot, makes picking up a perfect host gift easy! Just make sure to book a reservation so as to skip the line!

Also, similarly by Parisian cafés which are, in essence, centres of social and culinary life in Paris, Cluny Bistro has its own boulangerie next door which is more than the sum of its parts, but a fully fledged neighbourhood hub, a rendezvous spot, a place to relax and refuel.