Entertainment District & Queen West
Restaurants, music and late nights, then the lake to clear your head.
The Entertainment District and Queen West are Toronto at its most social: restaurants of every cuisine, bars, live music and the lakeshore nearby. Staying here puts dinner and a night out on your doorstep and keeps the CN Tower and waterfront within walking distance. It is busier and younger than downtown, with more noise on weekends and fewer quiet streets. Hotels range from luxury towers to small historic buildings.
What works
- Restaurants and bars on foot
- Live music and cinemas nearby
- Walkable to the lakefront
What doesn’t
- Loud on weekend nights
- Busy and traffic-heavy
- Fewer family facilities
One local move
Book a room away from the King Street bar strip if you want sleep. The best cheap food is on side streets and in Chinatown, a 10-minute walk north of Queen West.
Getting around
The 504 King streetcar is the workhorse, and St. Andrew and Osgoode stations are within walking distance. Queen Street's streetcar connects west to Parkdale and east to the Distillery District.
Safety
Busy and lively, with more noise than danger. Watch for pickpockets in bar crowds and avoid leaving drinks unattended; the walk west along Queen gets quieter after midnight.
4 picks in Entertainment District & Queen West
One strong pick per tier. All prices are sample ranges, not live quotes.
Shangri-La Toronto
A calm, polished hotel between downtown and the entertainment district, with large rooms, a spa and a good pool; one of the city's best stays.
Hyatt Regency Toronto
A large, well-located hotel on King Street West with a rooftop pool; convenient for restaurants and the theatre district.
The Beverley Hotel
A small, simple hotel on Queen West with compact rooms; cheap by downtown standards and well placed for bars and galleries.
Hotel Ocho
A boutique hotel in a converted 1900s factory near Queen and Spadina, with exposed brick and a lively bar; characterful and central.
Nightly ranges are sample estimates in USD for a standard double room. They move with season, events and how early you book.
Eat & drink nearby
Pizzeria Libretto
Pizza
Neapolitan pizza with a good local following; the Queen West branch is busy at dinner, so go early or reserve.
Banh Mi Boys
Vietnamese sandwiches
A small, fast counter for banh mi and tacos with a Toronto twist; cheap, good and useful between sights.
The Drake Hotel
Modern Canadian
A Queen West institution for dinner, drinks and a show; lively, design-led and best booked ahead on weekends.