College St. between Euclid Ave and Shaw St. TTC: Queen's Park Station, then streetcar westbound

This lively neighbourhood (now more Portuguese than Italian) is the spiritual home of Toronto's Italian community, which has for the most part migrated further north. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafés, and a few more traditional poolhalls. Like Greektown, Little Italy's sidewalks are jammed on weekends – especially in the summer, with locals and visitors alike sipping espressos on outdoor patios. (See also Corso Italia.)

The Details

Italians have played an important role in Canadian history ever since Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) explored and claimed Newfoundland for England in 1497. But the first real wave of immigration to Canada was between 1885 and 1924, when Italian men left their villages in southern Italy to work as seasonal labourers.

After World War II, another wave of Italians arrived, this time settling around College St. – our first “Little Italy.” They were displacing Jewish residents of the area, who were migrating north. As the community matured, however, they too moved north, to the “Corso Italia” area – and to the suburbs as well. (Woodbridge, Richmond Hill and Mississauga are home to thousands of Italian families).

So while the original Little Italy is in fact more Portuguese today, the Italian atmosphere remains. Italian cafés and restaurants abound, as do "social clubs" - another interesting aspect of the community. These coffee shops and billiard halls are filled with conversation, cigarette smoke, and lots of animated discussion about soccer – because their clientele is mostly older Italian men.

When the sun sets, street signs illuminate in the shape of Italy’s “boot.” Little Italy is one of the hottest nightspots in Toronto. Many of the restaurants and bars open out onto the sidewalk, and some are places where the crowd goes to see and be seen.

The other Italian area – Corso Italia – is somewhat different. Here the streets are lined with fashionable, high-end Italian shops, Italian lampposts, and trendy gelaterias and cappuccino houses. If Little Italy represents the “heart” of Italy, then Corso Italia is the “skin” – exquisite, fashionable, with just enough attitude to be seductive.

When Italy won the World Cup soccer championships in 1992, more than 200,000 people poured onto the street to celebrate. Many of the shops here still display photos of the impromptu party, which lasted for days.


Interesting Facts & Trivia

• Café Diplomatico in Little Italy has become a Toronto institution for coffee lovers. Affectionately known as “The Dip” by locals, the café is often used as a set by filmmakers.

• With such a large Italian population, needless to say Toronto has excellent Italian restaurants, reflecting the various regional cuisines and current culinary trends. It’s difficult to go wrong when choosing an Italian eatery in the city, as chefs are kept authentic by the demanding expectations of local residents!