St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

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Over 120 specialty merchants and vendors are located at Toronto's premier market. It is located at Front and Jarvis Streets, in the centre of the historic Old Town Toronto and is comprised of 3 buildings.

It is one of the 25 best markets in the world, according to Food & Wine magazine!

The main and lower levels of the South Market contain over 100 specialty vendors, known for the variety and freshness of their fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products, as well as for the uniqueness of the non-food items for sale.

The second floor of the South Market is home to the Market Gallery, an exhibition space for the City of Toronto's Cultural Services.

The North Market is primarily known for its Saturday Farmers' Market, a tradition begun on this site in 1803 and continuing today, as the producers of Southern Ontario bring their seasonal produce to market in the city.

On Sundays, over 80 antique dealers fill the North Market and the surrounding plaza, displaying their wares from dawn to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Every other day, the 10,000 square feet of modern showroom space in the North Market is available to rent for promotional functions, flea markets, displays, large social gatherings, meetings and exhibitions. Rental information is available here.

St. Lawrence Hall, built in 1850, today houses retail businesses on the ground floor and City offices on the second floor. The third floor, restored in 1967 as the City of Toronto's Centennial project contains the Great Hall which, with the ancillary rooms, is available for rent.

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Toronto's Scotiabank BuskerFest is 4 days and 4 nights of continuous non-stop, side-splitting hilarity. One can witness comedians, contortionists, musicians, magicians, fire jugglers, acrobats, aerial artists and a few other feats, no words can describe. In 2011, it was held on August 25th to the 28th, in the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood.

BuskerFest itself kept us involved. However, we were able to take time off a number of time to make forays into Toronto's Entertainment District.

Since 1803, the St. Lawrence Market has provided Toronto's residents with the best selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese and delicious baked goods.
During its 200-year history, the Market has also served as Toronto's seat of government, a police station and a jail. It has witnessed the city's evolution from a colonial outpost into a vibrant city.

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Couldn't resist doing some wordplay on the title of this tip! :)
Busking: I found a busker playing the violin at the entrance to the south building, and another playing a guitar inside the south building, next to the famous Carousel Bakery. The violin guy was actually surprisingly good. An unexpected spot of artistic culture at such a local, down-to-earth location.
Crowd: St.Lawrence Market is popular with locals and sightseers alike. On my visit on a Saturday morning there was a healthy amount of crowds at the market, though nothing compared to what I see daily on Chinese city streets.
Delicious Eats: Need I say more? :P Two of the best representatives of unique local food that I found in the south building would be the peameal bacon and the Canadian mustard.
I first went into the south building, which houses various stalls selling mainly food (raw, semi-processed, processed or even ready-to-eat) such as peameal bacon, bagels, meat, cheese, pasta, seafood, staples, vegetables and even Canadian mustard! Carousel Bakery here is renowned for their peameal bacon sandwiches, though they also sell other food. The place felt clean and tidy, unlike most markets in Asia which're busier and more chaotic.
I was lucky enough to catch a farmer's market in the north building. There you can find fresh farm produce ranging from more run-of-the-mill stuff like honey, apples, plums, grapes, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, eggplants, pumpkins, potatoes etc to more exotic (and frequently, splendidly colourful) fare such as kumato tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, apple cider and even whole dehaired pig carcasses strung up from their back trotters, tails waving at passer-bys.
All these made for excellent photo opportunities and I had a field day clicking away. Highly recommend that you get a peameal bacon sandwich from above-mentioned Carousel Bakery for breakfast.

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Since the early 1800s, the market has been here supplying those in Toronto with fresh foods. Today, the building on the southern side of the market is still open five days a week with a number of fascinating food stands. The upper level houses a few restaurants, seafood and butcher counters, breads, fruits, etc...much like a boutique grocery store! The bottom level of the market had more focus on specialty and ethnic proprietors. The south market is open Tuesday - Saturday, while the north market, which concentrates on antiques, has more limited hours and open days.

If you're a big fan of walking around markets that focus on foods, I think you'd enjoy an hour or two at the south market, just to see all of the specialties on sale here. On a weekday, when it isn't particularly crowded, you should be able to take in all the vendors fairly easily in this timeframe.

Food-wise, St. Lawrence Market has everything you need. From fresh fruits and veggies, seafood stalls, butcher shops, to mini restaurants. It's considered the quickest and (maybe) the cheapest eateries you can find in Downtown Toronto. I, myself, spent almost half a day trying at least 4-5 dishes, and they're all good ;) I personally recommend Buster's Sea Cove (upper level, unit 33)'s chicken and shrimp gumbo, and Crepe It Up on the lower level. *They also have open farmers market every Saturdays on the north side (check their website for more details).

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Come visit St. Lawrence Market and be a part of the history of the Neighbourhood. It is very accessible to public transport in Toronto that made it easy to locate. The market caters for all consumable food items. There is a big space to have your lunch or dinner with wide array of menu selection. You can sit down and have Greek souvlaki, Korean food, Chinese and Arabic to name a few. You will definitely enjoy the place to eat and have food "to go" at reasonable prices. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always available for you. There is a lot more that you can find in this major market. I invite you to check information at www.stlawrencemarket.com

Market Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays 8pm to 6pm
Friday 8am to 7pm
Saturday 5am to 5pm

Farmers' Market:
Saturdays from 5am to 2pm

Sunday Antique Market:
Sundays 8am to 5pm

So, come on and enjoy your meal at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto!

The St. Lawrence Market is a major market located in downtown Toronto, specifically the old, historic part of the city. Inside the building you will find tons of interesting vendors and stands selling everything from fresh fruits and vegetables and meats to homemade goods and gifts. You will also notice a lot of ethnic cuisine served here. It is a great place for a meal or afternoon snack just to try out different flavors of the world. The place can be a little crowded sometimes with a farmers market feel. But I would compare this place to Vancouver's Granville Island market or Seattle's Pike Place Market.