Toronto Food Tour: St. Lawrence Market & Distillery District

Taste your way through Toronto's oldest market and a Victorian-era distillery village

This guided food tour explores two of Toronto's most storied neighborhoods, St. Lawrence Market, established in 1803, and the Distillery District, with tastings of local and international dishes including peameal bacon, poutine, and butter tarts. The tour runs just over three hours and includes a live English-speaking guide. Choose between a 2-hour Kensington Market option or a 3-hour tour covering St. Lawrence and the Distillery, or upgrade to a private version. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, and dietary restrictions require advance notice.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. St. Lawrence Market1h 30m
2. Distillery District1h 30m
3. Kensington Marketpass by

Explore Toronto's iconic food neighborhoods

• Visit St. Lawrence Market
• Taste local culinary offerings
• Explore Distillery District
• Discover galleries and artisan shops
• Sample Toronto's local delicacies

The experience

St. Lawrence Market has been Toronto's culinary heart since 1803, and walking its halls with a guide who knows where to stop changes what you taste. Over 120 vendors pack the space with farm-fresh cheeses, meats, seafood and international goods, but the peameal bacon sandwich, a Toronto rite of passage, is the one most visitors come for. You'll move through the market tasting dishes that show what the city actually eats, not what a menu promises, and the guide points out the vendors and the stories behind them.

From there, the tour moves to the Distillery District, a pedestrian-only neighborhood of cobblestone streets and Victorian industrial buildings that once housed the world's largest distillery. The district has been restored into a hub for galleries, boutiques, craft breweries and restaurants, and you'll taste your way through it: sampling poutine, butter tarts, and the tour's secret dish alongside the architecture and the independent shops. The contrast between the market's chaos and the Distillery's restored calm is part of what makes the day work.

If you choose the Kensington Market option instead, you get a different kind of food chaos: a vibrant maze of vintage shops, street food and global flavors compressed into a few blocks. Jerk chicken, Brazilian pastries, fresh cheese and craft beer sit side by side, and the 2-hour pace is built around the neighborhood's energy rather than its history. Public transportation runs near the tour start, and you'll need comfortable walking shoes for whichever route you pick. Some sections are outdoors and the ground changes as you move between neighborhoods.

What’s included

• A live English-speaking guide.
• tastings including peameal bacon sandwich, poutine, butter tarts, pasta, momo dumplings, and the tour's secret dish.
• access to St. Lawrence Market's 120+ vendors and the Distillery District's galleries, boutiques and restaurants (or Kensington Market's street food scene on the shorter option).

Options for this experience

3 options

Kensington Market Tour lasting 2 hoursGuide in English · 13:00Pick the express option to take our 2-hour food tour of Kensington Market with a group of up to 20 people! Starting point: 20 Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2J7, Canada

Toronto Food Tour lasting 3 hoursGuide in English · 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00Enjoy our 3-Hour Toronto Food Tour of the St Lawrence and Distillery Areas as part of a small group of no more than 12 people! Starting point: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B4, Canada

Upgrade to a 3-Hour Private TourGuide in English · 11:30, 12:30 and 13:30Upgrade to a private 3-Hour Toronto food tour of the St Lawrence and Distillery area, reserved solely for you and your group. Starting point: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B4, Canada

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 11:00, the last at 13:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this 3-hour tour if you want to see both St. Lawrence Market's historic food stalls and the Distillery District's architecture. Choose the 2-hour Kensington Market option if you'd rather stay in one neighborhood focused on street food.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the peameal bacon sandwich, and is it really worth trying?

The peameal bacon sandwich is a Toronto classic sold at St. Lawrence Market: a thick slice of back bacon, lightly breaded and grilled, served on a bun. It's been a market fixture for decades and has become a rite of passage for visitors to Toronto, which is why the tour includes it as a tasting stop.

Can I do the Kensington Market tour if I want something shorter?

Yes. The 2-Hour Kensington Market Tour is the shorter option and focuses on that single neighborhood's street food and global flavors. The 3-hour tours cover either St. Lawrence and the Distillery District or offer a private version of the same route.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

The tour's menu is built around a balanced gastronomy experience, so many dietary restrictions can't be accommodated. Contact the operator before booking to ask whether your specific needs can be worked with. They'll let you know what's possible.

How much walking is involved?

The tour runs just over three hours and covers two neighborhoods on foot, so comfortable walking shoes are essential. Some sections are outdoors, and you'll be moving between market stalls, streets and shops throughout the day.

Is the itinerary fixed, or does it change?

The itinerary and menu are subject to change based on vendor availability, weather and other circumstances, so the stops and tastings you experience may differ from what's listed depending on the day you go.

Can I bring my pet on the tour?

Pets are not permitted on the food tours, so you'll need to arrange care for them before the tour starts.