Danforth Avenue, home to Toronto’s Greektown, is an easy, subway-friendly street for holiday shopping and eating, with bakeries, cafés, independent shops and some of the city’s best Greek restaurants.
What to do
- Greek bakeries for holiday treats like melomakarona (honey cookies) and kourabiedes.
- Mary’s Brigadeiro for Brazilian-style hot chocolate and its chocolate-filled “chocottone.” Best hot chocolate
- Gift shopping at independent boutiques along the Danforth.
- Festive dinners at Greek tavernas.
- Orthodox Christmas: many in the Greek community celebrate on December 25; other Orthodox communities in Toronto celebrate on January 7. Orthodox Christmas
About the Danforth
Danforth Avenue in Toronto’s east end became the heart of the city’s Greek community in the decades after the Second World War, and it’s still known as Greektown. Today it mixes Greek tavernas and bakeries with cafés, independent shops, pubs and restaurants from around the world. Line 2 runs right underneath, with Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands and other stations along the strip, which makes it one of the easiest neighbourhoods to explore in winter.
Greek Christmas traditions
Greek families celebrate Christmas (Christougenna) on December 25, with a few traditions you might spot on the Danforth:
- Melomakarona: honey-soaked spiced cookies topped with walnuts.
- Kourabiedes: buttery almond shortbread dusted with icing sugar.
- Christopsomo: a decorated “Christ’s bread” baked for the holidays.
- Kalanda: carols sung by children door to door on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Vasilopita: a New Year’s cake with a hidden coin that brings luck to whoever finds it in their slice.
Pick up holiday sweets from the Danforth’s bakeries in the week before Christmas and New Year’s, and order vasilopita ahead for January 1.
A festive afternoon on the Danforth
- Start at Broadview station for the view of the skyline from the Prince Edward Viaduct and Riverdale Park East nearby.
- Walk east along the Danforth, browsing independent shops and gift stores.
- Stop for coffee and a sweet at a Greek café or bakery.
- Have an early dinner of grilled meats, seafood or mezze at a taverna.
- Head to Riverdale Park East at dusk for skyline photos, or to a nearby rink for a skate.
Shopping on the Danforth
Look for Greek specialty food shops selling olive oil, honey, feta and spices, plus kitchenware, gift shops and bookstores. Food gifts from the Danforth make great host presents.
Christmas on the Danforth: FAQ
Is the Danforth busy at Christmas? It’s lively but less crowded than downtown, making it a relaxed place for shopping and dinner.
How do I get there? Take Line 2 to Broadview, Chester, Pape or Donlands station.
More: Toronto neighbourhoods at Christmas · Christmas bakeries
Nearby festive stops
- Riverdale Park East for tobogganing after a snowfall and one of the best skyline views in Toronto. Tobogganing in Toronto
- Leslieville, a short streetcar ride south, for boutiques and brunch. Christmas in Leslieville
- The Beaches, farther east, for a lakeside winter walk. Christmas in the Beaches
- Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley for its Sunday winter market. Evergreen Winter Market
Getting there
Line 2 runs right under Danforth Avenue, with stations at Broadview, Chester, Pape and Donlands.
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