Looking for the ultimate escape to deliciousness? London, Ontario aka the Forest City aka Canada’s UNESCO City of Music combines a treasure trove of explosive flavours, comfort foods and memorable dining experiences. Just over 2 hours from Toronto, it makes for the perfect mid-week or weekend escape with plenty to do and eat along the way!
So how would we spend 48 mouthwatering hours in London? Check out our itinerary and find out!
Don’t feel like reading the whole thing right now? Watch instead!
Day 1: Start with Flavour!
From markets in the heart of the city to exploring the up and coming East End, this day will bring you to London’s beating heart— one that beats for craft beer, carbs and some sublime eats.
On Your Market, Set, Go!
Where: Covent Garden Market, 130 King St. London, ON (View Map)
Start your adventure at Covent Garden Market, where the air hums with the chatter of vendors and the aroma of freshly baked bread, sizzling bacon, and ripe produce. This market has been around since 1845 and serves as a community hub for folks to gather for lunch, do a little grocery shopping or take in an event.
Grab a coffee from one of the artisanal spots like Hasbeans (grab a ginger cookie to go along with it!) and let the vibrant displays of cheeses, spices, and pastries tantalize your taste buds. Feeling peckish? You’ve got options. From coxinha at Love Pastel Brazilian Food and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches at C’est Cheez to homemade macarons from Happiness and authentic Mexican eats at La Burreria, there’s something for everyone!
Hot Tip: Want to up your market experience? Enjoy a tour of the market followed by a cooking class at a local restaurant with Forest City Culinary Experiences.
Fuel Your Fun: Retail Therapy or Flavour-Packed Fun
Where: Pick how to spend your morning— retail therapy and crate diving or exploring 100 Kellogg Lane
This part of the itinerary is a bit of a choose-your-own adventure selection.
Retail Therapy + Crate Diving
If you’re into a little retail therapy and you love music, we recommend checking out a few interesting spots while you’re in the city. Starting downtown, jump right across the street from the market over to Jill’s Table. Those who love entertaining, cooking or baking will fall in love with this stop which has been a London staple for 25 years!
Shop a selection of specialty cooking ware, cookbooks crafted by owner Jill Wilcox herself and specialty food items like local preserves, cheese and flours, imported tomatoes and olives among other things. Want to kick things up? Sign up for one of their excellent cooking classes!
Not far away, you’ll find Grooves Records. With two locations in the city, we highly recommend adding a little crate diving to your morning. Seeing as you’re in Canada’s UNESCO City of Music, why not?! Find rare vinyl from bootlegs and used records to new releases and local favs. Heading to a show at London Music Hall nearby? This is also an excellent spot to grab hard copy tickets.
Afterwards, head east (don’t worry, there’s a method to the madness of sending you across the city) to Odyssey Records. While this spot may seem small in stature, it makes up for it with big sounds and a record collection worth writing home about. Do a little more crate diving (metal heads, you will love this spot) and find the perfect one to bring home.
If you aren’t ready to finish your morning quite yet, we recommend hopping next door to Back to the Fushia for a little vintage shopping or grabbing a beer (post 11am of course) at Anderson Craft Ales just across the road. Spoiler alert: this also makes for a fun lunch spot with
East End Excitement at 100 Kellogg Lane
Looking for a little adrenaline rush and a whole lot of fun? Head to 100 Kellogg Lane, the historic Kellogg factory turned cultural hub. This place is a playground for grown-ups, packed with art installations, vintage arcade games, and a touch of whimsy at every corner. We recommend starting your morning at Club House for a little sport simulator fun or The Factory where you can climb and bounce to your heart’s content!
When you get hungry, we recommend making your way to Beer Kitchen (one of several dining options available onsite), where the beer flows straight from bright tank to glass, ensuring optimal freshness and flavour. Each pour is served at its perfect temperature, whether it’s a crisp, citrusy lager or a dark, velvety stout.
Pair your pint with dishes that pack a punch—truffle-dusted fries, towering burgers, and sandwiches dripping with gooey goodness and our favourite— the schnitzel platter complete with schnitzel, potato salad and coleslaw. Once you’ve licked your plate clean (no shame), explore the rest of 100 Kellogg Lane. Try your hand at axe throwing, browse unique artisan shops, or snap an Instagram-worthy pic in front of the stunning murals.
One-of-a-Kind Dining Experience at Yaya’s Kitchen
Where: Yaya’s Kitchen, 630 Dundas St, London, ON (View Map)
Yaya’s Kitchen is where the magic happens. A supper club that’s as intimate as it is bold, Yaya’s serves up inspired dishes that burst with warmth and spice and tell the stories of Black foodways and immigration pathways that span everywhere from West Africa to Brazil, Canada and everywhere in between. With a menu that is constantly changing (we’re talking every single time), we can’t spoil much in the way of what you’ll eat but we can tell you it will be an experience worth savouring.
Co-owner Malvin will come out to introduce each course as you sip and savour dishes made with locally-sourced ingredients, enjoy soulful music and take in the company of those around you. Available Thursday-Saturday, this experience must be booked in advance so be sure to head to their website to save your seat!
Stay the Evening
Where: IIdlewyld Inn & Spa, 36 Grand Ave, London, ON (View Map)
Looking for a place to rest your head for the night? Idlewyld Inn & Spa is in an ideal location, being just steps from downtown and Wortley Village. Also home to a hidden gem of a restaurant, be sure to stay and enjoy a cocktail, perhaps dinner and definitely breakfast here!
Day 2: From Morning Brews to Farm to Table Dinners
Wake up! It’s time to start day two of deliciousness in London, Ontario. Today is all about slowing down, savouring your last day here and taking it all in.
Start with Coffee
Where: Black Walnut Bakery Café, 724 Richmond St, London, ON (View Map)
Shake off sleep with a visit to Black Walnut Café. The scent of freshly roasted coffee and the sight of golden pastries glistening in the display case will awaken all your senses. Visit the downtown location and wake up with the locals at this café bursting with natural life and the scent of croissants in the air.
What should you try? We recommend grabbing a cappucino and one of their signature cruffins— a croissant-muffin hybrid that leaves little to be desired. Stuffed to the gills with a creamy custard, you’re going to want to grab a few muffins. Looking for a more substantial breakfast? No worries! Order up the Sunny Side Up scone hollowed out in the centre to make space for a sunny-side up egg on a nest of crispy ham.
Stretch those Gams
Where: Sifton Bog, or discover London’s diverse trail network
Want to start the morning off with a zing? London is home to a diverse trail network (it is the Forest City after all)! While there are loads of options near downtown (no worries if that’s your preference), Sifton Bog is one of our favourite spots to take a short and quiet walk out to sweeping views.
Follow a flat boardwalk through the woods as you take in the canopy of trees above you. About ten minutes later, you’ll find yourself at the end of the trail, looking out on am incredibly scenic peat bog and significant southern wetland. It’s even home to four species of rare carnivorous plants— how cool is that? If you grabbed your coffee to go, this is a great spot to enjoy it and hit reset. Just make sure you take everything out with you when you leave.
Feeling like that walk wasn’t quite long enough? No worries, there are a few other trails right on site to explore if you choose.
Lunch and a Treat
Where: Burger Burger, 633 Richmond St. London, ON (View Map); District Ice Cream, 320 Thames St #103, London, ON (View Map)
When lunch time rolls around, you need to check out Burger Burger. This tiny burger joint nestled into Richmond Row (one of London’s main drags) is known for their juicy, made-in-house-every-single-day burgers that come straight off the grill to order.
We recommend ordering up the classic Richmond Burger — a double cheeseburger with bacon and carmelized onion— and adding a pickle and fried egg on top for extra deliciousness. While you’re there, you might as well order up some crisped-to-perfection fries or if you’re feeling adventurous, a poutine is never a bad option here.
If you saved a little room for a sweet treat afterwards, District Ice Cream is just a six-minute drive or twenty-four-minute walk away and they serve up heaven on a cone. With seasonal flavours that are constantly changing and a few that stick around a little longer, we recommend ordering an ice cream flight if you just can’t choose or a waffle cone if you’re the decisive type. We love the bright purple ube honey ice cream that is sweet, nutty and slightly earth.
An Afternoon in Wortley Village
Just four minutes from District Ice Cream is Wortley Village— a hub for musicians, artists and great food alike. We recommend spending your afternoon wandering the streets of this charming village, past beautiful historic homes and boutiques oozing charm. Grab a coffee from Sidetrack Café and you’re on your way! We always love checking out Featherfields for nature-based gifts and art, Flux Pottery for handcrafted pottery made right before your eyes and Filthy Rebena for brightly coloured vintage goodness.
If you are feeling peckish or feel like spending the rest of your evening in Wortley, we certainly wouldn’t blame you. You’ll find all kinds of delightful restaurants here like Sagi— home to a menu of Asian fusion cuisine, Mori (London’s newest sushi spot), Plant Matter Kitchen— a great spot for plant-based eaters, Mai’s Café & Bistro for excellent Thai food and Old South Village Pub for a pint and a cottage pie.
Dinner at Grace Restaurant
Where: Grace Restaurant, 215 Dundas St, London, ON (View Map)
Wrap up your culinary escapade at Grace Restaurant. Expect plates that are both artful and soulful, with flavours that whisper of careful craftsmanship. Seriously, the menu here tells a farm-to-table story worth exploring and is constantly changing with the seasons. When we visited, cheekily made dishes like Velvet Underground and Golden Girls highlighted the season’s freshest produce— velvety baked new potatoes with creme fraiche and golden beets.
Chef Angela, who named the restaurant after her grandmother, is a wizard with flavours and even whipped up a carmelized gastrique using the whey from their made-in-house ricotta for one of the dishes. How cool is that? We recommend diving into their curated cocktail list before sharing a feast for your senses. The memory of these dishes will last long after your last bite!
Oh and don’t skip dessert!
Keep Discovering More of Delicious London
Ready to get planning? Use this itinerary and check out all the other deliciousness waiting for you in London!
