It has been 30 years since I was in TO. I doubt many of the restaurants I ate at are still around. But I loved the side trip to Niagra Falls, would love to see them in the winter!

I can't recommend any restaurants, I've only been to Toronto twice. The last time was 2 years ago. By all means go to the top of the CN Tower - great views from there. I loved the ROM and the AGO, but I'm a museum/art gallery kind of person. We took the ferry to the islands across the lake, nice views from over there too, but probably not an ideal place to go in winter. There is a new aquarium opened just next to the CN Tower which wasn't open when we were there.

I lived and worked in Toronto since I was 19, but I retired at 55 and now live just outside of Toronto. There are literally hundreds of restaurants I've eaten at inToronto and far too many to mention. Not knowing whether your taste runs to Continental/Mediterranean, Asian/Indian etc. makes it difficult to recommend any specific cuisine, so I'll include a link that does list many great restaurants we've been to and enjoyed.

I should mention however, that these restaurants pretty much all have great food, but are very different in ambience. For example, we ate at Rosewater one Sat. night and Taste of China the following weekend. Rosewater is a formal/elegant restaurant while Taste of China is more of a whole in the wall diner type, where the only ambience is the noisy clatter of dinner plates being quickly put down and the chattering of foreign languages being spoken at nearby crowded tables.

This is definitely not where one would go for a romantic/elegant dinner, but only for great seafood and a true sense of the busy hubbub of downtown Toronto's ethnic culture. It is not a North American style Chinese restaurant, but is authentic Chinese food, so one should either be familiar with that cuisine or be just be open to trying something new. We love it, but then DH is Chinese, so we really appreciate great tasting authentic Chinese cuisine, which doesn't always come in elegant surroundings.

Some of our personal favourite restaurants are (alphabetically) Auberge du Pommier, Barberian's, Blu Ristorante, Bodega, Buca, Bar Isabel, Canoe, Frank's Kitchen, Fred's Not There, La Societe, North 44, Nota Bene, Rosewater, Sassafraz, Scaramouche, and Splendido, to keep it short, lol!

As far as things to do in Toronto, of course there's the C.N. Tower, shopping in Yorkville if you're looking for more high end clothing/accessories, the R.O.M. (Royal Ontario Museum) which you could Google to see if it interests you, and the Ripley's Aquarium which we loved, but will be very crowded if you go on a weekend.

I used to work for Ed Mirvish, who owned The Royal Alexandra Theatre, The Princess of Wales Theatre, and The Ed Mirvish Theatre, where you can see great plays or musicals if that's of any interest to you.

Great rated hotels here are The Trump International, The InterContinental Toronto Centre, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, The Omni King Edward, The Westin Harbour Castle, The Shangri-La Hotel, One King West Hotel. Of those, I personally love the Royal York and the King Edward hotels, which are old class elegant rather than modern elegant. but there are several of both styles to suit your taste. I hope you have a great trip if you do decide to visit Toronto!

Sorry, I forgot to include the restaurant link in my lengthy post. Here it is. http://www.thefiftybest.com/restaurants/best_toronto_restaurants/

I absolutely loved the aquarium. It is right beside the CN Tower.

Thanks, everyone, for the replies! Good to hear confirmation that the CN Tower, museum, and aquarium shouldn't be missed!

prairie_rose, noted about the Niagara Falls side trip! I only visited the falls once when I was a teenager. :p

casey_nfld, obviously winter isn't the ideal time for travel in the northeast, which is why I asked. If some of the best things to see/do are outdoor venues, or difficult to access in winter, I would want wait and go when the weather improves. :)

pickyshopper, thank you for the info you provided on restaurants and hotels -- those lists will take some time to research! Sorry, you're right, I didn't clarify the cuisines or ambiance we prefer.... "Restaurant tips too" was an awkward way of asking for personal favorites. When someone asks me about restaurants in the area I just rattle off my list of favorite-food places and qualify each w/ any pertinent info. I always forget that not everyone is a foodie and not everyone will eat at a dive -- and some people (like me) are actually uncomfortable in a multi-star restaurant where the waiter places the napkin on my lap, grinds the pepper on my foods, and spoons the sides onto my plate. LOL!

cookie8, noted! We've been to the Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach and loved it!

If your a hockey fan..Hockey Hall of fame!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hockey Hall of Fame

Visited Toronto in 1975 and came away with a great souvenir. Nine months later, we named him Mike.

Sorry, I didn't consider that you might be willing to spend some vacation time in the summer for a mini trip to Toronto, as an alternate to one in the winter. If that's the case, I too, feel that summer would be a nicer time to visit. It's more pleasant for walking around, and lends to experiencing the culture of the city better, when people aren't rushing quickly in cold weather, to get from place to place.

There are little perks like art/music in parks, great outdoor cafes, etc. that one can't enjoy in the winter. Not that Toronto doesn't have enough to offer in the winter, but in comparison, I personally feel that NYC, for example, has a bit more winter 'charm,' with regard to outdoor walking/sightseeing, especially around Christmas.

Whenever you may decide to visit, just google some of the 'best rated' hotel/restaurant/sightseeing lists, keeping in mind that 'best rated' doesn't always mean a posh Five Star experience, but often notes it was top rated for best customer reviews among venues in the same price range/category. With so many options of price and taste, you'll likely find restaurants/hotel/sights that you'll enjoy!