Grocery Shopping Around Simcoe Street and University Avenue

[sophie80]

Hello,

I've just arrived in Toronto and would like to find a reasonably priced grocery store (meat/fruits/vegetables/dairy/bread) walking distance to Simcoe Street and University Avenue.

I found a small grocery story next to 140 Simcoe Street, but it was overpriced and didn't have any nice fruits, vegetables, or bread.

Please let me know if you have any advice.

Thanks a lot!
Sophie

[Rabbit]

I just moved from Simcoe and University. It feels like there should be a reasonable shopping option in the immediate area... but the fact of the matter is that there is a lot of great stuff within 15-20 minutes and nothing-much in the direct vicinity. Here are your options:

1. The St. Lawrence Market and the Metro on Front are a 15-20 minute walk and have everything you need. The North market on Saturdays is particularly delightful.
2. Chinatown is 10-15 minutes and good for some fruits and vegetables and Asian grocery items. Kensington is about five minutes further afield and good for fruits, veggies, natural and organic food products, and some meat/fish (depending on your taste).
3. The Fresh and Wild at King and Spadina (across from your closest LCBO) is not-always so fresh and typically wildly expensive, but it does in a pinch.
4. The aforementioned Longos or Sobey's (either at Queen's Quay or Spadina and Gardiner) are other grocery chain options.

Otherwise, you're stuck with sundries at the quickie mart at University and Simcoe, the convenience store at Queen and John, or miscellaneous stuff in the path. During the summer you have a Thursday market at King and John and a Wednesday market at City Hall.

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St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CA

[sophie80]

Thank you for all your advice, I will check everything out! We went to the St. Lawrence Market today and it was great, but a bit expensive. Also, unless you take a street car home it's pretty difficult to carry heavy groceries. However, the variety was great there.

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St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CA

[Herb]

Get a bundle buggy.

Chinatown is always really cheap but a lot of the veggies aren't that fresh. You might find bell peppers for 59 cents a pound but they have a shelf-life of only a day or two, especially in the winter when they often freeze overnight in unheated stores. Lots of good stuff once you know the area.

[sophie80]

Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it!

[jlunar]

For larger stores, there's the big Longo's about 1km away at the Air Canada Centre (York st. and Bremner). This is a huuuge and really nice store.

There's a minimally (by 200m or so) closer baby Longo's at Dundas and Elizabeth (something like that).

Emergencies, there's the Shopper's Drug Mart on Queen st. W and John. Limited stuff there.

Like Herb said, there's Chinatown at Dundas and Spadina (1km away) and then SLM (under 2km) on Saturdays, (but South Market is open Tues-Sat for more general stuff).

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Air Canada Centre
40 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5J2X2, CA

[CocoTO]

I would say for emergencies there's Fresh and Wild at King and Spadina ... it may even become your "go to" place for fruit and veggies.

[sophie80]

Thanks CocoTO, are the prices affordable?

[Herb]

Double what you'd pay at a regular supermarket.

[CocoTO]

Hi sophie80

I would say their fruit and veggies are a bit more expensive than most grocery stores, but the quality is there ... I wouldn't use F&W for groceries in general except for emergencies though

[Manybears]

There's an even tinier baby Longo's in the Path at First Canadian Place if you're near King and feeling desperate.

[sophie80]

Do they have a good selection of fruits and vegetables, bread, etc? Thanks for your help Manybears!

[Manybears]

I wouldn't call it a wide selection (it really is very tiny) but what they do have is good quality. They mostly cater to a work lunch crowd. If I was doing a "real" grocery shop I would definitely hit the one at Maple Leaf Square, but this is available if I need something nearby.

[Herb]

Walk 10 minutes to Chinatown or Kensington Market. St Lawrence North market on Saturdays.