Welcome to Dundas West: Your Before & After Appointment Guide

Written By Natasha Singh

Before your appointment. After your appointment. Honestly, any excuse works — Dundas West is one of Toronto's most creative strips, and we happen to be right in the middle of it. Whether you're a neighbour popping in or coming from across the city, here's your (very unofficial) guide to making a day of it.

We've broken it down by appointment time, so wherever your day lands, you've got somewhere to go before and something to look forward to after.

Morning Appointment

Exterior storefront of Nile Coffee Club on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Start with a proper wake-up: grab a coffee or a specialty drink at Nile Coffee Club (@nilecoffeeclub).

Fun Fact: Nile is two cafés in one — coffee, tea and pastries by day, then at 6 pm the same room turns into a cocktail bar with drinks inspired by flavours from across Africa and beyond.

Breakfast sandwiches from Dad's Breakfast & Coffee on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Fuel up properly at Dad's Breakfast & Coffee (@dads.goodmorning).

Fun fact: co-owner Phil Akkawi tried over 100 breakfast sandwiches across North America before opening Dad's.

Designer clothing rack and storefront interior at VSP Consignment on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Walk it off down Dundas West with a browse through VSP Consignment (@vsp.consignment) for a designer find.

Fun fact: pieces are priced at roughly a third of retail, sourced from their sister store in Calgary — think Marni, Celine and Dries Van Noten for a fraction of the price.

Then head to The Face Lab.

Afternoon Appointment

Cozy interior and bar seating at The Good Fork restaurant on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Kick off with a delicious Turkish brunch at Good Fork (@thegoodforkto) — it never disappoints.

Fun fact: they're known for their "brunchy and lunchy" with a rotating weekly omelette special.

Exterior storefront and signage of Grays clothing shop on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Pop into Grays (@graystoronto) for fashion finds and a bottle of wine for the weekend.

Fun fact: Grays' wool is grown, milled, woven and sewn entirely in Ontario — genuinely local, farm to closet.

Minimalist interior display of Japanese clothing and fashion labels at Blue Button Shop on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Also worth a look: Blue Button Shop (@bluebuttonshop).

Fun fact: it's one of the only Toronto shops dedicated entirely to Japanese fashion labels.

Swing by Issues Magazine Shop (@issuesmagshop) to get lost in independent print for a while.

Fun fact: founder Nicola Hamilton was a magazine art director before opening the shop, and it now ships hard-to-find titles across Canada.

Yellow archway wall displaying children's books inside Nuts and Shells bookshop on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Or, if you're looking for something for the kids, Nuts and Shells (@nutsandshellsbookshop).

Fun fact: the name honours the owner's parents — her dad's nickname was "Shelly," her mom's name "Zeenat" sounds like "zee-nut."

Fresh tacos, guacamole, and Jarritos sodas served on a patio table at Piñata Tacos on Dundas Street West in Toronto

If you have time, go west toward Brock and Lansdowne for Piñata Tacos (@pinatatacos_toronto) — a dog-friendly patio

Freshly baked sourdough pepperoni pizza served on a tray at Acute Pizzeria on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Acute Pizzeria (@acutepizzeria)

Known for a 72-hour fermented sourdough crust that's easier on the stomach than the usual slice.

Evening Appointment (or No-Downtime Appointments)

Exterior storefront window of Cry Baby Gallery on Dundas Street West in Toronto

In no particular order:

Head to Cry Baby Gallery (@crybaby.gallery) after your appointment.

Fun fact: from the street it looks like a bright, all-white art gallery — pull back the black curtain and it's a full cocktail bar

Pints of dairy-free and plant-based ice cream varieties from Honey's Ice Cream on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Treat yourself to Honey's Ice Cream (@honeys.icecream).

Fun fact: their vegan flavours are made to fool even the most dedicated dairy fans.

Eclectic interior seating and retro bar decor inside Bar Mordecai on Dundas Street West in Toronto

End with a nightcap at Bar Mordecai (@barmordecai).

Fun fact: downstairs hides four private karaoke rooms, each themed around a different era of music history.

Bonus: Staying Out of Town?

Boutique guest room with striped wall decor and local art at Ode Toronto hotel on Dundas Street West

Make a full trip of it and stay at Ode Toronto (@ode_toronto), right on Dundas West.

Fun fact: Ode is a Black-family owned boutique hotel founded by Erica Herbert, built to feel like a Caribbean guest house rather than a hotel — every room features work from local Toronto artists. Book your stay, then work your way through the list above at your own pace.

Storefront entrance of Butter and Spice bakeshop and Death in Venice Gelato on Dundas Street West in Toronto

Pop over to Butter and Spice (@butterandspicebakeshop) and/or Death in Venice Gelato (@deathinvenicegelato) — a one-stop shop for your sweet tooth.

Fun facts: Butter and Spice's owner started baking with an Easy-Bake Oven at age five and now trained at the Culinary Institute of America; Death in Venice's owner won Chopped Canada and used the prize money to buy their gelato machine.

Before You Go

Please read your pre- and post-care instructions carefully — they're there to protect your results and your skin, so give them the same attention you gave picking your outfit for today. Stay hydrated, be gentle with your skin post-treatment, and give yourself a slower pace for the rest of the day.

And in the same breath: enjoy your life. Get the extra scoop, buy the preloved find, treat yourself to that extra coffee. Real self-care is doing both — following the instructions and letting yourself have a little fun. That's the best souvenir Dundas West can send you home with.

See you soon, The Face Lab

Natasha Singh
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