Retail
Wonder Pens, Little Italy
If you’re planning on putting pen to paper to jot a note home from your time in Toronto, pay Wonder Pens a visit. Opened in 2013 by Liz and Jon Chan, it stocks fine writing materials including fountain pens, Canadian-made inks and a good choice of writing paper. Importantly, Life’s recognisable red-white-and-blue fringed airmail envelopes are also available.
The Monocle Shop, Little Italy
Pop in to say hello to the team at our Toronto shop, which has been a fixture in Little Italy since 2012. It is, of course, the place to come if you need to plug any gaps in your collection of Monocle issues, books and collaborations. Here you’ll find some of our favourite partners, such as Delfonics, Beams Plus and A Kind of Guise.
Blue Button Shop, Little Portugal
Struck by how few Japanese fashion brands were stocked in Toronto, Bryan Cheuk and Tamae Miyazaki opened Blue Button Shop in 2013. It has been a firm Monocle favourite ever since. The shop’s focus remains Japanese design – including brands such as Kapital, Sophnet and Kaptain Sunshine – but international houses are also represented on its clothing racks. You’ll find a nice selection of homeware, luggage and accessories here, too.
Issues, Little Portugal
Nicola Hamilton, the award-winning creative director of several Canadian magazines, spotted a gap in Toronto’s media ecosystem when it came to quality, independent news kiosks. So, in 2021, she opened her own: Issues. It stocks bigger print titles alongside harder-to-find indies. Several new Canadian publications can be found here too, such as food-focused Serviette and fashion-photography title Bully. A second location opened in the East End in 2024.
Grape Witches, Trinity Bellwoods
Grape Witches began in 2015 as a series of events showcasing natural and biodynamic wines that were hard to find in the Canadian market at the time. Now it’s among Toronto’s best bricks-and-mortar bottle shops. Launched by sommeliers Krysta Oben and Nicole Campbell in 2021, a second spot is now open inside Waterworks Food Hall near the Ace Hotel. The inventory is regularly updated and its knowledgeable staff are happy to offer recommendations.
Invisible City Record Shop, Chinatown
Among the large number of independent record stores dotted across Toronto is this unassuming but impeccably put together shop and wine bar, launched in 2012. It stocks an impressive selection of dancefloor-friendly vinyl, some of which has been reissued under its in-house record label, Invisible City Editions.
The Monkey’s Paw, Dufferin Grove
Much like the 1902 short story by W W Jacobs, after which it takes its name, this speciality shop of rare and antique books (as well as other paper artefacts) is sure to pique your curiosity. It was founded in 2006 by Stephen Fowler, who was inspired by some of the bookshops he had worked at in San Francisco.
Muddy George, Bloorcourt Village
Founded by Altaf Baksh in 2015, Muddy George stocks lines of Canadian and international menswear. Pleated wool trousers and corduroy button-down shirts by Toronto-based manufacturer Outclass sit alongside canvas sneakers by South Korea’s Catch Ball and garments by brands including Portuguese Flannel, Italy’s Gallia Knit Project and Philadelphia’s Paratodo.
Bottega Volo, Little Italy
This plentiful pantry and bottle shop in Little Italy is one of the most imaginative retail spaces in Toronto. Launched in 2023 by the team at Bar Volo next door, it is set inside the art-deco lobby of the Royal Cinema, a neighbourhood movie theatre built in 1939. The pantry often partners with the cinema itself for screenings of classic films.
Flying Books at Neverland, Queen West
Named in honour of the storied Peter Pan Bistro next door, this is the charming, second outpost of one of Toronto’s newest independent bookshops. Its original store is located near The Monocle Shop and is where its in-house imprint of new Canadian fiction is based. But Neverland serves coffee and drinks too, and its knowledgeable staff will happily guide you through their well-stocked bookshelves.
