About An Hour From Toronto Is A Bustling Ontario Town With Shops, Tasty Eats, And A Historic Downtown

You fell in love with Toronto years ago. You've traveled to Canada's largest city more times than you can count for its food, festivals, and sporting events. But this trip is going to be different — It's time to leave the provincial capital behind to see what you've overlooked in Ontario for far too long. Bolton's unique stores and restaurants make it a great place to start. Best of all, the historic village is about an hour from Downtown Toronto.

In fact, Bolton is only about 30 miles from the center of Toronto. A village, originally called Bolton Mills, was established here around a grist mill built in 1822 by two brothers, George and James Bolton. This mill was powered by the Humber River, a 78-mile river with the largest watershed in the Toronto area. Within 20 years, it had grown into a community with blacksmiths, a shoemaker, a tailor, and even a hotel. Despite setbacks, including fires and floods, the village thrived. Bolton, which is part of the larger town of Caledon, is now a growing, thriving community. 

Downtown Bolton, around King and Queen Streets, has been designated the Bolton Heritage Conservation District to protect the Victorian-era buildings that remain in the historic core of the village. Its 185 properties include the 1842 Primitive Methodist Chapel, the 1843 Mill Cottage, and the 1849 Samuel Bolton House. You can see all of these buildings on a self-guided walking tour of Bolton.

Toronto may be known for its shoreline, especially places like Toronto Island Park with its beaches and lovely views, and popular Woodbine Beach Park near downtown. Yet there's a lot to be said for heading inland to check out a place like Bolton. As you look around its historic buildings, you'll quickly be drawn to the tasty-looking restaurants in the center of the village near the Humber River. Cheeks Bar & Grill is a community stalwart that serves classic comfort food like burgers, wings, and sandwiches, as well as Italian-style pasta. Dishes with homemade tomato sauce are standouts on the menu.

Just around the corner, Fratelli Molinaro Ristorante is another Italian favorite in town. This spot, owned by two brothers, features a wood-burning oven for pizzas made with San Marzano tomatoes. "I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Neapolitan-style pizza," a Google reviewer says.

Bolton certainly isn't limited to Italian food, though. At Season to the Bone, you'll find tempting Caribbean, specifically Jamaican flavors. This is your chance to try ackee and saltfish plantain cups, jerk chicken, escovitch fish, and curried goat without flying all the way to Kingston. Since, as one Google reviewer raves, "the cuisine is outstanding, refined, authentic, and consistently executed to perfection," it's not surprising that the restaurant has become a local standout.

If you're looking for a sweet treat, visit Happy Days Ice Cream Parlour. The seasonal shop offers 32 flavors of hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, and homemade waffle cones, as well as coffee drinks. With over 1,000 followers on both Facebook and Instagram, this sweet stop has a strong local following and community support.  

In between all of the tempting restaurants in Bolton, you'll also notice the one-of-a-kind shops that line Queen Street. You certainly can't miss the baby pink facade of Ethereal, a crystal store and healing space with a 4.9 rating on Google. Inside, you'll find that the interior, with its six-foot amethyst butterfly wings and roses hanging from the ceiling, creates an enchanting atmosphere. It's less than a mile from Nobletoyz, a shop that helps toy collectors find both new, in-demand items and older, elusive pieces. Customers, locals, and social media users actively engage with its Instagram account, which has over 5,500 followers and posts new inventory, relatable videos, and store updates.

If you return to Bolton during the holidays, you can visit the Sisters Touch of Christmas. The seasonal, community-favorite Christmas shop sells ornaments that have been hand-painted by the nuns at St. Kosmas Aitolos Greek Orthodox Monastery on the outskirts of town. While shopping, visitors can take in the festive atmosphere surrounded by traditional holiday decor and the smell of baked goods.

Before returning to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), the large airport that receives nonstop flights from all over the world, travelers interested in a nearby scenic town can also make a trip to Kleinburg. Just eight miles away from Bolton, this charming Canadian village outside Toronto has golf, galleries, and trails to explore.