Dining deals
Hungry for eating out without the inflation anxiety? These delicious deals will leave you sated, no matter what kind of meal you鈥檙e in the mood for.
The elegant dinner
Tuesday night prix fixe dinners are a great deal at Henry's.
Sharon Nge
Get fancy fare for a fraction of the cost on Tuesday nights at (922 Queen St. W.), a sleek, Michelin-recommended casual-fine-dining spot with vibes to spare. Family-style, five-course dinners dubbed The Table go for $40 per person and include house-made sourdough and cultured butter; picante greens with caramelized onion vinaigrette; potato pav茅 with leek hollandaise and pickled chanterelles; green beans in pepperoncini sauce and feta aioli; and roasted chicken with fines herbes.
Sharon Nge
Mezzetta offers delicious, great value small plates.
Supplied
The small plates
Sample succulent Mediterranean tapas for just $5.75 per dish amid a homey atmosphere and friendly service at (681 St Clair Ave. W.). Perennial favourites perfected over decades include the sultan鈥檚 stew, potato moussaka, lamb shish and cheese boureka, plus a killer house harissa sauce for pita dippin鈥.
The takeout banquet
Four can fill up on a family platter of Middle Eastern delights for just $62.99, or $15.75 a head, at (multiple locations). Feast on lamb and chicken kofta, shish tawook, chicken and beef shawarma, falafel, garlic potatoes, two kinds of rice and salad, plenty of veggies and a cornucopia of sauces.
$2.99 for six Shanghainese pork soup dumplings!
280 Spadina Ave.
$1 for from-scratch carnitas tacos!
Various locations
$1 for three flaky veggie samosas!
Samosa King
5210 Finch Ave. E.
The breakfast sandwich
When you wake up starving, grab a satisfying two-egg, bacon and cheese breakfast sandwich served on your choice of a bagel, toast or Portuguese bun for $6.35 at (1568 Dundas St. W.).
The feel-good meal
At (56 Queen St. E.), a charity caf茅 that has been supporting and hiring adults with mental health conditions for over 40 years, you can score a yummy main and soup for under $10. The seasonal menu switches up daily; standouts include Moroccan tomato soup, vegetarian chili and chocolate brownies.
The lunch special
Another Land Coffee has a great pix fixe lunch deal.
Supplied
Score a three-course prix-fixe lunch for $15 at the cute-as-a-button caf茅 (4708 Yonge St.). It includes a homemade main, side and dessert or a main and two sides 鈥 one recent offering included curry chicken with rice, shrimp chips and gazpacho.
HOT TIP!
Want to stock the pantry for affordable entertaining?
There鈥檚 an app for that
-
罢谤测鈥 , for 30% off your grocery bill.
This 色色啦-based app connects you directly with food brands and farmers. You can either build your own grocery cart or choose from an array of grocery bundles.
-
罢谤测鈥 , to pick up discounted treats near you.
This app connects deal-seekers with restaurants and stores looking to offload surplus food, like Nad猫ge P芒tisserie and Summerhill Market. Browse spots in your neighbourhood and select a bundle by price; head there at your pick-up window time for deeply discounted items.
Martini deals
Whether you like your martini dirty, with a twist or extra dry, choose the elegant environment of your dreams and bask in the elevated taste level, delectably discounted cocktail in hand.
High-end hotel vibes
Visit: at 1 Hotel (550 Wellington St. W.)
Sip: $10 martinis all day Monday and Sunday to Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. Try one with smoked olive brine or rosemary-infused gin, or sample the faux-tini with non-alcoholic HP Juniper, lime and basil olive oil.
Mid-century chic
Visit: (3106 Dundas St. W.)
Sip: $13 martinis Monday to Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m. Choose from an array of fixings like pickle brine, Castelvetrano or blue-cheese-stuffed olives, cornichons or even Monster Munch.
Get a good deal on a martini at Doc's Green Door Lounge.
Supplied
Pink-neon-lit hipster heaven
Visit: (1060 Yonge St.)
Sip: Half-price martinis (from $9 to $13) Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. and every Monday night, all night long. Espresso martinis included!
Great deals on martinis can be found at Compton Ave.
Supplied
Cosy British leatherbound den
Visit: (1282 Dundas St. W.)
Sip: $12 martinis every day until 8 p.m. The menu helps you find a martini to match your mood, say, something 鈥渟moky, savoury, elegant鈥 or 鈥渇resh, herbal, delicate.鈥
A taste of Alo greatness
Try: (163 Spadina Ave. and 81 Bay St.)
Sip: At the Bay location of Aloette, part of chef Patrick Kriss鈥 exquisite Alo empire, sip a $10 mini martini (it comes with a free oyster!) on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. At Spadina, mini martinis are half off (a mere $5!) on Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m.
Live performance deals
Looking to catch some stellar performing arts shows? Try these tips for securing great seats for less.
Save up to 50 per cent on same-day rush tickets. Some shows also have a ticket lottery or standing-room tickets.
See: Musical-theatre fans will enjoy 鈥淣atasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,鈥 a rollicking adaptation of "War and Peace.鈥
Soulpepper has plenty of good-value options for performance tickets.
Barry McCluskey
$30 rush seats offer great value, plus the new Public Domain program features free cultural events.
See: The "Kim's Convenience" revival, which stars its playwright Ins Choi as Appa.
HOT TIP!
Save on stage
Discover the city鈥檚 best discounts on the pinned monthly deals thread at on Reddit.
The TSO often offers rush ticket options.
R.J. Johnston/The 色色啦 Star
Free tickets are often on offer.
If you鈥檙e looking for side-splitting savings, sign up for Comedy Bar鈥檚 newsletter; it regularly includes notices about free tickets for their shows.
Movie deals
Beat the heat with an air-conditioned arthouse flick or action blockbuster 鈥 or watch a classic under the stars.
Catch free outdoor movies in parks such as Corktown Common with 色色啦 Outdoor Picture Show screenings.
Taylor Ma
$0
Take in a free outdoor movie once the sun goes down at Fort York, Corktown Common or Christie Pits via the .
$5 A fiver will get you into screenings of the classics at the (20 Carlton St.), while new releases cost $9.99 and cheap Tuesdays are just $4.43!
$9.99: This monthly fee gets you into the , which includes one free movie ticket a month, additional $9.99 ticket pricing, 20 per cent off concessions and no online booking fees.
Anita Li/The 色色啦 Star
HOT TIP!
Senior cinephiles over 65 can attend and accompanying workshops and activities every other month for free. Plus, ticket holders can be reimbursed for their public transit.
The Library
A world of deals
Hit the stacks at your local or log onto the app for a bounty of free perks that extend well beyond books.
RENT
You can check out everything from musical instruments to 3D printer time.
WATCH
Borrow movies via streamers Kanopy and Hoopla to watch on rainy days.
LAUGH
Enjoy children鈥檚 entertainment, like animal visits and drag story time.
VISIT
Snag free passes to local museums and attractions like the CN Tower, Hot Docs, Ripley鈥檚 Aquarium, 色色啦 Symphony Orchestra and the 色色啦 Zoo.
LEARN
Take a multitude of free courses, from creative writing and photography to business and accounting.
LISTEN
Show up for cozy-crime author panels, bootlegger and smuggler history talks, and much more. There truly is something for everyone; bookmark your branch鈥檚 event listings.
HOT TIP!
Head to the (120 St. George St.) at the University of 色色啦, a whimsical space worthy of a wizard where you can view precious texts and attend seminars 鈥 and take a great Instagram pic. (You don鈥檛 need a U of T library card to enter, just bring I.D.)
University of 色色啦's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has some of the oldest English-language books in Canada.
Romi Levine/The 色色啦 Star
Live music deals
The city comes alive with sound come summer. Here are some unique spots to take in some tunes.
Catch free concerts at the Distillery District, like this Stone and Rolling performance.
Teodora Mladin
STREETS
Wander the cobblestoned lanes of the in the late afternoon to the strains of beautiful, free music.
Bookstore
(672 College St.) hosts concerts in their sweet shop year-round for a $20 donation; all proceeds go directly to the artists.
GARDEN
Head down to the (479 Queens Quay W.) on the waterfront to enjoy free performances by a wide variety of artists, many of them Juno-winners.
Catch free music at 色色啦 Music Garden.
Courtesy Harbourfront Centre
HOT TIP!
Craving a classical performance? At the (273 Bloor St. W.) you can watch the talented students鈥 recitals for free.
Hobby deals
Taking up a hobby can be a great way to flex your creativity muscles, meet like-minded people and socialize in a lowkey way. Here are some affordable and free ways to get involved.
Throw
Ceramics enthusiasts at work at the Gardiner.
Lisa Sakulensky
Into ceramics? For $35, you can get studio time with an instructor on hand at Clay Your Way events at the (111 Queens Park).
Craft
(926 Kingston Rd.) hosts $15 UnFinished Object (UFO) nights where you can work on an in-progress project in the company of fellow makers; sweet treats are provided.
Write
色色啦-made novel-writing platform is currently offering a free one-year membership to budding scribes.
THINK
Hit up one of the city鈥檚 many, many trivia nights: there鈥檚 a theme for every possible interest! Search 鈥渢rivia鈥 on or .
PLAY
Head to a free gaming night at your FLGS (friendly local game store) like (431 Yonge St.).
Draw
Bring your art supplies to Christie Pits for a low-key, good-vibes session sketching people in seasonal costume at Posers! In the Park (follow @sami.alwani or @patersinister for dates).
and via Instagram
HOT TIP!
Sign up for your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook to score hobby supplies for free. You can also join a Facebook puzzle-swapping group to exchange beloved puzzles for new ones.
Fitness deals
If you鈥檙e looking to get active, there are plenty of gratis options in the city. Here are a few ways to play or watch for free.
Want yoga?
Courtesy Ontario Place
Stretch it out at free hatha and vinyasa classes on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. in (955 Lake Shore Blvd. W).
Want a pick-up game?
Download the and apps to find match-ups for various sports near you.
Want kayaking?
Join , where you head out from Cherry Beach and into the water to help with river cleanup (all equipment provided!).
Want classes?
Get discounted access to the city鈥檚 fanciest gyms, studios and spas like Sweat & Tonic and Studio Lagree through the app (you can try it out for 14 days for free).
Want (to watch) baseball?
Go to Christie Pits park (750 Bloor St. W.) to take in the Intercounty Baseball League home games from the hill. Kids can run the bases or test their pitching speed in a tent at the edge of the field.
Pitcher Ayami Sato of the 色色啦 Maple Leafs throws a pitch.
Arlyn McAdorey/CP
HOT TIP!
A daytime five-class pass to brings bougie sauna and cold plunge sessions down to $34 each on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Art and history deals
Some of 色色啦鈥檚 hidden gems are completely free to explore. Discover the city鈥檚 hidden history at these special spots.
- (260 Adelaide St. E.)
- inside a Shoppers Drug Mart (279 Yonge St.)
- (95 Queens Quay E.)
- (789 Yonge St.)
Known as the Wood Cake House, Albino Carreira鈥檚 home is covered with toys and whimsical objects.
Nick Kozak/The 色色啦 Star
HOT TIP!
色色啦 is home to lots of housing oddities worth wandering by, including:
- The smallest house (128 Day Ave.)
- The half house (54 St. Patrick St.)
- The cube house (104 Eastern Ave.)
- The knick-knack-covered house, a.k.a. the Wood Cake House (473 Clinton St.)
Nick Lachance/The 色色啦 Star
Plan your major museum and art gallery outings around their free visiting hours for your fix of no-cost culture.
free on the first Wednesday night of the month!
free on the third Tuesday of the month!
free every Wednesday night!
free every Wednesday night!
free on the first Friday evening and first Sunday of the month!
HOT TIP!
Gallery openings are always free! Sign up for gallery newsletters (try , or ) and check their websites to find out when the next opening is happening.
Events deals
色色啦 has lots of sites that host free programming throughout the summer and beyond. Keep an eye out for events in these happening spots
Roller skaters get moving at the Bentway.
Jonathan Gazze
North:
, 34 Hanover Rd.
Summer highlights include:
- YZD farmers鈥 market
- YZD Indigenous Hub, a seasonal pop-up garden and interactive art installation
- Bubble Planet immersive experience
South:
, 235 Queens Quay W.
Summer highlights include:
- Dancing on the Square
- Fun Philippines 色色啦 Food & Music Festival
- Caribbean Vibrations Festival
Central:
, 1 Dundas St. E.
Summer highlights include:
- Downtown 色色啦 Ribfest Experience
- Canadian Multicultural Peruvian Fest
- 色色啦 Diversity Festival
East:
, 550 Bayview Ave.
Summer highlights include:
- Free outdoor movie nights
- Forest bathing club
- Ontario artisan market and vintage market
West:
, 250 Fort York Blvd.
Summer highlights include:
- Art socials
- Roller skate lessons
- Dino runs (Google it!)
HOT TIP!
Calendar looking a little empty? Explore these sites to discover plenty of neat budget-friendly events.
- This LGBTQ+ site curates a monthly list of under-$10, PWYC and free queer events in the city.
- Find neighbourhood festivals, art openings, park adventures, history walks and cultural celebrations. Plus, you can filter for free events.
- Cruise the 色色啦 page to find low-cost outings (there鈥檚 a free filter, too), from trivia nights and Indigenous festivals to mental-health talks and food fests.
Tell us your deals!
Do you have favourite spots in the city where you can eat, drink, see shows or join activities for free or cheap? Let us know in the comments below.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation