What to know
- What to know
- Shangri-La Toronto Chef Concierge Dean Voon shares his insider picks for experiencing the city.
- Paint Cabin offers a creative escape with hands-on activities including painting and making vinyl records.
- Voon recommends Toronto dining favourites Pai Northern Thai Kitchen and Sotto Sotto.
- The itinerary mixes luxury experiences with local gems across Toronto and beyond.
If you only had 24 to 72 hours in Toronto, where would you go? According to Shangri-La Toronto’s Chef Concierge Dean Voon, the answer is all about personalization, skyline views and knowing how to experience the real hidden gems — not just the ones you can find on TikTok.
For this edition of Concierge Diaries — Now Toronto’s series spotlighting the city’s Les Clefs d’Or concierges — we asked Voon to build the perfect luxury itinerary for a first-time visitor. And while he couldn’t spill all the beans, he shared a pretty solid to-do list for eager travellers.
From the eyes of Voon, here’s what a weekend in the 6ix and beyond could look like, featuring helicopter rides over Niagara Falls, low-key food spots, waterfront views, late-night cocktails and some of the hardest reservations to land in the country.
But before the great escape, Voon’s itinerary begins inside Shangri-La Toronto itself, where guests are immediately immersed in the hotel’s East Meets West approach to hospitality. There’s afternoon tea to the backdrop of live music in the Lobby Lounge, featuring a custom-made Fazioli piano signed by Joni Mitchell, couture displays by the most high-profile designers, and even a wishing tree inspired by Asian tradition.
And once guests step outside the hotel, the city becomes the ultimate playground.
One of Voon’s first recommendations for travellers looking to do something unexpected is Paint Cabin, an intimate creative studio redefining the classic paint night experience.
Established in 2015 in Leslieville and now relocated to Scotiabank Plaza in the PATH,
Paint Cabin specializes in team-building, corporate, and social events, including birthday parties and date nights. Activities can range from painting on canvas to creating vinyl records and wood signs, and owner Anita Leung says the goal is to create an environment where people can relax, unplug and experience Toronto in a more meaningful way.
“We’ve created a really great social engagement for everybody, and we’ve created a safe environment where people can just let loose and have fun,” Leung said. “It’s one big community.”
For visitors wanting a break from packed tourist attractions, this is the kind of underrated gem that feels personal — exactly the type of experience Voon believes luxury travellers are searching for.
Of course, no Toronto itinerary is complete without food, and Voon points guests toward one of the city’s most beloved dining institutions: Pai Northern Thai Kitchen.
Known for its vibrant, homey atmosphere and rich Thai flavours, the restaurant has become a must-visit for locals, tourists and plenty of Toronto Raptors players alike — and that love is reciprocated, as seen though the hanging jerseys and ‘We the North’ banner upon walking in. From fragrant khao soi to classic Pad Thai, Voon says Pai delivers the kind of meal visitors remember long after they’ve left the city, and he also takes pride in helping ensure guests get a seat at the often exclusive table.
“It’s distinctive, it’s unique. The food is incredible,” Voon said. “This is a very hard restaurant to get into. It’s always very, very busy. So, as a concierge, I find it really helpful to build the relationships that we do build so that I can call, and it’s like calling a friend, and then they say, ‘Come on over. Send them over.’ And then the families have a great time, and they come back smiling, ear to ear. It’s really, really quite wonderful.”
For a more intimate and celebrity-approved evening, Voon recommends securing a table at Sotto Sotto, Yorkville’s iconic Italian restaurant known for its dim lighting, impeccable service and notoriously hard-to-get reservations.
Over the years, the upscale spot has hosted everyone from Hollywood A-listers to professional athletes, and even hometown heroes such as the 6ix God himself, Drake (you might even be able to spot a few autographs on-site), but its appeal goes far beyond star power. With handmade pasta, classic Italian dishes and an atmosphere that feels both timeless and exclusive, Sotto Sotto offers visitors a quintessential Toronto luxury dining experience.
“It is a familial style restaurant where everyone will come and feel comfortable with quality food and with an experience that is personalized and authentic,” Voon explained. “You know, what’s really interesting about Sotto Sotto is you could walk on the street, on Avenue Road, and walk right past it, because you don’t know it’s here. But when you walk inside, and as you can see with all the photos, when you come up the stairs, it’s definitely a ‘if you know, you know,’ kind of a place.”
Whether it’s taking a stroll down Ossington for coffee and vintage finds, indulging in Insta-worthy moments at The Well or dropping by the TIFF Reference Library for dose of cinema and some delicious bites at the adjacent Varda Cafe Bar Voon’s version of Toronto is rooted in balance — equal parts glamour and authenticity. And for travellers with only a few days to spare, that may just be the key to experiencing the city like a true insider.
To unlock more Toronto, read our Concierge Diaries series, powered by Destination Toronto.
