It’s raining in Toronto; here’s what you should do

Before we set off on our travels through the Caribbean and Europe we had a two-week stop in our glorious former home, Toronto, to visit friends and family.

During our time in the city we had an amazing “indoor day” in an attempt to escape the bone-chilling cold weather that goes hand-and-hand with Toronto in February. Although it’s June now, and starting to warm up in the city, it’s not quite beach weather. Indoor activities might be a good idea until you can truly count on mother-nature to show up.

Here is how to blow your budget and have an epic Saturday (or Sunday if you prefer), in Toronto on a rainy or not-quite-summer day:

First, you must brunch.
We chose to brunch at Le Sélect Bistro which kept us close to our next stop. Le Sélect is a French bistro in Toronto’s Garment and Warehouse district on Wellington Street that specializes in farm-to-table French cuisine. It has won the hearts of many locals and has been awarded at length by Toronto critics. I indulged in the Sandwich Croissant Au Gravlax… and a couple of Mimosas to really start the day off right.
There are amazing brunch restaurants all over the city that you can start with but brunch is a must. Check out this list from BlogTO: Best Toronto Brunch

After brunch, it was off to SPiN, which is conveniently right around the corner.
SPiN is essentially a ping-pong nightclub. In the light of day it is more of a hangover-recovery bar with ping-pong tables. Yes, a bar. You can eat, drink and casually socialize as you attempt (if you’re me) to play ping-pong. I was mildly apprehensive but loved the experience so much my friends basically had to pry the paddle out of my hands.

Next, off to…
Bowling! Bowling with a bar (I assume you’ve caught on to the trend now) at The Ballroom. A quick ten minute walk from SPiN is The Ballroom on the corner of Richmond and John street. This joint offers ten pin bowling, service at your lane, and is like a playground for adults that can keep you indoors and entertained for hours.

Next, if your not too full from the beers (which you needed to keep you warm) and the snacking that you inevitably caved into at somepoint, it’s time to think about an early evening cocktail leading into dinner.

We chose Pai which specializes in northern Thai cuisine. The atmosphere is fun, the drinks are tasty, and the food is delicious. It is a perfect spot to share some dishes with friends and re-cap your amazing day. But again, Toronto is full of amazing restaurants, so if Thai is not your thing, check out this list from Now Toronto: Toronto’s 25 Hottest Restaurants

So now you are stuffed, and most likely drunk, maybe even tired from the extreme physical exertion of bowling and ping-pong. But the warm and fuzzy feeling you have says you’re not quite ready to call it a night – and somehow you still have a few bucks in your pocket. Then you definitely have to end your epic indoor day with some live music.

We headed to the BIERMARKT on King st; you have lots of choices at this point but live music at the end of the night is definitely the cap on an already amazing day. They also have a great location on the Esplanade if you prefer to stay closer to union station.

That is, if you don’t fall asleep at one of the tables due to a food coma. You’re still awake, right?

How do you stay entertained on a rainy day?