1. On your first night in town, Gualandi suggests you relax and settle in with a visit to the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel's Senses Restaurant. The 36-seat eatery is, remarkably, both sleek and cozy. (416) 935-0400, www.senses.ca

2. One of the city's newest destination areas for locals is the Distillery District. What used to be a 13-acre distillery is now home to shops, restaurants, a spa, galleries, theaters, and much more. There's no need to hop around town for a night that includes activities aplenty. Here, says Gualandi, you can walk the "nice old-fashioned cobblestone streets," grab a beer at a microbrewery, see a bit of art, and catch a dance performance or a play. www.thedistillerydistrict.com

3. The Royal Ontario Museum's new facade has everybody in town debating. Take a look at the ultramodern glass front, and get into the discussion. But no matter how you feel about the outside, make sure you don't skip out on all the treasures waiting inside. 100 Queen's Park, (416) 586-8000, www.rom.on.ca

4. People don't usually expect the barrels at Niagara Falls to contain wine, but the area has quietly turned into quite the region for great grapes and the bottles that hold their juice. An easy 90-minute drive from downtown Toronto, Niagara-on-the- Lake is home to 17 wineries (www.niagaraonthelake.com). Try ice wine, one of the region's specialties. Prefer to relax, sip away, and leave the driving to somebody else? Consider wandering the region with either Grape and Wine Tours (www.grapeandwinetours.com) or Grape Escape Wine Tours (www.tourniagarawineries.com).