Amelia Street, Toronto

Turning east onto Amelia Street from Parliament Street, almost immediately the commercial activity of Parliament falls away, and the character becomes much more residential. Here, slow your pace and look along both sides of the street: beneath the mature canopy of trees, you’ll see closely spaced heritage houses forming one of Cabbagetown’s characteristic streetscapes. Amelia Street was laid out by the 1840s and today forms part of the Cabbagetown–Metcalfe Heritage Conservation District.

As you continue east, compare the houses rather than looking for a single landmark. The worker’s cottages are generally the smaller and simpler homes, sitting low to the street. Alongside them are taller Victorian and Gothic Revival houses, recognizable by their red or buff brickwork, steep or projecting gables, bay windows, decorative trim, porches, and narrow front gardens.

No two stretches look quite the same. Changes in height, roofline, brick, woodwork, and later additions give Amelia Street its intimate, slightly irregular appearance. Together, these houses contribute to Cabbagetown’s unusually large concentration of preserved Victorian-era residential architecture.

If you enter from Parliament Street, you won’t have to walk far to find F’Amelia Ristorante. Look for number 12, where the restaurant occupies a converted house rather than a conventional storefront. That domestic setting suits the surrounding street particularly well.

Inside, F’Amelia specializes in Northern Italian cooking, with house-made pasta and pizzas from a wood-burning oven among its specialties. And if you are planning to dine here, it is a pleasant way to experience one of the very houses that give Amelia Street its character.

Right next door – at 8 Amelia Street, just a few steps closer to Parliament Street – is Extended F’Amelia, associated with the restaurant as its more casual wine-bar space. This place was created for wine, drinks, and lighter bites, making it an alternative if you would rather stop briefly than sit down for a full meal.