Marda Loop

Once home to a small assortment of shops at the heart of a sleepy residential area, Marda Loop has undergone a raft of revitalization. It is both a shopping destination for clothing and accessories and a hot restaurant zone featuring a great range of ethnic restaurants, bars and contemporary diners.

• The area’s gift shops and boutiques have a relaxed vibe. Tiny Wanderlust Trading Company is lined with imported jewellery, knick-knacks and home décor items, while Crabapple Clothing Company mixes business and casual attire. Doo-Dads stocks its colour-coded shelves with jewellery and accessories.

• Marda Loop features a wide variety of restaurants. Just for starters, there’s Rasoi Kitchen for cutting-edge Indian, Globefish Sushi and Izakaya for trendy Japanese, Fergus & Bix plus Original Joe’s for upscale pub grub and craft beer as well as Belmont Diner for breakfast and burgers.

• Rivalling Kensington as a coffee ’hood, the Loop’s best shops include the rustic and cozy Kaffa Coffee & Salsa House and the sleek, spacious Phil and Sebastian Coffee Company.

• Hidden well off the main drag, My Favorite Ice Cream Shoppe is a neighbourhood landmark and favourite summertime haunt for locals. Its vintage décor, 72 flavours of ice cream and malt-shop-attired staff hearken back to a simpler time.