A charming restaurant bar... I'd like to share one of my favorite haunts with women visiting Toronto. This is a little gem serving Italian specialties. It's called Bar Mercurio and is located at 270 Bloor Street West right across from the Bata Shoe Museum. It's very loud and bustling for breakfast and lunch and then for dinner it changes completely into a quiet upscale restaurant. Delicious food and fun! In fact I'd suggest reservations at dinner. Open every day except Sunday. Tel: 416.960.3877 Nina, Toronto, Canada Ed. note: One of my neighbours met her delicious husband during Bar Mercurio's cocktail hours. He's definitely 'a keeper.'

My favorite place to stay... I have to say the Madison Manor Boutique Hotel (really bed & breakfast) is my favorite place to stay when I'm in Toronto. Located in the Annex area, close to the University of Toronto campus, it's close to everything I need (five minutes from a major subway station) and is a great place to relax. I felt so very much at home and truly enjoyed the historic charm that the hotel had to offer. Address: 20 Madison, tel: 1.877.561.7048 (toll-free). Lyndsay, Calgary, Canada Ed. note: This B&B is not very far from Bar Mercurio (see tip above).

I stayed on the U of T campus... I can only say good things about staying at Massey College on the University of Toronto campus. It's normally a dorm for handpicked graduate students, but they accept guests during the summer. They have single and double rooms, simply furnished but comfortable, and cafeteria-style breakfast is included. It's quiet, inexpensive (50-80$CAN), centrally located, and it feels more like a home than an hotel (don't be surprised if permanent residents sit down with you at breakfast). Perks include a common room with at least half-a-dozen daily newspapers and a beautiful park in the quad. Website: http://www.utoronto.ca/massey/summer.html Catherine, Montreal, Canada

Theatre with a difference... I want to shout the praises of the Famous People Players Dinner Theatre. This group mounts unique, visually fantastic "black light" shows. Famous People Players is renowned not just for the quality of its shows, but also for bringing out the creative potential in performers with developmental disabilities. The price of the show includes a four-course dinner and intriguing backstage tour all hosted by the company's performers. Fantastic! Read what other famous people have to say about this show at: http://www.mainstage-mgmt.com/shows/fpp/fpp_quotes.html or visit their website at: http://www.fpp.org Jan, Lecanto, Florida, USA

Girls night out... I'm writing in to tell you about a great place for women in Toronto.It's called Fabulous Manicure Bar & Pedicure Lounge. Inspired by similar manicure/pedicure bars in New York, Fabulous offers a fun alternative for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, business parties or just some quality time with girlfriends. Although walk-ins are also definitely accepted, it is only at the private parties that participants can sip on martinis while getting their manicures and/or pedicures. For a non-alcoholic version, customers are served tea in fine china. You and three girlfriends can get your manicures done simultaneously and a total of ten customers can get pedicures done at the same time. Fabulous also offers dozens of scented creams that are exclusive to their shop -- butter cream, chocolate mint and lemon jello to mention a few. M-m-m-m, yummy! Tel: (416) 481-4943) Address: 609 Mt. Pleasant Rd. Amy, Toronto, Canada

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