From beautiful waterfalls to culinary hot spots – visit the cool Canadian city of Toronto which Meghan Markle once called home

And it is no surprise what attracted her to the Canadian city, with cool neighbourhoods and culinary hot spots.

Toronto is the place that first propelled the actress into the spotlight while filming Suits.

Prince Harry would fly in for low-key dates near her suburban three-bed home in The Annex.

It was also the location of their first joint public appearance at the Invictus Games last year.

As the now Duchess of Sussex’s star has shone, so has the bustling capital where she spent the past seven years.

And don’t the 2.7million residents of Toronto know it.

After touching down fresh off the new British Airways flight from Gatwick, we were encouraged to head straight to Trinity Bellwoods Park.

This pretty patch in the centre of the city was branded a “hipster’s paradise” by Meghan herself.

It is where she would walk her two dogs, Guy and Bogart, through the fascinating flea markets and music festivals.

Seconds away is the trendy West Queen West.

Her favourite haunt there was Nadège Patisserie, a French cafe that she would gush about on her lifestyle website The Tig.

But while Meghan may have increasingly stood out thanks to her Suits character Rachel Zane — and later the royal connection — she was in many ways like the majority of Toronto locals.

As an American, she was part of the 51 per cent of residents from out of town who make up the city.

Toronto was founded in 1793 and its rich mix of cultures is impossible to miss, from the Chinese anime painted on to walls in the Fashion District’s Graffiti Alley to the distinctive pink houses of ­Little Portugal.

But the city’s diversity is most proudly displayed on your plate.

Make room for dinner at Peruvian restaurant Kay Pacha in The Annex and cool California-style La Palma in Dundas.

In the achingly hipster Kensington Market, near Koreatown, you will find “fusion” restaurants, including Rasta Pasta, which is run by an Italian and a Jamaican, and the self-explanatory Hungary Thai.

Meghan was a fan of the area and would visit during its pedestrian-only Sundays when she said it felt like “one big block party”.

She would take her most famous guest for a cocktail at Cold Tea, a “speakeasy” bar that took us 30 minutes to find.

After a good night’s sleep at the stylish Hotel X Toronto, which opened in March, we gave some attention to that other famous Toronto resident, Drake.

The rapper launched his Pick 6ix restaurant this year.

His tracks Hotline Bling and God’s Plan provided the soundtrack as we tucked into a menu of Japanese, South American and Korean-inspired dishes.

He chose to launch his latest venture in the financial district, which is like a Manhattan-esque forest of skyscrapers.

It is little surprise, then, that the central business district, which sprung up from the Seventies, provides the screen backdrops to not only New York-based Suits, but also The Handmaid’s Tale, Suicide Squad, Shape Of Water and Spotlight.

Guide Tim Benveniste, of Tour Guys, took us to Nathan Phillips Square where visitors love to go for a photo in front of the giant 3D “TORONTO” sign. Then it was past the grand Fairmont Royal York hotel where, you guessed it, our favourite royal couple have stayed.

Tim recommended sampling the famous peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery in the historic St Lawrence Market, which is a mecca of Canadian produce.

We stocked up on gallons of maple syrup.

A trip to Toronto is not complete without a journey 553 metres up to the top of the CN Tower.

Best-planned bar crawl you will ever go on

The landmark was the tallest in the world when it was built in 1976, but was knocked off its perch in 2007 with the opening of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

It is an incredible view, but make sure you visit on a clear day. Next door stands the family friendly Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada if you have got little ones in tow.

Also nearby, you can catch the Toronto Blue Jays playing baseball at the Rogers Centre.

Two hours from the city is one of the nation’s most famous attractions, Niagara Falls. Leave about an hour to get up close on the Journey Behind The Falls attraction.

But there is no doubt one of the best ways to see it is from the sky.

A ten-minute helicopter ride with Niagara Helicopters was breathtaking.

Back on land, we took a short drive to the idyllic town of ­Niagara-on-the-Lake, which boasts Canada’s oldest pub The Olde Angel Inn, built in 1789.

Back in Toronto, we saw a different side to the city on two of its most popular tours.

Toronto’s Ultimate Chocolate Tour, which goes through the neighbourhoods of King West, Queen West and Dundas, is ideal for the sweet-toothed visitor.

Meanwhile, the Cocktail Trail Tour with Drink Toronto, between the neighbourhoods of Ossington Village and West Queen West, will be the best-planned bar crawl you ever go on.

The urban patchwork quilt of must-see neighbourhoods, including Cabbagetown and Entertainment District, are the city’s crown jewels.

The tram and subway systems are easy to crack, and it was the underground we took to Meghan’s unassuming former pad on an ordinary street in Seaton Village.

For better or worse, Harry’s twice-monthly visits to 10 Yarmouth Road have put it on the map.

Meghan’s old home was revealed to be on sale for £811,000 last year. Not that the locals will let on they care.

When we brought up the subject of Meghan in a cafe near her former home a few weeks before the most talked about wedding of the year, a barista asked with feigned vagueness: “Oh, she’s marrying that guy, isn’t she?”

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