Wortley Village in historic London, Ontario is an exciting neighbourhood offering boutique shopping, delicious dining, and a welcoming small-town feel. Whether you’re here for a day or a weekend, Wortley Village is a must-visit destination.
London, Ontario isn’t a city that I would have typically considered hip. That was until I discovered Wortley Village. Located in the heart of London’s historic Old South neighbourhood, this village has everything you’d want in one small area — a fun community feel and a main strip that’s packed with art galleries, cafés, restaurants, boutiques, a health food store, cannabis shop, vinyl shop…and even a tattoo studio! Then step off the main strip, and you’ll discover stately homes, many restored from the 1800s, on quiet tree-lined residential streets.
In 2013, Wortley Village was named Canada’s best neighbourhood. But despite this, neither my daughter nor I — who have collectively spent eight years studying in London — had actually visited this village. So we decided to spend a weekend there together to discover what it was all about. Here are some highlights.
A Gorgeous Victorian Retreat in Wortley Village
Just a short walk from Wortley Village, the Idlewyld Inn & Spa is a 21-room inn in a Victorian mansion that was built in 1878 as the home to the former mayor of London. (Our master suite was actually the mayor’s original bedroom.)
Set on a quiet street away from the downtown core, the Idlewyld is the ideal hotel for visiting luminaries in London who want to remain incognito while shooting a film or otherwise engaged in the city. One such example is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who spent a week last summer, along with his cast, while shooting the television show FUBAR.
The Idlewyld has preserved many of its heritage elements — from original fireplace mantles and hardwood floors to floral leather wallpaper in its drawing room. The inn also has many modern upgrades, from a full spa on-site to flat-screen TVs and Nespresso machines in the rooms. They also have a 70-seat dining room with a contemporary, locally-inspired menu and favourites like a $55 afternoon high tea on the third Saturday of the month and a brunch with live piano every Sunday for $45.95.
Coolest Shops and Boutique Finds & Vintage Treasures in Wortley Village
Filthy Rebena Vintage should be high on your list for curated vintage shopping. As well as selling second-hand clothing, this funky vintage store also has new designer brand label clothing, backpacks, fanny packs and bath products at reasonable prices. Brand products include Baggu socks and shoulder bags; Canadian-made Aide soaps; Bully Boy lingerie and Bilak Jewelry. As well, they have their own line, Baby Be Good. For more about their Baby Be Good offerings, check out their Instagram page.
While we were shopping there, my daughter found a white part-linen second-hand Aritzia blouse for $40 and we both picked out some $25 sunglasses for an upcoming trip to Mexico.
Although it was a cold snowy January day when we visited Rebena’s, in summer they have backyard activities, such as floral life drawing and painting, yoga, poetry readings and markets. They also sell flowers grown in the yard through their “Wortley Flower Farm.” (See wortleyflowerfarm.com/.)
Other boutiques on the strip include Impressions clothing store with designer brands such as Part Two, Naïf, Erin Templeton and Free People; Lofthouse Living – where all clothing is beige or cream-coloured; and Locally Made Marketplace, which sells handmade, eco-friendly local items from 65 plus local vendors, mostly from London and area. Locally Made also has a refillery where you can get things like dish and hand soap and dishwasher tabs in bulk.
Best Places To Eat In Wortley Village: From Cozy Cafés to Flavourful Feasts
Sagi: A Hidden Gem for Asian Fusion & Cocktails
BY NIGHT: I hadn’t heard of Sagi of Wortley until one cold January evening when I was drawn in by the warm light emanating from a red brick house set slightly back from the street. The sign outside read “Sagi,” so named for the Sagittarius signs of its owners.
This cozy Asian fusion restaurant is small in size and friendly in vibe. Arriving at about 5:30 pm on a Friday night, we snagged a seat at the bar, where I ordered a Viognier (one of many good wine choices by the glass) and my daughter a Paloma with grapefruit, lime and a not-overly-spicy jalapeno syrup. Both were a hit.
For dinner, we started with their house favourite, the totally decadent bulgogi ribeye frites with crispy shallots, garlic, cilantro and cashews sprinkled on top. Then we split a copious bowl of Northern Thai coconut curry with crispy and vermicelli noodles and their Sagi stir fry, with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, green beans and vermicelli noodles. Everything was delicious.
For a seat at one of about seven tables, reserve about a week in advance or arrive early for a seat at the bar.
Plant-Based Perfection at Plant Matter Kitchen
BY DAY: While Sagi was our favourite choice for the evening, the organic vegan restaurant Plant Matter Kitchen was our number one choice by day. Set in a brightly lit restaurant with tables in smaller cozy rooms, the service was friendly, the atmosphere inviting, and the non-chemical, non-animal-based food was welcome. You don’t have to be vegan to come here. As our server attests, only about 30 percent of their customers are hard-core vegan: the majority are simply looking for healthy food that also tastes good.
Cheeses are cashew-based, the “bacun” in the eggs benedict is seitan, our Caesar salad had tempeh bits on top, and their popular espresso martini, well, it boasts brown sugar cubes, along with vodka, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, chocolate bitters and espresso. This is a great choice for vegans or carnivores seeking something healthy.
A Taste of Japan in London
Another notable mention goes to the MORI Japanese bar (you can check out their Instagram page here). This small, unpretentious Japanese restaurant was one of the restaurants offering a 3-course prix fixe dinner as part of the city’s annual “Londonlicious” in late January / early February. My daughter and I shared some delicious beef yaki gyoza (pan-fried dumplings), a bulgogi rice noodle bowl, a chicken katsu, and a green tea and red bean mochi for dessert. A glass of hot saki was a perfect pairing for our meals on a cold, wintery day.
Korean owner Jinju (Jully) Lee also owns Roll Roll Sushi – another Wortley Village mainstay.
Other Noteworthy Food In Wortley Village
Also noteworthy is Sidetrack: A Wortley Café, which offers good coffee, along with muffins, scones and “bagel bombs” — basically bagel dough shaped in a ball, with a choice of bagel toppings stuffed inside!
Finally, Karpos Mediterranean Styled Dried Nuts & Fruits is the place to go for not just nuts and dried fruit but amazing Greek foods as well, thanks to Greek owner Anna Arsenis. Items include everything from olive oil to olives, cheeses (like Dodoni feta and saganaki), spanakopita and a fabulous honey-soaked baklava, which was the best I’ve had (and I spent six weeks last year in Greece).
Also, with a Greek theme, Sweet Onion Bistro offers a full Greek menu on the last Friday of every month, along with live Greek music. At other times, they offer mixed cuisine, from chicken souvlaki to burgers and salads.
Set in a restored Victorian house, the Old South Village Pub is a popular neighbourhood pub that serves classic comfort fare, such as shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and pizza. Their patio, in what was originally the house’s carport, is heated in cold months and a major gathering place in summer, with locals coming out in droves to enjoy an afternoon pint and a meal. Old South Village Pub is also available for private events and catering.
The Wortley Roadhouse restaurant and pub has live music every Friday and Saturday night as well as Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. With HD screens to game on, local bands for entertainment and “Old South” roadhouse fare – from burgers to BLTs to wings, deep-fried pickles, wings and a breakfast menu until 3:00 p.m. — this place gets packed! They don’t take reservations, so the earlier you get there, the better.
A Creative Haven in Wortley Village
Westland Gallery is a gallery located in the historic Westland building, where owners Karen and Al Stewart showcase both emerging and established regional artists in their main gallery, with new exhibits every month. Then upstairs, in the ApARTment, the walls are lined with an eclectic mix of art from various artists, which rotate regularly.
Wander through its kitchen, living room and other rooms, and it feels like a very colourful, creative home.
Finding Your Flow in Wortley’s Hottest Yoga Spot
The workouts at Yoga Shack don’t actually happen in a shack, as the name applies. (The owner’s name is Shackelton!) Rather, classes happen in a house on Bruce Street just off Wortley Road. I attended on a Sunday morning after three espressos, so I needed something to kick-start me into a state of calm! And it worked. The 40 C degree heat – and the playful nature of its instructor, Alex — really did allow me to switch gears.
“It’s going to be malarkey and shenanigans,” instructor Andrew Bartley warned us. “I call it sandbox yoga.” Though I was not initially clear about what form of hatha yoga he meant by “sandbox,” I quickly discovered that challenging my body to move into some unique postures and the Abba song Queen playing softly in the background was all part of letting go of structure and rigidity.
Classes are available seven days a week. Most are hot, but they also rotate in warm yin and beginner classes as well as non-heated yoga, family and teen classes, private groups, chair yoga, prenatal, partner and family classes.
Individual classes are for as low as $8 with card memberships, and drop-ins are for $24. Unlimited monthly and yearly memberships are also available.
Wortley Village is London’s Must-Visit Neighbourhood
While all the places featured in this article could be visited on foot in about 10 minutes, plan to have a meal here, a glass of wine and a browse through the shops. You can easily wile a pleasant afternoon and evening.
You May Also Like To Read:
Health and travel writer Diana Ballon has a restless spirit and loves all forms of active adventure, whether that’s hiking, cycling, kayaking, or enjoying cool things like an outdoor spa. Her stories have appeared in many major Canadian publications, including The Toronto Star, Zoomer Magazine, Best Health Magazine, Broadview Magazine, Azure Magazine, Canadian Living, Canadian Cycling Magazine, City Parent, Daily Hive, Travel Life Magazine, West Jet Magazine, and hotel-addict.com.