Canada’s largest city is gearing up to be in the spotlight when the Toronto International Film Festival opens on September 8. Toronto is emerging again from the COVID pandemic with new places to eat, drink, hang out and explore, and beloved classics come to life. In the sophisticated historic enclave of Yorkville or in the eclectic communities of the Wild West. With its first proper TIFF ahead of schedule since 2019, Toronto’s Hollywood North state is stronger than ever.
“There is a lot of action in the city. A lot of people are redesigning or reinventing their spaces,” says designer Anvar Mekhaic, director and founding partner of DesignAgency, a prolific Toronto-based firm that is also the creative eye behind NeueHouse member club locations in DTLA and Venice (the be released). ). . “It’s a good time to be here.”
Here’s a closer look at the city’s new and renovated spots and some of the favorite pillars:
Eat and drink
Restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, engaged to Canadian music icon Robbie Robertson, knows how to please the distinguished guests of Gusto 54 restaurants. Since 1996, her Trattoria Nervosa (75 Yorkville Ave.) Drake has been a regular and Beyoncé, Jay-Z, the Jonas Brothers and Jamie Foxx had dinner.
For his latest project, Zuccarini enlisted Los Angeles interior designer Wendy Haworth (Felix, Gracias Madre) and architectural firm Toronto Partisans to transform a former multi-story garage into Gusto 501 (501 King St. East), a modern on the ground floor. -Finish Corktown for stellar wood-fired pizza and pasta.
Courtesy of subject
At Gusto 54’s Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen (104 Portland St.), a few blocks west of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, DJ Khaled, Shawn Mendes and Issa Rae were among the sweet chicken sandwiches and other Caribbean fare.
Adjacent to Chubby’s, Sami Vella (90 Portland St.) has another incredibly stylish Guerrillas bar and restaurant interior, lit up with brilliant design features that create a charming backdrop for dishes like wedge salad, grilled maitake mushrooms and Nova Scotia halibut. . . The best place might be the chef’s counter to get a front row seat for the kitchen staff process.
Another Drake favorite in Yorkville is Amal (131 Bloor St.), where Lebanese dishes are served in a party setting with appropriately decorated decor; He was the host of a a certified boyfriend Launch party there last September.
Mimi’s Chinese (265 Davenport Road) has been on Toronto’s to-do list since it opened last year in Yorkville, with multi-regional specialties like Hunan Chili Sea Bass and Black Pepper Beef. .
Refueling options conveniently located near the TIFF Bell Lightbox include Minami Japanese Restaurant (225 King St. West) and Epoch at The Ritz-Carlton (181 Wellington St. West), another hub of TIFF activity. “You have to make sure you find him. [Epoch]Mechaec notes. “It’s kind of sexy and has a magical garden feel to it. Epoch grants Toronto Hollywood North status with a private dining room called the Green Room and original artwork by photographer and filmmaker Caitlin Cronenberg, daughter of Canadian film legend David Cronenberg.
Courtesy of Brandon Barry
The downtown core is “very crowded”, although for director and producer Chris Fisher (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), who spends a lot of time working in Toronto. He recommends “exploring cooler places like the West End and Ossington”. In this latter area, satisfying meals can be enjoyed in relaxed and modern settings, such as the Paris Paris wine bar (146 Ossington Ave.), the French-style bistros Union (72 Ossington Ave.) and Côte de Boeuf (130 Ossington Ave. . .), and discreet Jason Momoa is a regular at Manita’s Cafe and Grocery (210 Ossington Ave.).
When only one real club is open, follow Momoa’s lead and hang out with the crowd at Ronnie’s Local 069 (69 Nassau St.) in the lively and diverse Kensington Market.
Further east in Riverside/Leslieville, What are we doing in the shadows?Harvey Gillen heads home for breakfast and farm-to-table dining at the White Lily Diner (678 Queen St. East).
A key player in putting Toronto on the culinary map is chef Patrick Criss and his Alo Food Group. (The Michelin Guide will officially add Toronto’s restaurants to its list this fall.) Reserve a table at its flagship Alo (163 Spadina Ave.) for a Relais & Châteaux-approved dining experience, while Aloette (also at 163 Spadina Ave.) consider to be the best burgers in town and a lemon meringue pie.
Celebrity chef Matty Matheson is now known to a wider audience thanks to his supporting role on the hit FX show. for them. Last May, he opened his adult restaurant, Prime Seafood Palace (944 Queen Street West), near Trinity Bellwoods Park, where the meticulous and soulful craftsmanship of the maple-paneled space designed by architect Omar Gandhi complements the team’s attention. from the kitchen. . . in detail on the board.
stay
In the fashion district, the new 123-room Ace Hotel Toronto (51 Camden St., from $305 a night) is a magnet for the multidisciplinary crowd drawn to this corner of the city. A short walk from the Bell Lightbox, Ace hosts DJ sets and inclusive community-building programming curated by creative producer Michael Nyarkoh. Kriss of Alo Food Group runs Ace’s ambitious food and beverage program, combining her regionally informed sensibilities with the property’s rich, earthy modernist gestalt. Alder, the signature restaurant located on the lower level, transitions seamlessly from day to night, with the irresistible aroma of a wood-fired oven rising from above to a lobby naturally flooded with light. Evangeline, the ace ceiling hanger, is still a work in progress. (Note: Many hotel rooms double in price during the festival.)
Courtesy of WILLIAM JESS LAIRD
Eco-chic 1 Hotel Group took over operations at the former Thompson in King West Village; 1 The Toronto Hotel’s new rooftop lounge, Harriet’s, and other spaces are poised to continue the venue’s status as a venue for TIFF-related events (it’s also THRPhoto and video studio room this year; 550 West Wellington Street, rooms start at $385).
The W Toronto Yorkville (90 Bloor St. East, rooms from $486) opens the city’s newest hotel, complete with a W Sound Suite, a professionally equipped recording booth and a heritage-inspired design scheme throughout. its 254 rooms. .
Alessandro Munge of Studio Munge, Kravitz Design and other creatives execute a glamorous style and pop culture-inspired aesthetic at the Bisha Hotel (80 Blue Jays Way, rooms from $650 a night), just steps from the Bell Lightbox. Its restaurants and bars like Akira Back and Rooftop Kōst regularly attract bold names. (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was photographed with the Akira Back team and Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen at the scene in May.)
Fans of The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. West, from $268), located near the Parkfield neighborhood, don’t hesitate to travel far and wide for its creative and independent spirit. “Drake is like our founding boutique hotel. She was really the anchor of the Queen West art scene,” says Mekhaich of DesignAgency, whose company was part of the team behind the Drake’s newly completed 32-room modern wing, filled with contemporary art. As live music is also an important part of the TIFF experience, it’s worth seeing what’s on the intimate Drake Underground’s agenda.
Courtesy of Brandon Barry
Chic stays in Yorkville include the Yabu Pushelberg-designed Hazelton (118 Yorkville Ave., rooms from $740) and the Park Hyatt (4 Avenue Road, about $508) near the Royal Ontario Museum. The Park Hyatt has undergone a modern renovation, courtesy of Studio Munge, guest rooms and public areas, including the old-school Writers Room bar located on the 17th floor. The hotel’s spectacular new lobby restaurant, Joni, is named after Canadian music giant Joni Mitchell.
The stunning Four Seasons (60 Yorkville Ave., rooms from $910) With its Café Boulud food and beverage selection, d|bar and d|azur overseen by chef Daniel Boulud, this ultra-luxurious tower in Yorkville is one of the best perennials. options for studios and famous guests. Along the back of University Avenue toward downtown, Shangri-La (188 University Ave., rooms from $827) remains another well-established mainstay of the industry. Being close to Momofuku Noodle Bar and David Chang’s Kōjin restaurants, as well as Soho House Toronto, set in a restored historic building behind the property, is a plus for this location.
Historic hotel buffs won’t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy the IRL Fairmont Royal York (100 Front St., rooms from $520), a 1929 grandma facing Union Station that evokes a certain romantic era of trips. The Rockwell Group’s affordable ground-floor renovations fit into the Royal York heritage and serve as a reminder of how the hotel’s truly grand spaces can be a form of theater.
A version of this story first appeared in the September 6 issue of The Gossipify. Click here to subscribe.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
