Here's a look at restaurants and bars suitable for entertaining clients, treating a team, or even making a private presentation outside the office.
The Oliver & Bonacini restaurant Jump celebrated its 20th anniversary last year with a $1 million upgrade and renovation to the dining room, bar, and kitchen. Karen Skobel and Paula Gauci of deSignum Designs took on the redesign and created a warm and refined atmosphere. The 6,000-square-foot space now features elements such as built-in flat screens and dramatic lighting elements including a 46-foot sculptural light fixture. It offers a private dining room for 165 seated or 300 for receptions and two semiprivate spaces.
Photo: Allison Woo
Reds Midtown Tavern, which opened in November, has private dining rooms available for groups of 12 to enjoy a local craft beer or a Reds specialty cocktail. The 6,800-square-foot restaurant is home to funky decor including reclaimed wine bottle chandeliers and communal tables reclaimed from McMaster Library. There is also a 90-seat patio on the corner of Yonge and Gerrard Streets.
Photo: Craig A. Williams
Home of the Brave opened on King Street West in August. The America-theme restaurant has a four-seat chef's table for private dining, or buyouts of the 73-seat space are available. With its slogan "Join or Die," borrowed from a Benjamin Franklin political cartoon, the lively eatery and bar features vintage cocktails, spiked slushies, and root beer on tap. Executive chef Jonathan Hamilton's menu tweaks classic American fare such as lobster rolls, fried chicken sandwiches, beef and pork ribs, and banana splits.
Photo: Courtesy of Home of the Brave
For large groups, renowned chef Susur Lee opened Luckee, a restaurant in the chic SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, in April. The all-day dim sum spot is a vast 2,600 square feet, including 600 square feet in the bar area and 2,000 square feet in the restaurant, that seats 120. Designed by Bent and Gable, the space subtly blends accents of imperial red and wall-to-wall panels of dynastic architecture with a nod to 20th-century Chinoiserie. A private dining room seats 18 guests.
Photo: Courtesy of Luckee
Located in the historic Distillery District, El Catrin Destileria serves both traditional and modern Mexican cuisine in a vibrant setting. A semiprivate dining room called La Bodega seats 30 guests in a main-floor space that features a 25-foot hand-painted wall with skulls from Mexico and a glass-encased ritual Dia de los Muertos altar. El Balcone, the chef's table, accommodates 18 guests with a harvest table on a floating balcony, giving guests a bird's-eye view of the entire restaurant.
Photo: Courtesy of El Catrin Destileria
Byblos, located on the first two floors of the Storys Building, opened in March with a luxurious eastern Mediterranean theme. Housed over 2,990 square feet between the two floors, the bright and airy space is home to white brick walls with soft colors and geometric tile work.
Photo: Paula Wilson
Sophisticated sports bar the Citizen took over the old Brant House in March. The 4,500-square-foot space seats 120 or holds 590 for receptions in the main room. The Citizen worked with designer Ian Rydberg for a look and feel that includes vintage sports paraphernalia and leather couches. Retractable screens can quickly descend from the ceiling to divide the space, allowing for private functions of 50 seated guests or 200 for cocktails. The space has 13 65-inch LED screens and three 65-inch projection screens.
Photo: Rick O'Brien
Located in the Cosmopolitan Hotel as of April, Wildfire Steakhouse boasts 1,340 square feet of urban, chic space. In the middle of the dining room, a glass wine cabinet displays more than 500 bottles. The walls are adorned with 150-year-old barn wood, giving it a rustic ranch feel. The main room seats 94 guests, and there are two private dining rooms, one that seats 12 and another for 16.
Photo: Elizabeth Ashley Photography
