With planning for corporate and office holiday parties underway, these new and recently renovated Toronto venues provide suitable options for company festivities. The venues, which include bars, lounges, nightclubs, restaurants, private rooms, and hotel event spaces in Toronto, can accommodate small and large groups for Christmas, Hanukkah, or holiday parties of any type.
Suspended above street level on the second floor of Four Seasons Toronto in the Yorkville neighborhood, Café Boulud finished renovations and reopened earlier this month. The Martin Brudnizki Design Studio gave the 3,000-square-foot French brasserie a classic but contemporary look with seating upholstered in jaguar green and ruched leather 1950s-style chairs. The space seats 136 guests, with 110 in the dining room, 10 in the front lounge, eight at the bar, and eight in the semiprivate dining area.
Earlier this month the Omni King Edward Hotel finished a $40 million renovation that began in the fall of 2013. The renovation included the hotel’s 22,000 square feet of meeting spaces including three ballrooms: the Vanity Fair Ballroom, the Sovereign Ballroom, and the historic Windsor Ballroom. Moncur Design Associates Inc. handled the interior design, which includes crystal chandeliers, wood paneled walls, and contemporary furniture.
The Addisons Residence is an upscale bar and lounge located in the King West neighborhood. Modeled after a luxury Beverly Hills home designed by Lisa Ho Studio, the 4,600-square-foot space is set up as three different rooms—the kitchen, the living room, and the rec room, complete with bubble hockey, foosball, and arcade games. Each room has its own bar and television and can be used separately or together. The entire space holds 450 for receptions or seats 75. It opened in July.
Located at the base of Cinema Tower residences in the entertainment district, Artscape Sandbox opened earlier this month. The 6,466-square-foot event space—adaptable for conferences, performances, or social gatherings—fits 200 guests for receptions or seats 140. With Kirkor Architects behind the build out, amenities include a lighting grid, stage, greenroom, and lobby that includes a box office and coat check.
Opened in August, the Universal Event Space is the latest venue from Peter and Pauls. Located in Vaughan, Ontario, the venue covers 85,000 square feet and offers a variety of spaces including six studios and two patios, as well as updated audiovisual equipment and technology. It holds 3,000 for receptions or seats 1,400.
The upscale café-bar hybrid, Boxcar Social opened a new location in the Riverside neighborhood in May. Formerly a library, the old Victorian-style building spans more than 1,000 square feet and boasts 18-foot ceilings, arched windows, and wood floors. Upon entrance, guests are met by a large owl mural commissioned from Vancouver artist John James. The space is available for private event rental and holds 60 guests for receptions or seats 40.
After seven years as the dance club/music venue Wrongbar, the space reinvented itself as Miss Thing’s in July. Located in the Parkdale neighborhood, the Polynesian-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar is spread out over 4,000 square feet. The colorful interior design from Solid Design & Build features turquoise walls, gold florals painted throughout, and plush leather banquettes. Its front dining room seats 60; the larger Coconut Room holds 270 for receptions or seats 135.
Located above the boutique Hopson Grace in Toronto’s Summerhill neighbourhood is HG Events, an event space that opened in June. The fully renovated 1,200-square-foot venue features exposed brick, large windows with blackout curtains, and a prep kitchen. The space holds 80 for receptions or seats 60.
After a small electrical fire in December, Adelaide Hall underwent renovations and reopened in May. Operating as an event space and concert hall, the 2,000-square-foot venue holds 680 for receptions. Its new design was aimed to invoke the feel of a vintage recording studio; amenities include audiovisual capabilities and catering.
