Here's a look at new Toronto hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this fall. The new and renovated Atlanta venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Known for its regional Thai staples, Khao San Road reopened in March after relocating to a central downtown location. The new spot features two floors spread across 3,200 square feet of space, leaving ample room for dining and entertainment. The restaurant is colorful, with patterned wall tiles imported from Thailand, floor-to-ceiling windows, and artwork by Toronto-based artist Jimmy Chiale. The first-floor dining room has space for 100 standing or 75 seated, while on the second floor, a private dining and event space called Bang Sue can hold 60 standing or 40 seated. Bang Sue offers a view of the entire restaurant, plus mood lighting and a bar inspired by the street-food stalls in Bangkok. Currently, Khao San Road only permits full buyouts at Bang Sue.
This past June, the folks behind Campagnolo—chef Craig Harding and Alexandra Hutchison—opened their latest joint effort in the former Caffe Brasiliano spot. La Palma is the California-cool sister restaurant to Campagnolo, offering up a lighter take on Italian classics. With 2,700 square feet of space, the interior is awash in pastels and whites, a design concept that was envisioned by Hutchinson, who serves as creative director. Inside, the restaurant’s dining room offers seating for 52 or has room for 65 guests standing. While the restaurant does not currently offer a private dining space, the owners are planning to launch an upstairs event space in 2018. Â
In keeping with the craft-beer obsession heating up in Toronto, King Taps opened the largest beer hall in the city in July. Located in the financial district, the two story space is spread across 1,300 square feet, and has reclaimed brick walls, Carrara marble bars, and walnut wood finishings on the tabletops. Across the beer hall, 53 flat-screen televisions display different sporting events. Inside the beer hall there is space for 500 standing or 450 seated, with the space divided into different sections for semiprivate dining. Each of the booths are fully equipped with USB and electrical outlets. For summer events, the patio seats 140 guests. Currently, King Taps does not offer full buyouts.
Chef Victor Barry and his wife, Nikki Leigh McKean, transformed the former Harbord Room space into their take on a French bistro, opening Cafe Cancan in June. The venue, which has interiors designed by Tiffany Pratt, features pink walls, floral wallpaper, and pale-blue leather banquettes, creating a whimsical feel. With 1,000 square feet of space, the dining room has room for 30 standing or 27 seated. There’s a small patio which adds 500 square feet of space and has room for 30. While there is no private event space, Cafe Cancan offers a semiprivate dining space called the Flaming Room, which seats five. The restaurant is also available for full buyouts.
Located in Toronto’s Entertainment District, District Eatery opened in July in the former Hush Nightclub spot. Boasting 2,400 square feet of space over two floors, the new eatery serves pub grub with a healthy twist envisioned by chef Scott Porter. The bar area features a DJ booth and two 80-inch high definition televisions. The main dining area, which has room for 200 standing or 258 seated, offers flexible lighting and has a wired sound system throughout the venue. The rooftop patio, which overlooks King Street West, offers an additional 78 seats. District Eatery is available for full buyouts.
Blank Canvas Gallery is an art house and open space powered by Omit Limitation. In March, the gallery re-opened its doors in a new 1,200-square-foot space located in Toronto’s Regal Heights neighborhood. Considered to be one of Toronto’s premiere community art spaces, the large gallery space has 10-foot ceilings with white walls in a cube configuration that features industrial detailing, including black trim and flooring with projection screens and professional sound. The gallery holds 150 standing, 120 theatre-style, or 80 seated, and offers full buyouts.Â
Chef Claudio Aprile’s multi-concept restaurant opened in the St James Town neighborhood in July. Influenced by the flavors of Toronto, Copetin Restaurant & Bar took over Aprile’s former restaurant Origin and injected some new life, with a patio featuring a botanist bar with a built-in herb garden, an exposed brick wall in the dining area, and two commissioned portraits by artist Stikki Peaches. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant has different zones including a six-top kitchen counter—which also serves as a chef’s table—as well as a relaxed bar lounge with room for 30 seated guest and the private dining room that seats 12 guests. The main dining room accommodates 50 seated guests, while the patio seats 60. Copetin can host 158 guests seated, indoors and outdoors, or 172 standing. It is available for full buyouts.
From the team behind Parts & Labour comes a new venture, the Anne Boleyn. Located at the bottom of Tableau Condos, in the heart of the downtown area, the upscale pub opened in June with 4,200 square feet of space. Designed by interior designer Lisa Ho, the pub is composed of intriguing rooms nestled within what they envision the regal comforts of a Tudor castle to be. Features include black walls, black millwork, fireplaces, chandeliers, and white-washed ceiling moulding details, to name a few. The pub is divided into sections: the Entrance Hall, the Great Hall, the Library, and the Courtyard Patio. The space —which holds 220 standing or 200 seated—serves a modern take on traditional British pub fare. The Courtyard Patio can seat 75 additional guests. Currently, the venue accepts full buyouts.
Taking over the former home of Fat City Blues, MasterChef Canada season 4 contestant Matt Vanderhelm—along with his partners Ben Swirsky and Stuart Vaughan—renovated and re-opened Alchemy Food and Drink in July. Serving elevated comfort food, the 1,400-square-foot space, which showcases exposed brick walls and a mural by the Crazy Plate Lady, has a small dance floor in the center of the restaurant where live bands play on many evenings. The space seats 53 indoors and 40 on the patio. Alchemy Food and Drink only permits full buyouts.
