Two new Oliver & Bonacini restaurants—O&B Canteen and Luma—will open at TIFF Bell Lightbox this month, with a rooftop event space and terrace called Malaparte set to follow in the fall. The company enlisted the architectural firm KPMB, architects of TIFF Bell Lightbox, to create the restaurant interiors.
The main-floor O&B Canteen will be a 3,500-square-foot bistro with a combination of seated à la carte, alfresco, and takeaway dining. “It is designed as an extension of the street with an extensive outdoor café under a long protective canopy,” designer Bruce Kuwabara said in a statement. “There will be space for 90 at simple banquettes and a large communal table, with an additional 70 on the patio.” O&B Canteen is expected to open in mid-August.
Upstairs, Luma, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant and bar lounge, will seat about 230 with room for an additional 50 on the terrace. The restaurant will have rich woods, leather, and stone, as well as floor-to-ceiling views of King Street West. “The long wraparound bar at the entrance will be the place to meet, linking the restaurant with the more casual lounge,” Kuwabara said. The lounge, sponsored by BlackBerry (one of TIFF's major sponsors), will have seating for 100, including a window bar. Luma is scheduled to open in late August.
The sixth-floor event space, which opens in November, will offer city views and hold as many as 200. The adjoining rooftop terrace and outdoor amphitheatre being designed by Anacleto Design will be reminiscent of the roof of Villa Malaparte in Capri where Jean-Luc Godard shot Le MĂ©pris. Executive chef Jamie Meireles of Oliver & Bonacini Events will oversee all on-site catering and the menu for Malaparte. Executive chef Jason Bangerter (of Auberge du Pommier) will direct the culinary operations for the O&B Canteen and Luma.
TIFF Bell Lightbox opens September 12. The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 9 to 19.
