Following a series of private events for the Toronto International Film Festival, Hudson Kitchen opened to the public September 16. The Dundas West restaurant includes a 75-seat dining room and a 55-seat outdoor patio. A private room called the Counter is an open kitchen pantry that seats 18 at a counter-height communal table or accommodates 30 for receptions. For buyouts, the venue holds 150 for receptions indoors and another 80 on the patio. The menu features global influences and local ingredients, which the restaurant calls its "leaf to root" philosophy.
Located below the Fifth Social Club, the Fifth Pub House and Café features an 800-square-foot daytime café, as well as a 3,000-square-foot pub that offers 14 beers on tap. The space, which opened in October, holds 520; buyouts are available.Â
Hunters Landing opened in September. The bar and grill spans two floors and has a 2,000-square-foot patio that seats 140. For buyouts, a private room overlooking Canoe Landing Park accommodates 60 guests and is equipped with televisions and projectors. The lower floor seats 115 and features four flat-screen TVs and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Drake Hotel has debuted Lounge, a redesigned spot for food and cocktails that merged the former lounge and dining room. The decor features several textures, including flocked velvet on Douglas fir walls, copper bar tops, geometric-patterned brass lighting fixtures, and curved leather booths. The space fits 200 people.
Italian restaurant Osteria Dei Ganzi opened on the first floor of the historic Gooderham House in May. The 3,800-square-foot, fully restored space features three rooms and a cocktail bar that can be combined for events. The interior seats 90 or holds 150 for receptions; a patio seats 120 or hosts 200 for receptions.
Switch opened in May on Colborne Street downtown. Brick façades, retro arcade games, and leather-upholstered booths give the space an industrial aesthetic. The venue also features two full bars, an open kitchen, and late-night carnival performances. The 3,500-square-foot venue has two floors and holds 240 guests. Eleven V.I.P. booths are available for small parties; buyouts of the full venue are available.
The Round Venue made its debut at Kensington Markets in September. After a monthlong renovation, the space now features smooth bamboo flooring, warm lighting, and large wall murals. The 3,000-square-foot venue holds 200 and includes a commercial kitchen, a fully equipped stage, and an aerial rigging point. Buyouts are available.
For family-friendly events, the zipline park Treetop Eco-Adventure in Oshawa has updated its children's course. The park encompasses 130 acres of nature trails and forest on the property of Trillium Trails Banquets & Conference Center. The center added a food truck called Zip-Chip in June. In addition to outdoor activities, the venue offers a 2,500-square-foot meeting room that seats 200 people, as well as a 50-person meeting room.
Destingo, short for "destined to go," opened in July. The venue has a dining room that seats 70 guests and a large patio that seats 78. Both spaces are 1,500 square feet and are available for private events. The restaurant offers classic Italian cuisine as well as modern adaptions like the popular shrimp burger.
The Living Room is a new gathering space at the Windsor Arms Hotel available to guests as a casual meeting spot for drinks or meals as well as for private events. The shabby-chic, cozy decor from Dinel Designs includes oversize chesterfields, leather seating, and original art by Canadian painter Charles Pachter. The space includes practical amenities such as a charging station as well as whimsical touches with games such as Jenga and Deluxe Super Scrabble. At a self-pour draft table, guests can serve their own pints of beer such as Amsterdam’s Pale Ale and Mill Street Brewery’s Organic. For receptions, the space fits 150 with another 50 on a seasonal private patio. The fine-dining back room seats 34, and the casual area seats about 50.
