Located behind a pink snack shop on Dundas West is Mahjong Bar, a speakeasy-style bar that opened in September. Guests walk through a curtain to find a glowing red keyhole doorway that leads to the bar itself. Inside, the 2,000-square-foot space has a combination of seating and standing space for 96 guests, and China-inspired snack plates and cocktails are served. A 36-foot hand-painted mural by artist Gabriella Lo greets guests, while the rest of the space gives off a mid-century Hong Kong vibe, with direct inspiration sourced from co-owner Kyle Wong’s family. The bar is available for full buyouts.
Contemporary French bistro Bacchanal opened in October in the Queen West area. Boasting 3,500 square feet of space, the restaurant has an open kitchen where diners can watch co-owner and executive chef Luke Donato (formerly of Campagnolo) prepare dishes such as escargot or steak frites. The restaurant offers a combination of seating and standing space for 100 guests, plus a semiprivate dining area that seats 14. Sixteen-foot floor-to-ceiling corner windows sit on two sides of the restaurant, and the dining room is adorned with custom-designed wallpaper by animation artist Ray Xu that showcases a variety of Toronto motifs. Cheeky bathrooms feature NSFW custom wallpaper by Toronto-based artist and textile designer Elyse Saunders. The restaurant is available for full buyouts.
Northern Maverick Brewery opened in September in the King West neighborhood. The two-story, 11,000-square-foot brewpub holds 400 people and is available for full buyouts. The space is divided into four sections, including the 6,000-square-foot main-floor dining room, which has flat-screen televisions, plus a boardroom and a patio. There is also an 810-square-foot private dining room, which seats 40 and has an audiovisual system. The venue offers a menu of seasonal dishes made with local ingredients, and includes items such as oysters, housemade charcuterie, and grilled octopus.
In July, Flight Centre opened a new Travel Centre inside a heritage building in the King West neighborhood. In a new move for the business, the 10,000-square-foot space is available for a variety of uses. Designed by Quadrangle, the main floor is open to the public, and serves as the center’s main event space. (On the lower level is the business travel center, which is not open to the public.) The main floor seats 60 or holds 200 for receptions, and offers floor-to-ceiling windows, original brick and beams, ultra hi-def monitors, and the 3,800-square-foot Concorde Boardroom. The boardroom and main-floor space are both available for buyout.
The Globe and Mail newspaper recently launched an all-purpose meeting and event venue within its new corporate headquarters in the Design District. The venue, which opened in May, has 11,000-square-feet of space spread across the top two levels of the building. On Level 17, guests can access the three main event spaces: the 3,700-square-foot Event Hall, the 3,800-square-foot Lounge, and the 2,900-square-foot Terrace. The spaces offer automated audiovisual systems that include five built-in laser projectors; there is also a 180-degree view of the downtown skyline. The combined capacity for Level 17 is 400 for standing receptions, 300 for seated banquets, or 265 theater-style; the spaces can also be rented individually. Downstairs on Level 16 is a 1,650-square-foot meeting room, which can be booked individually or as a package with the other event spaces. Full buyouts are available.
Located in Vaughan, Château Le Jardin underwent renovations and reopened in October. During the renovation, the 112,000-square-foot event venue received new moldings, stained glass windows, and coffered ceilings; tents were also added outside so the venue could become accessible year-round. The space, which can be divided into eight multipurpose event rooms, offers the 12,000-square-foot Grand Versailles room, which seats 1,800 theater-style or 1,000 banquet-style. There is also the 8,000-square-foot Grand Renaissance Ballroom, which seats 1,200 theater-style or holds 600 banquet-style. An in-house catering team offers Italian cuisine, and full buyouts are available.
The St. Andrew’s Club & Conference Centre, located in the Financial District, rebranded and expanded in September. Now called Vantage Venues, the space occupies 27 rooms that all come equipped with audiovisual capabilities, natural light, and city views. The largest spaces include the 2,800-square food Garden Hall, which seats 200 theater-style or holds 150 for receptions; the 2,700-square-food Conservatory Gallery, which seats 150 or holds 200 for receptions; and the 4,320-square-foot Garden Suite, which seats 170. Full buyouts are available.
100 Acre Wood, located in Prince Edward County, had its soft open in June. Spread across a 100-acre lot (hence the name), the property embraces its natural features and includes walking trails, farmer’s fields, and wildflowers. The property owners have installed a fire pit and hammock area, and have removable church pews and harvest tables available. The venue seats 100 or holds 150 for receptions, and is available for full buyouts.
Craft Beer Market has expanded from its original Calgary home and will be opening its first Toronto location in November. The restaurant, which will be located in the Financial District, will offer an elevated take on pub food including burgers, beer-can chicken, and nachos. McKinley Burkart Design is overseeing the restaurant build-out, which covers some 16,500 square feet of space. A glass keg room at the front entrance showcases 250 kegs. The restaurant will be divided into four spaces, including the main dining room, an upper-mezzanine private dining room that holds 170, a lower semiprivate dining room that holds 65, and an outdoor beer garden. The venue will be available for full buyouts.
Celebrity chef Akira Back opened an eponymous restaurant in Toronto on the second floor of the Bisha Hotel in December. Designed by Studio Munge, the 3,000-square-foot space features artwork from and inspired by the chef’s mother, including the restaurant’s blue-paneled ceiling and entrance way canvas. Situated on the second floor of the hotel, the restaurant has an intimate vibe with an arched ceiling; a dark, rich decor; and a gold-painted entryway. The dining room seats 130, including a six-seat sushi bar, or holds 150 for cocktails. A private dining room slated to open in the spring will seat 28 guests. Full buyouts are available.
Withrow Common, a new event space that’s an initiative of the Canadian National Exhibition Association, is located on the west side of the Queen Elizabeth Building complex. The 2,675-square-foot venue, originally constructed in 1957, was renovated before reopening in February. Designed by architects Page & Steele Inc., led by designer Peter Dickinson, the multi-purpose gallery space references its mid-century Modernist architecture roots with a clean, simple, and contemporary look. The occupancy for the gallery space is 200, regardless of the configuration.
Kitchen24 opened in January in the North York area as a rental space for budding “foodpreneurs.” Offering a creative space for those to learn and expand their knowledge about food, Kitchen 24 also makes the 1,200-square-foot cooking studio and 2,000-square-foot lounge available for private events. The cooking studio is outfitted with state-of-the-art cooking equipment and audiovisual equipment, which allows for professional cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, and workshops. It can fit 40 guests cocktail-style. The lounge is a modern space that seats 80 for banquets or holds 100 guests for cocktails. As as a commercial kitchen space, the facility has an membership list that includes chefs and catering companies that can support event requests. Full buyouts are available.
Junction Craft Brewing expanded its brewery into the historic Toronto site of the former Symes Road Incinerator in January. The 16,000-square-foot space took about 20 months to renovate with Plant architects and interior designer David Hayes overseeing the project. The brewery has two event spaces: the Brewhouse and the Taphouse. The Brewhouse is the production floor of the brewery and has 23-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, ample windows, and two skylights that bring in natural light. It has a capacity of 250 people cocktail-style, 200 theater-style, or 150 seated in rounds. The Taproom can be rented as an add-on to the Brewhouse and holds 95 people cocktail style. The brewery has a preferred list of caterers and can offer a variety of beers for events.
Opened in December, Assembly Chef’s Hall is Toronto's first multi-chef food hall. The hall’s 18,000 square feet space is divided into three distinct areas: the Beer Hall, the Main Hall, and the Courtyard Patio, which is slated to open this summer. Each of the spaces can seat 200 at harvest tables or 400 cocktail-style. In the Beer Hall, there are projectors with screens and a sound system for live music. Each food stall offers a different style of food including vegan, Japanese, seafood, Italian, Mexican, and barbecue. Menus from the food vendors can be designed for special events. Each of the spaces can be booked separately or together for full buyouts.
Taking over the former burlesque dinner theater Candyland, Goldie opened on King Street West in November. The 2,600-square foot-space acts as part cocktail lounge and part nightclub, spread across two floors. With the venue design overseen by owner Reza Abedi and Kayla Pongrac of Iron & Ivory and the design vision brought to life by Area Construction, Goldie is inspired by the decor of the 1970s and 80s outfitted with wood paneling that extends to the high ceilings, velvet booths, and a fringe chandelier. The first-floor cocktail lounge seats 65 or holds 110 for cocktails. On the second floor is a nightclub, where nine tables are reserved for bottle service reservations. The space holds 130 guests and also offers one private room with a 30-person capacity. Full buyouts are available.
Convenience opened on Queen Street West in December as a bar and restaurant that caters to lovers of all things retro. The concept and design for 3,000-square-foot space, spread across the main-floor dining room and the basement, came from the Community Agency. The venue has a mix of retro and vintage decor, such as a neon sign that says “Rad” and another that reads “Game Over” in a cross-stitch pattern. Vintage televisions line the stairway to the basement, where a wall of rotary-dial telephones are labelled “Party Line.” The menu is elevated comfort food with a nostalgic twist, from Venezuelan hot dogs, fried chicken, and a take on a classic Whopper. The venue hold 111 people for a reception or seats 95, including bar seating. Full buyouts are available.
Union Station’s first full-service restaurant, the Italian eatery Amano Pasta, opened in December. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant has a café and dining area with restaurant-style seating. Inspired by Italian bakeries, the decor features white tiles, Carrera marble counters, communal dining tables, and a custom rack for hanging pasta. Commuters can watch the restaurant make fresh pasta daily. Inside the venue, there’s seating for 60; plans call for adding a year-round, temperature-controlled indoor patio with a skylight that will seat an additional 30 guests. The restaurant offers buyouts or semiprivate dining options.
The team behind the reclaimed wood artisans Bread & Butter Designs opened an event space by the same name in Toronto’s Junction area in December. The event space features some of their own reclaimed wood work and pipe shelves spread across the 1,500-square-foot, two-level venue. The space includes two kitchens, a projector with a screen, a professional-grade pool table and poker table, and a Sonos sound system. The space can accommodate 40 for a seated dinner and 60 for a cocktail-style event. The space also has a 500-square-foot patio.
