Inspired by the Art Deco movement, the Roosevelt Room is a new supper club in the entertainment district directly behind the Toronto International Film Festival Tower. Jeff O'Brien of One Development Corp. developed the concept for the venue and called on the Design Agency to handle the decor—modeled on Hollywood's legendary Roosevelt Hotel, which hosted the first Academy Awards.
"We wanted to bring back the carefree excitement and exuberance of the Roaring Twenties," O'Brien said. "We went to the Design Agency and asked them to incorporate the 1920s feel into a modern environment. We're trying to marry the old Art Deco lines with more contemporary materials."
The venue, which seats 120 and holds 500 for receptions, is decorated in a palette of gold, brown, and black. A white diamond granite counter tops the main bar (one of three), which is fronted with intricate metal panels and has griffin details on the brass foot rails. The centre of the restaurant functions as the main dining room and becomes the dance floor later in the evening. Metallic sheers line the perimeter of the area and enable smaller semiprivate events to be held within the larger venue.
The venue has a movable DJ booth and hydraulic tables in the V.I.P. area, which enable staff to adjust the height for dining and lounge settings. RBG LED lighting surrounds the tops and bottoms of the booths, and bars and flat-screen televisions are visible in every section. Flat-screen TVs have also been built into the mirrors in the 20 private washrooms on the lower level, where wall panels feature artwork by Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka. An exit through the building's decommissioned elevator shaft leads to the smoking patio.
Cabaret performances will take place each week. "We're trying to be really innovative with our entertainment," O'Brien said.
The menu from executive chef Trevor Wilkinson (Trevor Kitchen and Bar, Centro, Lobby) has been designed in the spirit of social dining in the nightclubs of the 1920s and is inspired by the original menu from the first Academy Award dinner in 1929. Dishes include appetizers like cognac-infused prime steak tartare and mains like lobster thermidor and coq au vin.
The space is available for corporate meetings and events. The Roosevelt Room opens tonight with an Oscar-themed launch party.