10 Toronto Venues for Company Picnics and Summer Entertaining

A Waterfront Toronto project saw a parking lot transformed into an urban beach in August 2010. Named Sugar Beach in honour of the neighbouring Redpath Sugar Factory, the two-acre park includes a sandy beach dotted with pink umbrellas, grassy hills, and a promenade. To host a picnic for more than 25 people or an event where beverages or food will be sold, a permit is required from the City of Toronto.

Waterfront Toronto, charged with revitalizing the city’s waterfront, completed Sherbourne Common last summer. The grassy park spans two blocks and doubles as a storm-water treatment facility. Treated water flows out of three sculptures into channels that cross the park and flow back into Lake Ontario. Permits must be obtained from the city for groups of over 25 or if food and beverages are being sold.

The Toronto Zoo unveils its newest boarder, the white lions, this summer, just in time for picnic season. The zoo has three scenic group picnic sites: Simba Safari can accommodate up to 150 guests, Africa can hold 300, and Savanna has a capacity of 600 and comes with a 25-by-50-foot picnic shelter. Bring your own picnic or have it catered with a barbecue lunch.

Entrepreneur Charles Khabouth shuttered Ultra Supper Club last month and has opened Cube nightclub in its place, a space with a new look, design, and concept. Catering to a more mature crowd, the club is filled with brass details and mirrored surfaces. The 3,500-square-foot patio, which is currently being renovated, is sure to be a popular spot when it opens early this summer. The 7,000-square-foot club can accommodate up to 600 guests inside and 400 outside.

Church Aperitivo Bar opened in February in a former Slavic church. As the temperatures continue to rise, the 2,500-square-foot restaurant and bar will unveil a summer cocktail and food menu. Available for buyout, the space can seat up to 95 guests. Their patio is in the works.

Earth Bloor West opened last summer. The spacious restaurant and event venue clocks in at more than 18,000 square feet and includes a rooftop patio. The 65-seat patio is available for events and the venue includes a number of private dining spaces inside in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. The entire space is available for buyout and can accommodate up to 735 guests.

The Edition/Richmond Gallery and presentation centre opened in March. The pop-up event space will only be open for the next six months, when construction on the Edition/Richmond townhouses begins. The all-white space, formerly an auto garage, can accommodate up to 400 guests. Perfect for a balmy night, garage doors open out on to the street.

The Grand Metropolitan of Mississauga reopened in February after a $2 million renovation. The glittering Starlight Ballroom has an artistic crystal ceiling installation and can accommodate up to 1,000 guests for a reception and 500 for a sit-down dinner. The space includes a second upstairs ballroom and a 1,400-square-foot outdoor patio, which will open in May.

Parisian-style bistro La Société opened last June on Bloor Street’s "Mink Mile" and has multiple patios available for events. The second-floor terrace can host a reception for up to 100 guests or 60 for a sit-down dinner. The street-level patio has a built-in bar and can seat up to 80 guests or accommodate 200 for a reception

The Sky Yard at the Drake Hotel never gets old, perhaps because it gets redesigned every few months under a new theme. Its first theme for the summer will be Lemonade Stand, complete with daybeds for lounging. The cocktail menu will boast refreshing lemonade cocktails such as its noted Lavender Lemonade (pictured).