Enchanting rooftop patios in Toronto
Patio-fever in Toronto is getting next level with a growing number of rooftop terraces at notable dining spots across the city. Whether the vibe is obnoxiously exclusive, quietly enchanting or weekend-level energetic, these restaurants offer a deliverance from the hustle and bustle of Toronto streets and a heightened view to the city’s epic skyline.
The Beverley Hotel
335 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A4Heralded Hawthorne chef Eric Wood runs The Beverley’s kitchen, a contemporary Canadian industrial-style bistro tucked into the boutique hotel (named for its digs at the foot of Beverly Street on Queen Street West). Their lounge-y rooftop patio hosts white cushioned benches, sleek silver tables and lush palms that create an L.A.-meets-Miami vibe, appropriate since the hotel is a prime pick for TIFF-attending celebrities. The roof still hosts casual food options like salads and burgers, but my advice is to get fancy at the inside resto before heading up for a cocktail and some people watching on busy Queen Street below.
Bar Centrale di Terroni
1095 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2L7The family of Terroni restaurants is currently eight-strong in Toronto (with two additional locations in L.A.), each spot boasting its own vibe. Bar Centrale is a daytime café that turns exclusive wine bar when the sun goes down. Fresh insalate and antipasti selections complement a range of handmade pastas, all of which pair perfectly with a vino chosen from Terroni’s lengthy wine list. Like most of the culinary empire’s restaurants, this one gets packed, but its umbrella-covered rooftop overlooking hurried Yonge Street is worth the wait, sure to dissipate any waiting-irritation with its romantic wood panelling and warm fairy lights.
Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1J3West Queen West’s infamous party and culture hub The Drake Hotel is in part known for offering every kind of space you could ever want on a night out, including one of the city’s original rooftop patios — around well before they became a fixture of upscale Toronto restos. With its own cocktail bar and several semi-enclosed and completely open spaces unto itself, the Sky Yard is the ideal spot to eat, drink and party throughout all four of Toronto’s extreme seasons. It’s also chic-meets-casual, so you can show up dressed to the nines, or in jeans and a blazer.
The One Eighty
55 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M4W 1A5If we’re talking view, the panoramic restaurant on the 51st floor of Yorkville’s Manulife building is second to none (well, maybe the CN Tower but you’re definitely not getting any patio action there). Sample from the eclectic menu’s offerings — edamame risotto, citrus gravlax with caviar crème, pork tenderloin porchetta, or buttermilk-fried chicken and waffles, depending on your mood. Then head out to the butterflies-inducing terrace and get the rare experience of seeing 180 degrees of the Toronto horizon.
Gusto 101
101 Portland St, Toronto, ON M5V 2N3Not only is Gusto 101 a top spot for authentic Southern Italian eats (think stracciatella with lamb meatballs or Mediterranean-style branzino artfully prepared on the resto’s Tuscan wood-fired grill), it also hosts one of Toronto’s largest rooftop patios in its Fashion District digs, with a James-Bond-worthy retractable glass rooftop, and central air and heating for comfortable open-air dining all year round. Slide into a romantic two-person solid wood table or get a little more casual by grabbing a seat at one of the communal wraparound bar tables encircling gorgeous mini-Louvre glass pyramids, doubling as skylights for the dining area below.
The Fifth Grill & Terrace
225 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1W2To access the spectacular views and mouth-watering fare of the Entertainment District’s lauded French-inspired steakhouse, patrons must first be transported in time by a ride up the building’s original freight elevator. The rustic architecture and wooden beams of this fifth-floor spot are juxtaposed with the modern terrace that overlooks Toronto’s sparkling skyline. Look for traditional steakhouse options complemented by dishes like yellowfin tuna tartare, porcini tagliatelle and foie gras terrine.
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