It's that time of year again... All across town, this year's heroes on the TIFF front lines are packing up gift bags, popping champagne and rolling out the red carpets for Hollywood's best and brightest. Whether you're hoping to finally pitch that movie script to a big name director, or rub elbows with a few of your favourite celebs, your best bet is hitting up one of these tried and tested TIFF hotspots.
INK Entertainment is known for hosting some of TIFF's hottest parties every year, so it's no surprise to learn that big things are happening at Byblos. We're talking cast parties, premieres... it's all pretty hush hush, and for good reason. Previous festival guests have included the likes of Kate Winslet, Adrian Brody, Selma Hayek and Gerard Butler. Elsewhere in the gorgeous Storys heritage building, INK plays host to the Strellson media lounge. Not on the guest list? Rock up to the bar and stay a while; Byblos does some of the best cocktails in town.
If your instinct is to head west towards The Drake, you're not wrong. Toronto's hottest hotel has plenty of TIFF tricks up its sleeve, including weekend RAW yoga sessions, and an exclusive pop-up featuring Neal Fraser's posh hot dogs on September 14th. Hear us out, though. The downtown restaurant is also hosting a Fraser pop-up; theirs is on the 13th and includes dishes from his LA-based Redbird restaurant. Intrigued? We thought so. If you're not one of the lucky ones to scramble a reservation, you can still drop in for one of the limited run cocktails—all inspired by L.A. hotels, because obviously. Try the pineapple-spiked Death + Sex.
Jimmy Limit + James McDonald
How's this for swanky: from September 8–15, the first ever Villa Azur pop-up at the Spoke Club brings Toronto a taste of the French Riviera, via South Beach. Events include a Toronto edition of their famous Thursday Night Supper Club, and a champagne brunch on Sunday to round things off. As you'd expect with Grey Goose as a partner, the TIFF-exclusive cocktail list includes the signature Grey Goose Le Fizz and the Grey Goose L’Orange 1976. You'll also find a selection of cocktails direct from Miami, including the Smoked Thyme Peach Old Fashioned. We'll take two...
L'Eden at d|bar
Yorkville
Did someone say champagne? Until September 18th, you'll find the patio at d|bar transformed into a leafy hideaway by Perrier-Jouët (with a little help from beloved Hazelton Lanes homeware shop Teatro Verde). Cafe Boulud is a long-time favourite of the TIFF glitterazzi; past guests include Christopher Walken, Idris Elba and Rod Stewart. This year, Chef Sylvain Assié will be serving up all-day eats on the terrace as well—the better to pair with a glass of cold, crisp bubbly. We have it on pretty good authority that the Belle Epoque 2007 vintage is the one to order; it's one of the best releases in two decades...
If you only check out one TIFF-inspired cocktail list this year, let it be the Thompson's. Head Bartender Chris McCrab gets seriously into the spirit of the festival with limited-edition drinks like the peach and bourbon 6ix Shooter, and the Cinema Highball—a popcorn-infused rum and Coke. Possibly the most inspired thing on the menu? A gin, rose-raspberry and sparkling wine concoction called Ryan Gosling Won't Drink His Cocktail (inspired, of course, by your favourite series of Vines on the internet). Is that a challenge? Game on, Gosling...
Just a stone's throw from the Hazelton Hotel, Yorkville's swankiest Japanese restaurant is a no-brainer for A-listers in sushi withdrawal. The sleek space will also play host to a number of private parties throughout the festival. We can't tell you who or when, so you might as well hang out on the patio for a while and sample your way through the small plates. (Order the shishito peppers, all the cool kids are doing it.) Guest DJs will be spinning throughout the festival to keep you company.
