TIFF 2016 | Where to Eat During Toronto Film Festival

It’s that time of year again…. TIFF time! We love it and we love to find the best places to eat for both celeb spotting and a good meal when running from film to film. After all, running around trying to catch a glimpse of a celebrity, taking selfies to post on Instagram and finding out who’s wearing what is exhausting! So to make TIFF life easier, we’ve got a list of fabulous restaurants that will help get you through it all!

Here’s Vv Magazine‘s guide to where to eat during TIFF 2016.

Yorkville

dBar
Located in the beautiful Four Seasons Toronto, dBar should absolutely be on your dining destination list during TIFF season. This year, the patio has been transformed into L’Eden by Perrier-Jouet; a lush garden oasis, flowing with bubbly and an all-day summer menu by Chef de Cuisine Sylvain Assie. Recently spotted at Miami’s Art Basel, you can expect the pop-up patio to attract more than just hungry film-goers, but the celebs themselves.

Café Boulud
Also located in the Four Seasons Toronto is Café Boulud. In the past, stars like Christopher Walken, Joe Jonas and DNCE, Justin Bieber, Drake, Rod Steward, Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow and many more have frequented the French brasserie. And with many of the stars staying at the hotel for TIFF, you’re sure to spot a few.

Kasa Moto
Hailed as the notable new kid on the block for TIFF 2015, Kasa Moto shows no signs of slowing down. With a rooftop patio and our city’s who’s who cocktailing under the stars, the Japanese restaurant and bar will once again be a celebrity favourite and a regular hotspot on the film festival circuit.

Sotto Sotto
With hometown hero Drake as Sotto Sotto’s unofficial hype man, it’s only natural that this fine Italian restaurant has become a home-away-from-home for celebs. Stars who have dined here include Brad Pitt, Brook Shields, Bruce Willis, Blake Lively, Justin Bieber, Bono, Bill Murray, David Beckham, Burt Reynolds, and Ben Affleck. Oh, and did we mention Oprah Winfrey threw a TIFF bash here back in ’09? ‘Nuf said.

NAO Steakhouse
This Asian steakhouse screams luxury even if you’re just walking by it on Avenue Road. With exclusively sourced cuts of meat from the best producers both locally and globally, along with a new patio launched earlier this summer, the dining experience at NAO is fit for the top A-listers.

La Societe
On Bloor West, this fashionable French bistro serves fabulous food in a Parisian setting. But it’s the crowd of who’s who that makes it a definite TIFF dining hot spot.

Joso’s
Another restaurant most frequented by Drake is the upscale seafood eatery, Joso’s. Heck, he loves it so much that he shot the cover for his album, Take Care, there. But he’s not the only one who likes to splurge on seafood. Mick Jagger, David Cronenberg, and Maria Bello have been spotted dining there.

Bar Reyna
Nestled in the heart of Yorkville, Bar Reyna is this year’s newest addition to the TIFF circuit. Already being a go-to spot for Toronto’s elite, it’s no doubt that the Mediterranean-inspired cocktail and snack bar will attract some heavy-hitting celebs.

King West

Montecito
New to the scene in 2014, the Ivan Reitman and Jonathan Waxman eatery has graduated to a mainstay during the TIFF circuit. Looking to celebrity spot and enjoy a good meal after your movie premieres? If the past two years has taught us anything, it’s that this place will deliver.

Victor Restaurant
A staple destination during TIFF, Top Chef alum David Christian puts out a creative menu that dazzles even the most well-traveled jet-setters. Located in Le Germain Hotel on Mercer Street, the restaurant will satiate both your appetite and your star-spotting needs.

El Caballito
A tequila lounge located one block from the TIFF Bell Lightbox is an ideal spot to enjoy some tacos and tequila in-between the shows. Cheap and cheerful, don’t miss their Modelo Wednesday where they offer $1 tacos with every purchase of a bottle of Modelo Especial, plus a little live Mexican music never hurts.

Michael’s on Simcoe
The modern Italian steakhouse is home to many celebrities during TIFF and serves one of the best steaks in the city. With a 100K patio, this spot is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal and celebrity watch with Soho House and the Shangri-La located just across the way. It also helps that owner and passionate restaurateur, Michael Dabic, ensures only the best comes out of the kitchen and that everyone’s night is pure perfection.

Bar Buca
Celebrities, they’re just like us. They love dining at the best restaurants also and with Bar Buca being named as a top 10 Toronto restaurant, we expect that this Portland Street hot spot will be jammed with A-listers looking to nibble on the best our city has to offer.

Canteen
Expect celebs and movie-goers alike to flock to O&B Canteen. Located on the main floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, it’s a given that the casual eatery will be a go-to resto during TIFF. The varied menu and grab and go options make it the perfect spot for a quick pre or post film premiere bite.

Luma Restaurant
Location, location, location. Situated on the second floor of TIFF Bell Lightbox with floor-to-ceiling windows, Luma Restaurant is the perfect lookout to take in all the TIFF action. You’re bound to catch a glimpse of someone famous down below, or better yet, with the top-notch Canadian artisanal cuisine, chances are you may not have to look further than the dining room.

Brassaii
As The Hollywood Reporter Lounge takes over Brassaii from Sept 9-13th, it is sure to be one of the prime spots on King West for celebrity spottings. Last year, stars like Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Ellen Page, Julianne Moore, Emily Blunt, Patrick Stewart, Kiernan Shipka, Bryan Cranston, Alicia Vikander and more were spotted on site.

Queen West

The Drake Hotel
The iconic hotel has been a TIFF destination for years. Whether you’re having a delectable dinner in their lounge (courtesy of Chef Ted Corrado) or sipping on some amazing cocktails on their beautiful rooftop patio or dancing the night way at one of their ‘Underground’ parties, the Drake is definitely one of the hottest joints during TIFF 2016.

The Good Son
Top Chef Canada’s Vittorio Colacitti knows food and he knows it well and with a restaurant themed around multiculturalism, The Good Son is the perfect restaurant to wine and dine at during TIFF. Wine aficionados and fearless foodies alike will definitely find their palates begging for more.

RELATED LINK: TIFF 2016| All the Parties You Need to Know 

Did we miss any TIFF-worthy restaurants? Let Vv Magazine know in the comments below, or tweet us @ViewtheVibe.