This hotel ace’d it with its location and design, merging both into one beautifully constructed building (possibly cringeworthy pun intended). For its Canadian debut, Ace built a new modernist, industrialist structure in Toronto’s historic Garment District, where textiles and fashion lines were produced back in the day. Canadian architecture firm Shim-Sutcliffe and Atelier Ace created a hotel that resembles the surrounding former garment warehouses but with a modern, elegant twist and standout entryway featuring colossal poured-in-place concrete arches that tower over as you enter. Its 14 storeys of picturesque precast red brick, curvy concrete, and wooden forms feel retro-futuristic, while the chic lobby floor—one of my fave bar-lounge lobbies—seems to float in the air, suspended by steel rods affixed to the beams above. It feels like an inviting living room you never want to leave.
Its earth-chic rooms are serenely charming, drawing in a sense of calm and comfort. Cool Canuck characteristics Canada-fies this Ace Hotel, such as Douglas fir cabinetry, quilts by Canadian artist Kyle Parent, turntables stacked with Canadian vinyl albums, and minibars with local liquors and more. My fave room feature is the sun-soaked deep-set window benches, some overlooking a nearby park, perfect for a little afternoon reading or meditation wind-down before heading out on the town.
Hands down one of the best meals I’ve had recently in this city has been at Alder, a wood-fired restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Patrick Kriss serving a seasonal Mediterranean-inspired menu. In 2023, Alder made the list of Michelin recommended restaurants and I can see why.
While the mezzanine restaurant is lovely, for the ultimate in people-watching at this prime location, I chose to patio dine and wasn’t remiss. Along with beautiful people-spotting, I indulged in beautiful, mouth-watering dishes. Everything from the perfectly perfected grilled octopus to the succulent sea bream delighted my taste buds while the salads, such as the refreshing cucumber and fennel pairing, were surprisingly scrumptious. Cap your night at Evangeline, the hotel’s bumping rooftop bar for sweet city views.
The Neighbourhood
While its location is slightly tucked away on a quiet, pretty, tree-lined street in downtown Toronto, it's a stone’s throw from one of the city’s buzziest hoods: King West, where one goes to be seen and to see who else is strutting these city streets filled with bars, restaurants and nightclubs galore. The city’s notable Queen Street West hipster hood lies one street north of the Ace, while Chinatown is a short walk to the east.
Nearby
Lee Restaurant by Susur Lee
While new restaurants pop up on the regular in the King West neighborhood, Susur Lee’s flagship restaurant for over two decades has offered a menu inspired by rich, refreshing flavors. His renowned 24-ingredient signature Singaporean slaw is a must-have. You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish you didn’t love here.
Alo
Alo restaurant is The Alo Food Group’s fine-dining flagship, which was founded by Michelin-starred chef Patrick Kriss, also credited above for Alder’s notable menu. Alo, a contemporary French restaurant, received one Michelin star in 2022, making it one of the first Michelin restaurants in Canada. And, it made the list once again last year. However, you’ll have to fork over a fair bit of money to find out why as the main dining room is a tasting restaurant that offers a blind multi-course tasting menu at $225 per person. If you’ve got the dough to spend, compare both of Kriss’s babies. I found some of Alo’s small bites delicious, but several were also underwhelming, unlike at Alder, where everything was on point.
Time Out tip
Traffic tends to be pretty bad around these hoods so definitely think about taking public transit or Ubers.