Guide to TIFF |
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hometown girl Rachel McAdams on several occasions , too , despite her habit of booking reservations under an assumed name to blend in with the Bay Street expense-account crowd . 66 Wellington St . W ., canoerestaurant . com
Where the Wine list is out of this World Cibo The centerpiece of this lofty , 8,000-square-foot Italian resto is an epic , glassed-in wine cellar with thousands of bottles to pair with a lengthy , Tuscan-inspired menu . The cast of The Martian ( Matt Damon , Kate Mara , Jeff Daniels , Donald Glover and others ) once hung out in Cibo ’ s dining room , where they chomped on salmon crudo , chianti-braised short ribs and whole , oven-baked branzino prepared by chef Saverio Macri . On another night , John Goodman and Bryan Cranston sampled a selection of the restaurant ’ s pizzas after the premiere of their screenwriter biopic , Trumbo . 522 King St . W ., cibowinebar . com
Where the stars get shucked The Chase Jake Gyllenhaal , Jessica Chastain , Denis Villeneuve and Jean-Marc Vallée have all hung out at this flashy surf-and-turf destination — part of the Chase Hospitality Group , where , during TIFF events , menus are themed to the movies , and the gimmicks ( like flame-throwers and oystershucking lessons ) are , honestly , a little out of hand . Even if the VIPs are absent , the view from the fifth-floor terrace and the excellent seafood on offer — king crab , albacore tuna — are worth
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the visit . 10 Temperance St ., thechasetoronto . com
Where haymitch mixes the drinks The Drake Hotel The city ’ s hippest boutique hotel is way off the beaten path for TIFF-goers , which makes it all the more impressive that it consistently draws an array of A-listers . Gerard Butler and Chris Evans have stayed in the hotel ’ s kitschy-cute rooms , while other celebrities merely parade through : Keanu Reeves , Benedict Cumberbatch , Rose Byrne and , fittingly , Drake . Stop by to see if it will be Jared Leto ’ s favourite hangout again , or if Woody Harrelson will return to mix cocktails behind the bar . 1150 Queen St . W ., thedrakehotel . ca
Where everyone Wants to be italian Figo Two months before Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji ’ s Italian joint opened in 2015 , chef Anna Chen treated Rachel McAdams , Michael Keaton , Mark Ruffalo and the rest of the
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Spotlight cast to an exclusive , one-off dinner — the restaurant ’ s first meal . Early bookings started months ago , so expect more celeb sightings this year : the stark , classy-casual room couldn ’ t be closer to the Lightbox , and the menu — wood-fired pizzas , housemade pasta , custom cocktails — is superb . 295 Adelaide St . W ., figotoronto . com
Where the desserts stay Puft Montecito This sprawling California-inspired eatery is a restaurant after an actor ’ s heart : it ’ s co-owned by director Ivan Reitman , Ghostbusters and Meatballs photos line the walls and there ’ s a secret passageway out of the dining room for stars who want to escape undisturbed . No wonder , then , that the spot has hosted so many megawatt soirées : actors Donald Glover , Brie Larson , Julianne Moore , Ellen Page , Ruby Rose and Michael Shannon have all dined there . Sandra Bullock ordered a couple of helpings of chef Jonathan Waxman ’ s eponymous crispy potatoes at one memorable after-party . And George Clooney lounged
Cabana Pool Bar
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