TORONTO — The Four Seasons Hotel Toronto’s d|bar by chef Daniel Boulud has unveiled a new look and menu, just in time for Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) season.
The refreshed space, designed by Alison McNeil, principal at Dialog, features a more comfortable atmosphere and 30-per-cent more seating than the original d|bar design. A palette of blush, olive, natural greys, rose quartz and brass detailing set a light-hearted mood that is carried through the furniture and carpeting.
“Sharp’s Corner,” a nook beneath the lobby stairs, pays tribute to Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp, with images from his early career. Set to be unveiled soon, the space provides a relaxed and private area for meetings.
“You can’t tell the story of Four Seasons Hotel Toronto without telling the story of Mr. Sharp himself,” says McNeil. “This hotel has a heart behind it — a person who deeply believes in this city and the Four Seasons brand. We created a design narrative around those origins. It’s something we always came back to and was a guiding influence in all of our design decisions — something that allowed us to achieve an interesting layered, but cohesive aesthetic.”
The bar area features a digital installation of LED screens, which display custom-created video artwork portraying leaves floating across the wall. An alternating video showcases a 24-hour timelapse of the Toronto waterfront and downtown skyline.
When curating the new menu, chef Boulud turned to the bar’s early legacy as the preeminent Yorkville destination for marking a celebration or closing a deal, with a focus on casual fare ideal for sharing. Offerings include tuna crudo, buffalo burrata and sugar-cane-skewered shrimp, alongside d|bar classics such as the lobster roll and charcuterie board.
To celebrate the reopening in time for TIFF season, d|bar also presents a photography exhibit honouring women in film and television. A larger-than-life display on the facade of the building portrays a photograph of Angela Bassett, Claire Foy, Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sandra Oh and Thandie Newton, taken by Miller Mobley for The Hollywood Reporter. Lobby-level public spaces feature iconic red carpet moments taken by celebrity photographer George Pimentel. The exhibit is open for public viewing until September 30.
