The impending Ace Hotel opening is being anticipated with much social media fanfare, and can you blame everyone? The international boutique hotel chain is known for its modern, clean and luxuriously Instagrammable design. What we're most excited about is the hotel's restaurant, Alder. They are keeping that spectacular, high-quality vision going to their restaurant, rendered above, by using one of Toronto's most beloved chefs, Patrick Kriss.
Patrick Kriss has been voted "Outstanding Chef" by Canada's 100 Best Restaurants multiple times, has spent years working under the tutelage of Michelin-star chefs in New York and France, and owns one of Toronto's most successful group of restaurants. Alo, Aloette and Alobar have set a remarkable precedent, and fans of Patrick Kriss will undoubtedly be pleased with Alder's offering. Currently, the Alo team is still developing and customizing its offering for the Ace Hotel:
"For Alder's menu, we've been inspired by the use of earthen and tactile materials in the design of Ace Hotel Toronto. In the same way, our offerings will be direct and elemental. Drawing on elements from the wood-fired grill, we envision a little more olive oil than butter; lightly-treated seasonal vegetables; a selection of crudos, handmade pastas, and charcoal-grilled seafood and meats," says chef Patrick Kriss.
Other delicious experiences to look forward to include Ace Toronto's forthcoming lobby bar, aptly titled 'Lobby'. Hotel bars are the settings of novels, places of mystery, and often the beginning of exciting adventures, and Lobby wants to tie these feelings in with Toronto's own hotel bar culture (and an inspiring menu of classically-inspired cocktails). Also aiming to open this summer is a year-round rooftop bar. There will be an outdoor space for the warm months and fireplaces inside to keep you cozy on cold and snowy nights. The rooftop, also headed by Patrick Kriss, will host handcrafted cocktails, wine by the glass, a fantastic bar snack menu, and regular DJ sets.
The interiors of Alder are still actively being developed, but if the artists' rendering is anything to look forward to, we can expect simple, relaxed, and casual sophistication and clean lines. There will be a wood-fired hearth and grill at the heart of the restaurant, and the open flame cooking will be a culinary highlight of the menu.
The Ace Hotel is starting to take reservations for June 15 of this year and onwards, and we can hopefully expect that Alder will be open and ready by then as well.
