Having a drink on the beach outside of a bar on the gleaming coastal shores of Mykonos or Marseilles isn't a foreign concept.
But, because none of us are going there on a regular basis––or will be anytime soon due to the pandemic––one restaurant has decided to recreate the atmosphere of a European summer.
The Toronto Beach Club, brought to us by restaurateur Hanif Harji and Scale Hospitality, the same team behind some of Toronto's most renowned restaurants including Shook and Lapinou, bills itself as the city's newest, and perhaps, only beach club.
With menu offerings like Avocado Labneh, Cavatelli with Merguez Ragu and Branzino with Pickled Chili and Caper Leaf, Toronto diners can anticipate an elevated dining experience and a taste of the Mediterranean without the added expense of travel.
"After the crazy year that it's been, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than enjoy a great meal and relax on the beach," says Harji. "We've all got the travel bug, so we set out to bring the coastal lifestyle synonymous with the Mediterranean closer to home."
And the team has managed to accomplish just that.
Despite its location on the shores of Lake Ontario at Woodbine beach, the European-inspired restaurant sweeps guests away to another place and time -- one that resembles a Mediterranean island. And since each dish is prepared with only the freshest ingredients, both locally-sourced and imported from Europe, diners can expect perfection with every bite.
"From the second you step into our dining room to the moment we bid you goodnight, we promise you a first-class experience," says Harji.
As a diner at Toronto's Beach Club, you can expect a series of surprising and delightful moments throughout your night, with some live music and performances on the side. The first of its kind, this restaurant fills what Harji deems a void in the city's food scene.
"We don't have a true expression of a beachfront restaurant as some other cities do. Despite the bleakness of it all, it was this absence of a space that inspired us to start this project," says Harji. "More than anything, we wanted to bring our city something that has never been done before, something unique and different, and the waterfront building at Woodbine Beach was perfect for this. It's twenty feet from the beach, it has a wrap-around patio, and the views are stunning — what more could you ask for?"
Taking over the space once occupied by Carter's Landing, the Toronto Beach Club is officially opening on June 22 at 1681 Lake Shore Boulevard East and is currently accepting reservations. The team is discussing more elaborate plans for the future, including an adjoining Marketplace Café which is set to open in the autumn.
