If you love sleek bars, you’ll love d|bar by Chef Daniel Boulud’s exciting new look and menu. The sophisticated blush-tone design by Alison McNeil, principal at DIALOG, and appetising offerings curated by Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud, offer visitors and locals alike an elegant and inviting atmosphere that’s perfect for relaxing the evening away.
Originally designed by McNeil when the flagship Four Sesasons Hotel Toronto opened in 2012, the lively street-level lounge has since become a fixture in Yorkville, the city’s most stylish shopping and dining district. When tasked to revitalise the space several years later, McNeil looked towards current hospitality trends and the changing needs of Hotel guests. While retaining its luxurious essence, the reinvigorated design is more comfortable, with 30 per cent more seating throughout the restaurant.
A native of Lyon, France, Boulud is considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities and one of the most revered French chefs in New York, the city he has called home since 1982.
Breathing new life into the popular bar area is a digital installation of LED screens that blend art and technology. Made to look like one piece of art, the digital screen transforms into a television upon request for special events. A custom-created video artwork portrays leaves floating across the wall, adding to the vibrant energy during the evenings and creating a quiet addition to the space during the day.
When curating the menu, Chef Daniel 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. Must-tries include the tuna crudo, buffalo burrata and sugar cane skewered shrimp, which complement d|bar classics such as the lobster roll and charcuterie board.
Bartender Melissa Hart blends her culinary background with her passion for mixology by creating unique craft cocktails that emphasise quality and seasonality. While signature cocktails like the rose-infused Yorkville Affair and Hart’s instant-classic combination of traditional sake and Japanese whisky called Rikyu’s Harmony remain on the menu, Bar Pleiades resident mixologist Darryl Chan has incorporated new tastes onto the list. Teach Me How To Forget is layered with spices and Same As It Ever Was is refreshing, fruity and mouth-puckering all at once.
To celebrate the reopening, d|bar also presents a photography exhibit honouring women in film and television. Available for public viewing until 30 September, enjoy a larger-than-life display on the facade of the building with photographs of Angela Bassett, Claire Foy, Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sandra Oh and Thandie Newton by Miller Mobley for The Hollywood Reporter
To find out more about the exciting new look, click here.