TIFF: 21 places to spot celebrities during the Toronto International Film Festival

By Jenn Reid
Last updated September 5, 2017

Let’s face it: you want to see a celebrity. Whether you want to snag an autograph, take a selfie or just say you ran into Anna Kendrick on the streets of Toronto, plenty of people are looking to make a celebrity encounter during TIFF. While the red carpet premieres are the only guaranteed spot the stars will show up to, there are some safe bets on where celebrities can be found across Toronto. Check out these places around Toronto to try and catch a glimpse of the stars during Toronto International Film Festival. [Photo by George Pimentel, courtesy of TIFF]

Brassaii
The trendy restaurant and lounge on King West is a festival mainstay, hosting parties and gifting lounges each year. Celebrities like Selena Gomez, Viggo Mortensen, Jessica Chastain and Uma Thurman have all passed through while in town.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Byblos
Byblos is a Mediterranean restaurant located in the historic Storys building on King East, and its seen quite a few stars pass through in the few years during TIFF. Jude Law, Emma Watson, Sam Clafin and Patricia Arquette have all been spotted here, plus it hosted last year’s Manchester by the Sea after party with Casey Affleck, Matt Damon and Michelle Williams.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Calii Love
It’s not all about five star restaurants! King West’s poké place served Jane Lynch, Sandra Oh, Nick Cannon, Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams last year, who were all looking for a quick bite in between all the premieres and press conferences.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Cibo Wine Bar King West
There’s a few Cibo Wine Bar locations in Toronto, but unsurprisingly it’s the King West location that had a few celebrity sightings last year. Richard Gere popped in for dinner, and Gemma Arteton was also spotted having drinks.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

dbar
The restaurant and bar at the Four Seasons hotel has seen celebrity guests like rocker Bruce Springsteen, actor Woody Harrelson and legendary producer Harvey Weinstein.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

The Drake Hotel
Everyone love the Drake — even celebrities. The Queen West hotel has a popular bar that has seen actors make the trek away from the downtown core to party, like Adam Driver and Adrian Grenier.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

The Hazleton Hotel
Yorkville is always a safe bet for celeb spotting, and this luxurious hotel is where stars like Jon Hamm, Blake Lively and Ben Affleck have all called home during the festival. Don’t forget about One, the hotel’s restaurant that’s seen celebrity guests like Jennifer Aniston. The large patio perfect for people watching, too!

Open to the public: Only the restaurant
Location

Lavelle
Lavelle is a new rooftop lounge that had quite a few stars pass through during its inaugural TIFF. La La Land had its after party here with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, as did Snowden with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zachary Quinto and Melissa Leo.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Michael’s On Simcoe
Celebrity vegans probably won’t be seen at this popular steakhouse, but A-list carnivores like Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton and Keira Knightley have all stopped in for dinner.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Montecito
It’s no surprise that Montecito is busy during the festival: not only is it located right next to the TIFF Bell Lightbox, it’s owned by director Ivan Reitman. Since opening in 2014, the restaurant has seen Bill Murray, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Pattinson, Elisabeth Moss and Reese Witherspoon pop in for dinners and after parties.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Park Hyatt Roof Lounge
The rooftop lounge at the Park-Hyatt has a killer view — it’s all the way up at the 18th floor! — and an equally great view of the celebs. This has been a TIFF party spot for years and is especially popular with the older generation of actors who have been coming to the festival for a while, like Colin Firth or Ralph Fiennes.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Patria
A lot of celebrities have been seen eating at Patria over the years, from the younger generation (Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olson) to the screen legends (Jessica Lange, Bill Murray) and everyone in between (Adam Levine, Sandra Bullock, Keira Knightley).

Open to the public: Yes
Location

The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is another luxury hotel that has been popular with celebrity guests, thanks to its proximity to the TIFF Bell Lightbox and other festival venues. Everyone from George Clooney to Olivia Wilde and Ryan Gosling have stayed here, or dined at Toca.

Open to the public: Only the restaurant
Location

Sassafraz
This Yorkville restaurant has been a celebrity mainstay for decades now. You’re likely to see the stars dining here, no matter what time of year it is! During TIFF, however, lucky patrons have dined alongside Colin Firth, Robert DeNiro and Susan Surandon.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Soho House
The members-only club is one of the busiest party spots during TIFF. Pretty much every celeb has been seen arriving or departing from the Soho House, including Jennifer Lawrence (who will be attending TIFF again this year, maybe she’ll repeat party spots?), Emma Watson, Kristen Stewart and Ryan Gosling.

Open to the public: No
Location

The Spoke Club
The Spoke Club is another members-only party spot in Toronto, which unfortunately means you’re probably not getting in. There’s plenty of autograph seekers outside though, hoping to grab a glimpse of stars like Bradley Cooper, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson or Clive Owen.

Open to the public: No
Location

STK
Yorkville’s newest steakhouse had a busy time for its first TIFF last year! The Creative Coalition Annual Spotlight Initiative Awards Gala was hosted at STK, with stars like Jennifer Connelly, Uzo Aduba and Dakota Fanning in attendance.

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Swatow
Okay, this one might be a long shot, but Jason Momoa Instagrammed from Swatow at 3 am last year, enjoying some Chinese food after a night of partying. Just goes to show you can find celebs in all kinds of places!

Open to the public: Yes
Location

Terroni
Terroni is a tricky one to stake out: there are three locations across Toronto (Queen West, King East and Rosedale) and each have hosted multiple celebs! Rachel McAdams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Affleck have all had a meal here while in town.

Open to the public: Yes
Locations

The Thompson Hotel
The sleek King West hotel has had famous guests like Bradley Cooper and Kate Hudson, while the rooftop lounge has had stars like Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender drop in for a party.

Open to the public: No
Location

Windsor Arms
The Windsor Arms is a historic boutique hotel (with an amazing afternoon tea!) that has hosted different star-studded TIFF events over the years, including ones by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the people behind the Golden Globe awards). With prestige like that, it’s no surprise that A-listers like Channing Tatum, Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts have all been spotted there.

Open to the public: Only the restaurants
Location