LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

SLUG BARTENDER’S DAY OFF

Playing Favourites Fairmont Royal York’s Director of Beverage gives us the scoop on where to drink and dine around Toronto this holiday season.

BY JESSICA HURAS

James Grant jokes that he bluffed his way into his first bartending job in London, England, but the Edmonton-born mixologist has spent the 10 years since then proving his genuine cocktail-making chops. In 2022, he was named Bartender of the Year in the World Class Global Finals, as well as by Canada’s 100 Best. Grant is now Director of Beverage at Fairmont Royal York, which turns into a festive wonderland during the holidays with a themed pop-up bar and sparkling lobby displays. If you find yourself in Toronto this yuletide season, here are more spots Grant recommends sipping and savouring in the city.

1 Bar Mordecai

4 Le Swan

It’s impossible not to have a good time here. I’ve spent my career in cocktail bars and I love them, but they can be stuffy. Nothing about Bar Mordecai is stuffy. It’s colourful and bright and fun. They have

It’s a great standby dinner spot. It’s nice and casual, but it’s done so elegantly. The menu is small but everything on it is delicious. Their cocktail program, again, is super small but it’s excellent. I usually get their salad niçoise, and their boozy milkshakes are also very good. leswan.ca

a diverse team, and it’s so tied to its community. barmordecai.com 2 BB’s

At the hotel, we often bring bartenders from around the world to do guest shifts. The next morning, we need a solid breakfast, so I’ll generally take them to BB’s. It’s a really good brunch, and the Filipino influ ence makes it so different from a typical North American diner. bbs.restaurant 3 Bar Pompette I’ve been friends with the team here since before I moved to Toronto. I find it so comfort able and I often see some of my friends in the industry when I go. I like that they have a really strong selection of low proof drinks that they treat with the same level of respect as traditional cocktails. pompette.ca/barpompette

5 Le Sélect Bistro

Whenever I want to take myself for dinner solo, I go to Le Sélect. It’s such a classic French bistro. It has a beautiful, long bar with full menu service, so you can sit and chat to the bartender while you have a glass of wine with a steak and salad. leselectbistro.com

I make eggnog from scratch every year during the holiday season. It’s shelf-stable once you add the alcohol, so I have ‘vintages’ going back six or seven years. I like to use sherry and Jamaican rum.

PORTRAIT BY RICK O’BRIEN; LE SWAN PHOTO BY PETER OLSON PETER@PETEROLSON.CA

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———————— HOLIDAY 2024