Food + Drink HOLIDAY

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto rings in the holidays with delicious festive features

Toronto’s renowned downtown luxury hotel unveils a host of seasonal amenities available throughout December
Black Forest Christmas Tree from Epoch Bar & Kitchen Terrace, Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto just announced its highly-anticipated seasonal offerings to celebrate the holiday season. The renowned luxury hotel has been transformed into a winter wonderland featuring captivating holiday decor, speciality dine-in and take home offerings as well as seasonally-inspired libations to be discovered throughout the month of December.

Along with this year’s holiday-inspired and New Year’s culinary and beverage offerings, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto will also feature festive experiences for the whole family. For the Ritz Kids, holiday cookie decorating, a limited-time Christmas Safari Ritz Kids room set-up and a magical meet and greet with Santa Claus on December 25 are all on the itinerary.

“Providing a home away from home is especially important during the holiday season,” says Guillaume Benezech, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, General Manager. “When guests arrive at the hotel they will be greeted with an awe-striking holiday scene in our lobby including our beautifully decorated Christmas tree and holiday decor. We want our guests to feel like family during their stay.” 

Handcut Steak Tartare, Ritz Bar, Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
Culinary

Throughout December, patrons will find a variety of dining options from the likes of Italian trattoria TOCA, and British gastro-inspired, EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace.

From December 1, EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace will introduce its Festive Afternoon Tea which will showcase new items including: Poached King Salmon (Chive Crème Fraîche on Blini), Roasted Ontario Beef Ribeye (Horseradish Crème Fraîche, Pickled Red Onion, Seven Grains), Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich (House Roasted Organic Chicken, Curried Sweet Onions, Brioche), Truffled Egg Salad (Free Run Egg, Parsley, Mayonnaise, Sourdough), Greenhouse Farmed English Cucumber (Dill Whipped Cream Cheese, Fennel Pollen, Pink Peppercorn) and Sanguinello & Raspberry Tartlet (Sanguinello Blood Orange Compote, Crumbly Vanilla Pastry, Delicate Raspberry Mousse).

From December 24 to 26, TOCA will feature a three-course Cena di Natale, an Italian take on the traditional holiday dinner that will feature: Minestra Invernale (Root Vegetables, Cannellini Beans, Bone Marrow) or Insalata di Natale (Endives, Orange, Grapefruit, Gorgonzola, Candied Mix Nuts, Pomegranate Dressing, Organic Baby Kale), Turkey Roulade (Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Purée, Apple Cider Gravy, Pickled Cranberry, Stuffing) or Baccalà con Farro e Zucca (Black Cod, Butternut Squash, Baby Carrots, Farro, Prosecco Sauce) and Panettone Pudding (Caramelised Panettone Pudding, Almond Gelato).

On December 24 and 25, TOCA will feature a Christmas Brunch Buffet that will include: Salmone Stagionato (Cured Salmon Gravlax, Beetroot & Dill Lime), Cheese Fondue (Cornichon, Boiled Baby Potatoes, Asparagus, Baguette, Salami, Broccoli, Sausage, Pickled Pearl Onions), Lobster Tails, Poached Shrimp, Crab Claws, Freshly Shucked Canadian Oysters, Mussels, Clams (Classic Mignonette, Horseradish, Cocktail Sauce, Tabasco & Hot Sauce, Lemon & Lime), Eggs Benedicto (Sun-Dried Tomato Hollandaise), Holiday Crown Pork Roast (Rosemary & Sage Crust, Apple Celery Relish, Borolo Sauce), Roasted Ontario Free Range Turkey (Old-Fashioned Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Orange Sauce Sourdough Stuffing with Apple & Chestnut infused Truffle), Seared Branzino Fillet (Lemon Garlic Butter, Parley, Sun-DriedTomato Relish) , Herb Marinated Cornish Hen (Hunter Sauce with Wild Mushrooms & Fingerling Potatoes) and more!

Panettone Butter Pudding

On December 24 and 25, EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace will host a Traditional Turkey Dinner featuring Roast Norfolk County Turkey with glazed carrots, gravy, buttermilk mash. To finish the decadent meal guests can indulge in a Christmas Tree-inspired Black Forest Gâteau from Executive Pastry Chef Nicholas Belorgey. On December 31, the UK gastropub-inspired eatery will ring in the new year with a Prime Rib Roast, with the choice of British or American cut, as well as a special New Year’s Eve Gala featuring live music and a DJ along with decadent snacks and a fixed menu for dinner that will include: Hokkaido Scallop (broiled in their shell, salmon roe, seaweed butter), Mushroom Parfait (B.C. pine mushroom, whipped potato, puffed wild rice, sorrel sauce), Miso Glazed Black Cod (wilted chard leaves, cider butter sauce) or 6 oz Chateaubriand (prime filet, glazed carrots, béarnaise sauce), A.O.C. Roblochon Cheese (caraway puff lavash crisps) and Fruit at the Bottom Brulee (roast Niagara pears, crème brulée).

For those looking to celebrate the holidays at home and skip the cooking, TOCA will offer a Holiday Dinner at Home option which includes a traditional holiday feast with soup, salad, turkey, stuffing, sides, all the trimmings and dessert. Pre-orders will be available on TOCK, appropriate for groups of three to four or six to eight people, with an order deadline of December 20, available on TOCK.

Mistletoe Moment and Yuletide Log Cocktail, Ritz Bar, Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
Beverage

During this year’s festivities, guests can visit EPOCH to experience seasonal cocktails inspired by classic Christmas movies, crafted by head mixologist Jonathan Neill, including: Home Alone (Hayman’s Sloe Gin, Crème de Cacao, Red Wine Reduction, Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer), ‘Pear’ Noel (Mezcal, Lemon, Vanilla Rooibos Syrup, Pear Nectar, Smoke & Oak Bitters), Scrooged (Pineapple Rum, Spiced Rum, Black Seal Rum, Amaretto, Chocolate Bitters, Orange Bitters, Maraschino Rinse), Yippie Ki-Yay Mister Falcon (Vodka, Crème de Cacao, Grand Marnier, Orange Bitters, Cacao Bitters, Dark Chocolate Bitters).

Ritz Bar, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto’s cocktail hotspot, will also be offering a limited-time beverage menu of its own for the holiday season including: Mistletoe Moments (Hibiscus, Mint, Allspice, Citric acid, Sugar, Carbonation), Yuletide Log (Warm spiced apple cider, Baking spice, Butterscotch, Campfire smoke, Cinnamon sugar), Canadian Maple Oat Milk Latte (Canadian Maple Syrup, Oat Milk, Cinnamon).

For more information visit ritzcarlton.com or contact guest services at 416.585.2500.

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