Arts & Letters Club

Fascinating venue. I attended a wedding reception here and was duly impressed. The club is fascinating, one of many private clubs hidden away throughout the city, and all with their unique charms. The ambience is really neat, and the food and drink incredible.

Another one of those places you walk by a hundred times in Toronto and don’t notice is there.
Points for being the social gathering spot for the Group of Seven. You’ll find some of their art work on the walls. There’s lots of other art work and little caricature drawings of what I gather are club members and jokes meaningful only to them. The «great hall» has a very Simpsonesque Stonecutters feel to it.
If suddenly a free membership fell in your lap, this would be a nice enough place to recess. The library was particularly cozy. Fees don’t look actually all that oppressive, particularly if you’re younger. They seem to be waving initiation fees. Not sure if this is one of those clubs that require you to spend a certain amount on food and booze every year. But there doesn’t seem to be a jacket and tie requirement. I mean, I wore one anyway. Just to be safe.
I was here for a book launch about Conrad Black (you know, who I’m tight with). I found the finger foods quite delicious.

The Arts and Letters club is a venerable 100+ year old art and social club with its own historically designated building and an active membership of over 600 people.
The Club’s chef is Chef Peace who teaches at I believe George Brown’s culinary school. He is adept at creating delicious flavors and presenting them in an aesthetic way on the plate. The staff are attentive and polite, there when you need them and gone when you do not. The bar is complete and the bar tenders are knowledgeable about everything from premium Isla Scotch to the best Beamsville and Niagara wineries.
While most events that involve food are open only to members and guests of members, the club does do event rentals and catering including weddings. I have had a catered evening event at the Arts & Letters Club and it was handled with utmost professionalism and the food was delicious. I also know people who have had in house catered weddings and they were also very pleased.