Dear reader,

Remember that stuff I said last week about summer being over? I take it all back. Because it turns out our shortest-but-sweetest season only took a couple of days off before coming back in full beast mode—and there’s not enough Aperol in the world to spritz it away. If you’re not already staying cool in a very air-conditioned theatre on this first day of TIFF (or if you’re looking for a place to keep the party going afterward), we have a list of new bars and restaurants where, let’s face it, you may not see a celeb, but you will have a good time. Also: an all-pink martini bar farther north of the hubbub in Rosedale and a new Hamilton steakhouse with a Toronto connection.

The Toronto Film Festival typically gives Torontonians the chance to rub shoulders—or even just share an elevator—with some of the movie industry’s biggest names. TIFFs past have seen the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Ryan Gosling and Geena Davis enjoying lattes, plates of spaghetti all’amatriciana and rum cocktails (Stars! They’re just like us!) at some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. This year will be a bit different—but, hey, maybe a celeb-free fest means it won’t be as difficult to snag a dinner reservation downtown. Here, the best new places to eat, drink and party during TIFF. 

From the team behind Cry Baby, a cocktail-bar-slash-art-gallery on Dundas West, comes Le Tigre, a brand-new all-pink martini bar in Rosedale. “Essentially, we wanted it to be a bit like an adult Rainforest Cafe,” says co-owner Rob Granicolo of the rose-hued bar that mixes up signature drinks with names like Ashley Madison as well as six house martinis. Come on, Barbie, let’s go party. 

For anyone looking to escape the city this weekend, consider a trip west to Hamilton. It’s where Teo Paul (of Ossington hotspots Union and Côte de Boeuf) has opened his latest restaurant, Le Tambour Tavern, a Parisian-inspired steakhouse where he cooks both surf and turf over open flames.

AI has made it easy for university students to fake their way to a degree. They argue that ChatGPT is just another study tool. But professors are panicking, and the system is unravelling. In our September issue, an inside look at the education revolution. Plus, the untold story of the Bellaria massacre; how a Toronto woman started a popcorn business in prison; where to eat, drink and party at TIFF; and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.