If you’re planning a wedding in Toronto, there’s no shortage of magnificent backdrops—botanical gardens, the Toronto Reference Library, even Old City Hall. But, when you factor in cost, the options get slimmer. Sure, there are the legendarily affordable museum and cultural centre rentals, but they’re also legendarily booked up. If you want to save money, restaurants can offer surprisingly solid value—especially if you’re willing to wed on a weeknight. At the lower end, a 50-ish-person restaurant celebration can happen for as little as $5,000—roughly the price of chair rentals at some banquet halls. Below, the bar packages, the buyout math and the fine print.
And/Ore
1040 Queen St. W., andorerestaurant.com
Best for: Avant-garde lovebirds who want a slightly surreal two-act wedding.
The space: And/Ore unfolds across two dramatically different rooms inside a restored Edwardian row house on Queen West. The above-ground dining room and mezzanine feel like a surreal greenhouse, with soaring ceilings, wrought iron, iridescent surfaces and rococo-leaning murals. Downstairs, the mood shifts to a grotto-like cellar carved into a candlelit cave. Couples can book one space or the entire venue, hosting anything from an intimate 30-person seated dinner to a 120-guest cocktail-style reception.
The food: Chef Missy Hui marries bistro and Asian flavours in elegant snacks and generous mains—devilled eggs with soy and crispy wonton, king oyster mushroom katsu sandwiches with sesame slaw, smoked lamb ribs with fish sauce and lime. Wedding menus start at $75 per person for a family-style “chef’s picnic” and climb to $175 for a six-to-eight-course seasonal tasting menu. Cocktail-style receptions—with passed canapés, food stations and late-night snacks—typically run $50 to $140 per guest.
The bar: Hosts can opt for an open bar or a pre-selected drink list, with custom cocktail or mocktail menus and curated wines available. Beer starts around $9, wines by the glass about $16 and cocktails around $18; couples should budget roughly $80 to $100 per guest. Spending caps can be set, with the option to switch to a cash bar once the limit is reached
The budget: A full buyout is $15,000 to $25,000, depending on the day and season—summer dates are typically the cheapest, the opposite of most wedding venues—plus a $500 planning fee. Prices exclude HST and gratuity.
The fine print: Each wedding comes with a dedicated event coordinator, and couples can opt for a turnkey celebration where the team handles everything from DJs to florals. Outside vendors carry a 15 per cent service fee, specialty rentals are billed separately and removing existing furniture may incur an additional fee.
Chantecler
798 Bloor St. W., chanteclerto.com
Best for: Hosts who want to throw an elegant dinner party without having to cook.
The space: Paris by way of Christie Pits, with warm wood, exposed brick and arched cabinetry. The restaurant holds up to 86 standing or 60 seated, depending on the layout. In warmer months, the 2,000-square-foot patio provides extra space.
The food: Crowd-pleasing seasonal French cooking—steak tartare with house-baked sourdough, generous seafood spreads (oysters, shrimp, scallop crudo) and dry-aged rib-eye with bone marrow. Go prix fixe, share big platters down the table, or keep things roaming with passed bites or charcuterie spreads. Expect $45 to $125 per guest, depending on whether you opt for canapés or a coursed meal.
The bar: The drink menu is wine-forward and features classic cocktails. There’s no formal open-bar package, but Chantecler will work with you in advance to keep things predictable (a champagne toast, a signature welcome drink or a curated wine-and-beer selection). If you keep it simple, you can comfortably land around $50 per person. But, if you’re seeking something splashier, the cellar runs all the way up to bottles like a 2018 Marc Hébrart Spécial Club Premier Cru champagne.
The budget: Minimum spend ranges from $5,000 midweek to $18,000 on Saturday nights. No separate rental fee. Pricing excludes HST and gratuity.
The fine print: House PA, projector and screen available.
Favorites
141 Ossington Ave., myfavethai.com
Best for: Fans of bold Thai flavours and minimalist design.
The space: Tucked behind an Ossington café, the dining room features warm light pouring in through south-facing windows, highlighting the pale wood and terrazzo floors. It holds up to 64 seated or 100 standing. The soft, minimal backdrop makes everything (and everyone) look good on camera.
The food: Thai-style oysters topped with fried shallots, cilantro and chili jam; curry fried chicken wings; Wagyu skirt steak with tamarind prawn sauce; and fragrant coconut curries starring black cod and duck confit. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for multiple years running. Dishes are served family-style, with couples choosing six or eight courses ($85 or $100 per person).
The bar: Favorites takes its vino selection seriously. Add wine pairings ($45 for four pours, $65 for six, $10 per extra splash) or pre-purchase from the tight, well-considered list to pour with dinner—an elegant way to control the cost. There’s no traditional open-bar package, but custom cocktails are available. BYOB is permitted, though it comes with a $60 corkage fee.
The budget: Full buyouts run on a food-and-beverage minimum—from $7,500 midweek up to $14,000 on peak nights—plus a 22 per cent gratuity (HST extra). Food and drinks are priced according to consumption, so the final bill will depend on how hard your guests go.
The fine print: Noise restrictions kick in at 11 p.m., so plan accordingly. If you want more dance-floor real estate, furniture can be removed for a fee.
Auberge du Pommier
4150 Yonge St., aubergedupommier.com
Best for: Those seeking a French château conveniently located on the subway line.
The space: An idyllic Provence-style backdrop with a stone façade, a lush hydrangea-filled garden, a fountain and a covered terrace, Auberge accommodates up to 80 guests for a seated dinner or 120 for a reception-style affair. Celebrations that can move easily from garden vows to a candlelit dining room, and it’s one of the few venues in town with real wood-burning fireplaces.
The food: Wedding packages here are priced per person and include passed canapés, a three-course seated dinner and late-night bites. The menu leans classic French—foie gras mousse, beef tartare, Atlantic salmon with beurre blanc—and ends with pâtisserie-style desserts.
The bar: The base package includes a four-hour open bar with rail spirits, domestic beer and house wine. Want bubbles, better wine or signature cocktails? Expect an additional per-person fee or a charge based on consumption.
The budget: Packages are priced per person, beginning at $120 on Saturdays (daytime only) and $135 Sunday through Wednesday (plus tax and gratuity), with no separate venue rental fee. The base rate includes everything except ceremony chairs, which can be arranged for an additional cost.
The fine print: There’s a 50-guest minimum, and the per-person price ticks up if you add extra selections to any course. (The base package covers three canapés, one appetizer, two mains, dessert, two late-night bites, wine with dinner and the open bar.)
Piano Piano Colborne
55 Colborne St., pianopianotherestaurant.com
Best for: Avowed maximalists with a penchant for the circus.
The space: Upstairs feels like it was decorated by a glamorous, slightly eccentric nonna—velvet, streaky marble and flirty fringe. Downstairs leans into carnival noir, with mirrored ceilings, animal print and a carousel horse. The main level accommodates 67 seated or 75 standing, downstairs holds 44 seated or 60 for cocktails, and the 20-seat Rose Room offers a more intimate pocket. The split-level layout makes the night easy to choreograph: dinner above, after-party below.
The food: Menus range from $39 to $120 per guest, moving from Italian cocktail bites—calamari, tuna crudo, crispy artichoke hearts—to a five-course plated affair. There’s also a $65 family-style feast with generous platters of pasta, pizza and veal parm.
The bar: Tiered packages run roughly $40 to $100 per person, or you can opt for a consumption bar and let the martinis land where they may.
The budget: The Carousel Bar requires a $10,000-to-$13,000 food-and-beverage minimum; a full buyout requires $16,000 to $22,000, depending on the date. No separate rental fee is required. Minimums don’t include HST and gratuity.
The fine print: Piano Piano has half a dozen other GTA locations, and Colborne is arguably the most decoratively wild of the bunch. If you’re after a tamer backdrop—or different capacity configurations—the brand’s other outposts are also available.
Rodney’s Oyster House
469 King St. W., rodneysoysterhouse.com/toronto
Best for: Revellers who want a bivalve-fuelled Maritime kitchen party.
The space: Rodney’s feels like the hull of a ship—wooden, warm and a little rough around the edges. The restaurant has a variety of spaces that suit everything from a 20-person rehearsal dinner to a 200-plus-guest cocktail bash. For vows, the leafy alley garden, framed by historic red brick, offers a romantic backdrop.
The food: Event menus are prix fixe, starting at $65 per guest (“The Petite”) and topping out at $164 (“The Fancy”), depending on how deep you want to dive into lobster and crab. Prefer to keep it looser? There’s a full cocktail-style spread with passed bites, seafood stations and crawfish boils.
The bar: Consumption, but you can opt for a lean base package or dial it up with a premium package. Most hosts land between $36 and $75 per person, depending on the level of splash.
The budget: The minimum spend varies by the space and the day, starting at $1,100 for smaller areas.
The fine print: Full buyouts are currently limited to holiday Mondays when the restaurant would otherwise be closed. On peak dates, you can still reserve a substantial portion of the space, accommodating up to 96 seated guests or 175 for a standing cocktail-style event.
Evangeline
51 Camden St., evangelinetoronto.com
Best for: Betrothed seeking a sunset ceremony with a rooftop view.
The space: Evangeline’s indoor-outdoor layout lets guests move between lounge and terrace for skyline and lake vistas. It accommodates up to 40 for a ceremony and 100 for a cocktail reception, with a flow that naturally facilitates mingling, martinis and a dance floor moment. In summer, the patio expands the party (adding 20 to standing capacity); in winter, flickering fireplaces cozy up the room.
The food: Dishes come courtesy of chef Patrick Kriss of Alo fame. Cocktail reception packages ($95 to $130 per guest) feature grazing tables and canapés such as fish tostadas, tiny truffle-studded grilled cheeses and lobster salad.
The bar: Open bar packages range from $50 to $125 per guest for three hours of service. Bar packages are required for parties over 80.
The budget: The minimum food-and-beverage spend ranges from $15,000 to $25,000 depending on the date, plus a $2,000 venue rental fee. Prices exclude HST and gratuity.
The fine print: Should you opt for the open bar, shots and doubles are off the table—it’s a classy place, after all.
Queens Harbour
245 Queens Quay W., queensharbour.ca/queens-garden
Best for: Design devotees in search of a high-gloss wedding with a heavy dose of quirk.
The space: A glass façade opens onto a colour-drenched interior of greenery, oak and bold patterns. There are several dining rooms, multiple patios, and a mix of private and semi-private spaces, all of which can accommodate anything from an intimate micro-wedding to an 850-person cocktail blowout.
The food: The kitchen describes itself as “MediterrAsian,” serving pastas and crudo alongside sushi and sashimi. Seated group menus for 20 to 44 guests cost $60 to $110 per person, plated or family-style, with dishes like truffle arancini, spicy rigatoni alla vodka and showy seafood platters. Larger receptions pivot to chef-attended stations and passed canapés.
The bar: Consumption, with drinks ranging from $9 to $25 each. Budget roughly $60 to $100 per guest, depending on how enthusiastically the room toasts. For added drama, they have vendors on speed dial who can set up anything from champagne walls to ice sculptures.
The budget: With food-and-beverage minimums starting at $5,000 for a 28-guest micro-wedding and $40,000 for a full buyout (both before HST and gratuity), the pricing scales with the size of your celebration. Room rental fees are additional and vary by space and season, ranging from $500 to $10,000.
The fine print: The enormous retractable roof keeps things glamorous without gambling on the weather.
The Dorset
457 Wellington St. W., thedorsetwellington.com
Best for: Anglophiles after a King West wedding with proper British manners.
The space: The main floor feels like a library bar from the mind of Wes Anderson—dark wood, jewel-toned velvet, tartan wallpaper and gilt-framed oil paintings of animals in Victorian dress. The private upstairs Chesil Room features exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows. Book it on its own (up to 50 seated or 80 standing for passed canapés) or go all in with a full 84-person buyout.
The food: Fish and chips, Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and sticky toffee pudding are all accounted for. Couples can also opt for lighter fare like seasonal salads, fresh pastas and seafood mains.
The bar: The base package includes an open bar with house wine, canned beer and rail spirits. A sparkling toast adds an extra $8 per guest, or opt for a cocktail reception for an extra $9 per guest.
The budget: Wedding packages start at $135 per guest (plus HST and gratuity), which includes passed canapés, a three-course seated dinner, late-night bites and a four-hour open bar plus wine service with dinner. There’s no venue rental fee, but a minimum spend is required for a second-floor buyout, ranging from $4,500 to $9,000 depending on the day. Full-venue buyouts are priced on a case-by-case basis.
The fine print: Weddings require a minimum of 30 guests.
Gusto 501
501 King St. E., gusto501.com
Best for: Architecture aficionados who love fresh pasta.
The space: Soaring ceilings, a sculptural staircase and four storeys of undulating terracotta tile. The layout feels expansive but is cleverly carved up so the night can unfold across various backdrops, from dinner downstairs to cocktails above to vows on the rooftop patio. If you’re planning something intimate, opt for one of the restaurant’s smaller dedicated spaces. Larger celebrations can take over multiple floors, accommodating up to 140 guests in total.
The food: House-made pasta, wood-fired meat and tiramisu so good it may steal the wedding cake’s spotlight. Go family-style if you like a little chaos, plated if you prefer polish or cocktail-style for a roaming vino-in-hand affair. Food stations, such as oysters on ice, give guests somewhere to hover. Menus cost roughly $70 to $120 per person.
The bar: The drink card leans Italian, naturally—spritzes, negronis and smart bottles from serious producers, plus enough familiar favourites to keep even that one aunt happy. Customizable tiered packages cost $40 to $100 per person.
The budget: Events are structured around seasonal food-and-beverage minimums that vary by day and format.
The fine print: Gusto 501 is part of the Gusto 54 group, which owns several other restaurants around the city. If you’re after the same 140-guest capacity at a gentler price point, Café Zuzu Pizzeria starts at an $8,000 minimum spend.
Soluna
314 Queen St. W., solunatoronto.com
Best for: Couples who want sun-drenched vows and strobe-lit dance floors.
The space: Soluna’s rooftop channels Ibiza without the airfare, with striped cabanas, a private bar and room for 250 to 300 standing. The main room gives off club energy with two bars and space for a DJ. Take over both levels and you’ve got 8,500 square feet for 650 of your closest friends. This is a venue for those who see their wedding as an excuse to host a great party.
The food: Passed canapés cost $4 to $7 apiece and roam the coasts from Mexico to Spain to Japan—empanadas, tuna tartare, shrimp tempura. Deluxe bites like Wagyu sliders are $12 apiece. Seated menus are $75 or $95 per person, with just as wide a cultural range, from yuzu truffle guac to Wagyu carpaccio to piri piri chicken to Japanese risotto.
The bar: Consumption. Beers are $10, rail mixed drinks are $13, house wines are $15 to $16 and most classic cocktails are $18 (excluding martinis and old fashioneds). Using some back-of-the-napkin math and assuming five drinks per guest, you can get away with $65 to $90 per person.
The budget: The pricing here may be the most confusing of any venue on this list. In short, brunch energy is five figures; prime-time club energy is very much six. Daytime bookings (before 4 p.m.) are the most accessible, typically a $5,000 room rental plus a $5,000 food-and-drink minimum. Sunday nights and early week dates remain comparatively modest, with food-and-drink minimums starting around $5,000. From Wednesday onward, nighttime numbers climb quickly: roughly $25,000 to $45,000 midweek; $50,000 to take over just the rooftop on a prime Friday or Saturday night; and starting at $100,000 to lay claim to the entire space, indoors and out. Buyout minimums don’t include HST and gratuity.
The fine print: They may regret this, but Soluna did tell us that they’re open to negotiations. Hagglers, have at it.
Eloise
42 The Esplanade, eloiserestaurant.ca
Best for: Those who want a pretty-in-pink wedding with a boozy second act.
The space: Eloise feels like the dining car on a glamorous belle époque train, all blush tones, velvet banquettes and walnut panelling. The Esplanade room seats up to 75 and is perfect for couples who would rather host a long, elegant dinner party. Smaller groups of nine to 29 can tuck into their own corner while the room keeps its low hum of conversation. When the night inevitably tilts toward mischief, the party can spill next door into Bar Cart, the restaurant’s speakeasy.
The food: Chef Akhil Hajare specializes in comfort food with a polished edge—pastas, crudos and bright salads alongside dry-aged beef and Dover sole. The cooking feels distinctly Toronto, with quiet hits of spice and umami. Dinner prix fixes start at $125 per guest, lunch at $45. For cocktail-style receptions, the kitchen can also send out hors d’oeuvres.
The bar: Drinks skew classic—martinis, negronis and old fashioneds alongside a strong wine list. After dinner, guests can pop over to Bar Cart, where the cocktails get more playful. There are no bar packages, and everything runs on consumption. To keep spending predictable, couples can opt for wine pairings with dinner ($90 for two-ounce pours) or a simple champagne toast—a three-ounce splash of Tarlant non-vintage for $15 per guest. Otherwise, cocktails at Bar Cart run about $23 to $25, so budget $70 to $120 per person.
The budget: Full buyouts require a minimum food-and-drink spend of $7,500 Sunday to Wednesday or $10,000 Thursday to Saturday. Groups of up to 30 can also be accommodated with per-person minimums starting at $48 Sunday to Wednesday and $75 Thursday to Saturday. For larger celebrations, Eloise and Bar Cart can be reserved together, with combined minimum spends starting at $12,000 Sunday to Wednesday or $16,500 Thursday to Saturday. (Prices don’t include tax or gratuity.)
Tono by Akira Back
90 Bloor St. E., tonobyakirabacktoronto.com
Best for: Food Network fanatics.
The space: The ninth-floor room—sleek and loungey with an industrial edge—has skyline views and space for up to 200 guests at a standing reception. Smaller celebrations can tuck into semi-private pockets: the main dining room seats 100, and a loft space holds 30. There’s also a patio for 50 cocktail-style. And because Tono sits inside the W Toronto, getting to the party can be as simple as pressing the elevator button.
The food: Celebrity chef Akira Back’s newest Toronto restaurant leans into Nikkei cooking, Japanese precision crossed with the bright, citrusy punch of Peru. For seated celebrations, a five-course set menu runs $180 per person, with sashimi, Tajima short rib and surf-and-turf mains. Passed canapés cost $74 to $86 per dozen (three dozen per selection). Couples can also add food stations, including maki rolls and bao for $35 to $48 per guest or a ceviche bar for $40 per guest (plus $60 an hour for the chef, three-hour minimum).
The bar: Consumption, with drinks ranging from $15 to $33 each. Budget roughly $45 to $110 per guest.
The budget: Buyout minimums start at $50,000, depending on the date, time and selected event space.
The fine print: W Toronto offers a complimentary bridal suite for couples who book their weddings with them, provided they have a minimum of approximately 100 to 150 guests.
Taline
1276 Yonge St., talineto.ca
Best for: Gourmands who prefer good olive oil to dance parties.
The space: Tucked into a two-storey Rosedale house, Taline is built for elegant dinner parties. Downstairs features exposed brick, leather banquettes and amber lighting. Upstairs opens under a skylight, with a two-metre-tall olive tree anchoring the room. Couples can take over either floor or both, hosting a ceremony in one space and dinner in the other. Upstairs holds 45 seated or 90 standing; the main floor holds 38 seated or 55 standing. A full buyout accommodates 83 seated or 145 standing.
The food: Chef Sebouh Yacoubian’s menu leans Armenian with Lebanese influences, built around generous mezze and sharable plates. Expect spreads of hummus and baba ghanouj, grilled meats, and hearty salads—all designed to pass around the table with good olive oil and plenty of flatbread. Coursed menus start at $100 per person.
The bar: Packages are customized to each event but generally land between $50 and $125 per guest.
The budget: Minimum spends start at $2,000 for a partial buyout Monday through Wednesday and $3,500 on Thursdays, rising to $6,500 on Fridays and Saturdays. Full buyouts begin at $5,500 midweek, $6,500 on Thursdays and $12,000 on peak nights.
The Broadview Hotel
106 Broadview Ave., thebroadviewhotel.ca
Best for: History lovers who appreciate a 360-degree view.
The space: Set inside a Romanesque Revival landmark, the Broadview Hotel offers serious old-school architectural drama, with red brick, arched windows and turreted corners straight out of the 1890s. The real draw, however, is the seventh-floor rooftop, which features a wrap-around terrace with one of the best skyline views in the city. The rooftop hosts up to 130 guests with room for another 70 on the terrace. Downstairs, Lincoln Hall accommodates up to 140 guests for a seated dinner, and the chandelier-lit tower seats about 20—ideal for micro-weddings or rehearsal dinners. Wedding packages include a free one-night stay for the couple in a king corner room with late checkout and breakfast the morning after. The venue is also dog-friendly—ideal for couples keen to have a canine cameo in their ceremony.
The food: The rooftop is designed for standing receptions, so the focus is on passed canapés rather than plated dinners. There are beef tartare crostini, crispy shrimp and tomato arancini alongside grazing set-ups like raw bars, sushi stations or carved strip loin. Cocktail-style receptions typically run $80 to $160 per guest. In the hotel’s other event spaces, more traditional three- or four-course dinners are available, with packages ranging from $195 to $250 per person.
The bar: The rooftop bar is based on consumption, though couples can set spending caps to keep things predictable (expect about $90 to $140 a head). If a traditional open bar is non-negotiable, you’ll need to host the reception in one of the hotel’s other event spaces, where wedding packages include an open bar along with the plated dinner.
The budget: For rooftop receptions, the minimum spend starts at around $35,000 on peak summer Saturdays, plus a $5,000 room rental fee. For off-peak days, buyouts start at a minimum spend of $20,000, plus a $5,000 room rental. Seated dinners in Lincoln Hall start at $195 per person, which includes passed canapés, a three-course meal, a five-hour open bar, wine service with dinner and a sparkling wine toast. Prices exclude HST and gratuity.
The fine print: The rooftop accommodates only cocktail-style weddings. In the hotel’s other event spaces, plated meals require pre-selected entrées, meaning couples must track selections and dietary needs in advance. Couples are also required to hire security guards ($300 each, roughly one per 100 guests)—a cost billed separately and not included in the venue’s minimum spend.
