Beyond the Screening: How to Spend Your TIFF Day Like A Local
TIFF may be all about what’s happening on screen, but some of the best parts of festival season happen before the lights go down and after the credits roll.
For those looking to build a full day around their screenings, The Well offers a convenient downtown stop for eating, drinking and experiencing a little more of Toronto between films. Whether you have an hour to kill before a screening or want somewhere to continue the night afterwards, here are a few stops worth adding to your TIFF itinerary.
Start with a meal at L’Avenue
If you’re looking for something that feels like an experience in itself, make a reservation at L’Avenue. The restaurant is launching a new menu alongside its signature fluffy, over-the-top pancake towers, with playful dishes and drinks that are as photogenic as they are memorable.
L’Avenue has also become something of a destination for visitors to Toronto, with guests regularly telling the restaurant they had heard about it before arriving in the city and specifically wanted to make a stop. For TIFF visitors looking for a lively meal that feels distinctly fun and a little unexpected, it’s an easy addition to the itinerary.
Make it a movie-inspired martini
Bridgette Bar
Lulu Bar
For a post-screening drink, The Well’s Movies & Martinis programming brings a little TIFF spirit to the dinner table. Four restaurants are offering film-inspired martini and snack pairings throughout the festival, each with its own take on the theme. At Bridgette Bar, order the All About Corinne martini, a French Export, with frites d’aubergine for a $20 pairing.
Over at Lulu Bar, An Olive Story pairs a Vesper Martini with edamame for $24. La Plume is serving up the La La Lychee — made with Smirnoff vodka, Soho lychee and Noa lychee syrup — alongside Mia’s Frites with truffle aioli and Parmigiano-Reggiano for $25.
And at The Dorset, the No Time to Dry martini — made with Plymouth English gin, Lillet Blanc, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Tío Pepe, bergamot and citrus bitters — comes with albacore tuna toast for a $30 pairing.
Essentially, the festival doesn’t have to end when the screening does.
Stick around for live programming
If you’re not quite ready to call it a night, The Court at The Well will also have live programming throughout TIFF, giving visitors another reason to linger downtown.
The schedule includes live music on September 10, 16 and 17, with performances from 1:30–2:30 p.m. and 4:30–5:30 p.m. There’s also Cheatin Hearts Line Dancing on September 11 and 18 from 6:30–8:30 p.m., plus Sunset Salsa on September 12 from 5–9 p.m.
The programming offers an easy way to transition from festival mode into a more relaxed Toronto evening — whether you’re meeting friends, grabbing a drink or simply looking for somewhere to hang out between plans.
Make The Well part of your TIFF itinerary
With restaurants, drinks and programming all in one place, The Well makes for an easy addition to a TIFF day — particularly if you want to experience more of Toronto beyond the screening itself. So, whether you’re heading to your first film of the day, looking for somewhere to regroup between screenings or ready for a post-film drink, consider making The Well your stop before the credits roll — and after.
