Toronto restaurants have long doubled as filming locations for some of our favourite movies and TV shows. From the historic Lakeview Diner, which has appeared in The Umbrella Academy and a long list of Hollywood productions, to the Fairmont Royal York ballroom seen in Slumberland, you may recognize more of the city’s dining destinations than you realize.
Netflix In Your Neighbourhood makes it easier to find them. Its Restaurant Experience is a self-guided tour of the city’s eateries and hotels that have served as film sets. The interactive digital map of Netflix In Your Neighbourhood is an online guide to Canadian filming locations featured in various Netflix series. From the extravagant ballroom at the Royal York to the nostalgic Lakeview Diner, the Restaurant Experience shows fans how to eat their way through Hollywood North, experiencing firsthand where their favourite stories came to life. The Restaurant Experience is also in Vancouver and Montreal, two other Canadian filming hotspots.
We took a closer look at the Toronto locations – and the movies and TV shows filmed there. Here are six places where you can eat, drink and step inside a real-life film set.
The Lakeview Diner (The Umbrella Academy)
The Lakeview Diner is almost as recognizable on screen as it is on Dundas West. The Toronto institution has been used as a filming location for decades, appearing in movies including Cocktail, The Boondock Saints, Hairspray, Take This Waltz, Cosmopolis and The Shape of Water, as well as TV series including Reacher and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Netflix fans will recognize it from season 3 of The Umbrella Academy, when Viktor (Elliot Page) meets Marcus (Justin Cornwell) at the diner. The characters stick to coffee, but if you’re heading to the real Lakeview, make it an excuse to settle into a booth and experience one of Toronto’s most-filmed diners for yourself.
1132 Dundas St. West
thelakeviewrestaurant.ca
The Royal York Hotel Ballroom (Slumberland)
In Francis Lawrence’s 2022 fantasy film Slumberland, Flip (Jason Momoa) guides Nemo (Marlow Barkley) on a rescue mission through a series of dream worlds. They find themselves in a ballroom straight out of a fairy tale, filled with live butterflies and opulent furnishings – a set that’s only onscreen for a few minutes, but actually took months to assemble in the second-floor ballroom at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Some say that the Royal York ballroom is the most-photographed room in Toronto – and it’s not hard to see why. Located on the second floor of the landmark hotel, the ballroom has a soaring ceiling adorned with exquisite oil paintings and crystal chandeliers. This is where Flip and Nemo begin their journey in Slumberland, but it’s also where a banquet in The Handmaid’s Tale was filmed, as well as the party in Adam Sandler’s You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah. (It’s such a popular location, in fact, that the Royal York has its own full-time ‘film concierge’ to handle logistics.) Head to the cozy Library Bar or the grand dining room at Reign to experience their truly dream-worthy fare.
100 Front St. West
fairmont.com/royal-york-toronto
The Windsor Arms Hotel (13 the Musical)
One of Toronto’s main selling points as a filming location is as a stand in for New York City – many films set in the Big Apple, from American Psycho to Kick Ass, were shot downtown. Netflix’s adaptation of the Broadway show 13 the Musical is another one, with the emotional goodbye between Evan (Eli Golden) and his mother (Debra Messing) taking place in front of the characters’ New York apartment – in reality, the facade of the Windsor Arms Hotel. Inside, you can find The Gatsby, a cozy dining area featuring antique decor, an afternoon tea menu, a collection of rare scotches and a wine list with over 700 labels.
18 St. Thomas Street
windsorarmshotel.com
Maple Leaf Tavern (Locke & Key)
In the first season of the high-stakes drama series Locke & Key, Nina (Darby Stanchfield) has dinner with an old friend, Ellie (Sherri Saum). This scene was filmed at the Maple Leaf Tavern on Gerrard – the 80-year-old Leslieville favourite has rustic, classic decor with exposed brick and dark wood dominating the space. It was reportedly perfect for playing the part of a fancy but understated restaurant in the New England town of Matheson, Massachusetts, where the show takes place. The real restaurant features an inventive cocktail list, hearty seasonal dinner menus, and even a vintage cigarette machine at the entrance.
955 Gerrard St. East
mapleleaftavern.ca
Grace O’Malley’s (FUBAR)
Grace O’Malley’s has got to be one of the most well-known Irish pubs in Toronto, but it makes a surprisingly versatile film set – in FUBAR it’s a seedy Moldovan bar, where CIA operative Luke (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) attempt to gather some intel. The scene also stars Travis Van Winkle (pictured above), a fellow agent, who flashes his abs in a now well-known moment from the show. The real Grace O’Malley’s (a.k.a. “Gracie’s” to regulars) is an old-school Irish pub serving up bar food, beers and regular live entertainment.
14 Duncan Street
graceomalleys.ca
The Rhino (Sex/Life)
The Rhino is a family-run Parkdale staple with an extensive beer list and homey pub food menu – but in the risqué drama series Sex/Life, it’s done up to play the part of a SoHo tattoo studio. This is where Brad (Adam Demos) gets a tattoo referencing his love for Billie (Sarah Shahi). The Rhino in real life bears little resemblance to the steamy tattoo parlour scene, but with 25 craft beer taps and a collection of kitschy rhino decor on display, your visit there is still guaranteed to be a night to remember.
1249 Queen St. West
therhino.ca
