Restaurant in Toronto, Canada
Book for the bar, stay for dinner.
Louix Louis delivers one of Toronto's most atmospheric hotel dining rooms — a 31st-floor perch in The St. Regis with a French-Canadian menu and one of North America's largest dark-spirits collections. The Grand Bar with its 60-foot ceiling mural is worth a visit on its own. Book a week ahead for weeknights; two weeks for weekends.
The 31st-floor Grand Bar at Louix Louis is one of Toronto's harder-to-replicate dining settings, and the room has real capacity limits — the two-story bar and dining space fills on weekend evenings, so if you want the full skyline-at-night experience, book ahead rather than banking on a walk-in. For a first visit, this is a strong yes if you want a French-leaning Canadian menu in a hotel dining room that actually delivers on its setting.
Louix Louis sits on the 31st floor of The St. Regis Toronto at 325 Bay Street, and the room earns its reputation on atmosphere before you even look at the menu. The two-story Grand Bar is built around a 60-foot ceiling mural by Toronto artist Madison van Rijn — a swirling, cream-and-brown composition called "Bouquet of Whisky" , and the design draws from art deco cocktail parlors in New York and Paris, with gilded accents and leather barstools. The energy is polished but not stiff: expect a well-dressed crowd, low ambient noise early in the evening, and a noticeable uptick in volume and energy after 9 PM as the bar fills.
The menu sits at the intersection of French technique and Canadian ingredients. Roasted chicken comes with truffle jus, clam chowder arrives with caviar, and a Caesar salad incorporates maple bacon as a nod to the address. Canadian lobster anchors a rich risotto. The kitchen's signature dessert is a 13-layer chocolate cake built with 64% Guayaquil ganache and hazelnut-chocolate buttercream, finished with vanilla ice cream. These are familiar formats executed with premium inputs, which is exactly what a hotel dining room at this level should deliver. The bar program is the real differentiator: the Grand Bar holds more than 500 bottles of dark spirits, one of the largest collections in North America, with a cocktail list that pulls from 19th-century recipes (a whiskey-based New York Sour), modern originals (the Bay Street Manhattan, made with Michter's small-batch bourbon), and a small selection of complex mocktails for non-drinkers.
If you are going to return more than once, structure your visits around the two distinct experiences the room offers. A first visit should be dinner at the dining room: order the lobster risotto, the signature chocolate cake, and ask your server for a whiskey pairing recommendation , the bar team has the depth to make that conversation worthwhile. A second visit is better spent as a bar evening: arrive before 8 PM to secure a stool at the Grand Bar, work through the dark-spirits list, and treat the food as secondary. The mocktail list makes this viable for non-drinkers too; the Headly Grange (cucumber, rose, pink peppercorn, coriander, tonic water) is specifically built for complexity without alcohol. A third visit, if you become a regular, is worth treating as a special-occasion dinner with a full wine and whiskey pairing built around the seasonal menu.
Louix Louis holds a 4.2 out of 5 across 1,704 Google reviews, which is a strong signal at that review volume for a hotel restaurant in this price tier. The venue has received editorial recognition from Michelin's inspectors, who specifically called out the 13-layer chocolate cake, the lobster risotto, and the ceiling mural as highlights. Chef Dennis van den Beld leads the kitchen.
Reservations: Bookings are direct , this is an easy table to secure outside peak weekend slots, and the room does not carry the months-long lead time of Toronto's leading tasting-menu restaurants. Book a week ahead for weeknight dinners; two weeks for Friday and Saturday evenings. Dress: Smart casual at minimum; the room skews dressed-up, and the St. Regis setting makes an effort worthwhile. Budget: Price range is not published, but the St. Regis hotel context and menu composition place this firmly in the $$$ to $$$$ tier. Expect a full dinner with wine or cocktails to run well above $100 per person. Location: 325 Bay Street, Toronto , in the Financial District, walkable from Union Station and well-served by the PATH network. Bar access: The Grand Bar can be used independently of the dining room, making it a viable destination for drinks only.
See the comparison section below for how Louix Louis stacks up against Alo, Aburi Hana, and other leading Toronto dining options.
For more options across the city, see our full Toronto restaurants guide, Toronto bars guide, Toronto hotels guide, Toronto wineries guide, and Toronto experiences guide.
If you are building a broader Canadian dining itinerary, consider Tanière³ in Quebec City, AnnaLena in Vancouver, Jérôme Ferrer - Europea in Montreal, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Lincoln, The Pine in Creemore, Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, Eden at The Rimrock Resort in Banff, or Narval in Rimouski.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louix Louis | Canadian Cuisine | Boasting a bird’s-eye view of the Toronto skyline, Louix Louis elevates the classic European dining experience in nearly every way. Thanks to its 31st-floor address atop The St.; Nestled within the esteemed St. Regis Hotel in downtown Toronto, Louis Louix exudes opulence. The food – a familiar mix of French and American cuisine – is complimented by an extensive wine list of ov...; Boasting a bird’s-eye view of the Toronto skyline, Louix Louis elevates the classic European dining experience in nearly every way. Thanks to its 31st-floor address atop The St. Regis Toronto, the venue affords its diners ... **Our Inspector's Highlights The menu at Louix Louis manages to reach indulgent status. Approachable dishes like roasted chicken are elevated with a truffle jus, and hearty clam chowder enjoys a lavish dollop of caviar.While lounging at the bar, don’t forget to look up. An ethereal 60-foot ceiling mural from local artist Madison van Rijn (appropriately dubbed “Bouquet of Whisky”) depicts a blend of brown- and cream-hued swirls that represent a swirled glass of Canadian whiskey.While generally French or Mediterranean in nature, dinner offerings do include nods to the Toronto restaurant’s address. Bits of maple bacon add a local bite to a classic Caesar salad and Canadian lobster plays a starring role in a rich risotto.With such swanky surroundings, of course dessert is no afterthought at Louix Louis. The main sweet attraction is the venue’s 13-layer chocolate cake stacked with 64% Guayaquil ganache and hazelnut-chocolate buttercream, all topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for good measure.While you may be focused on the food, be sure to ask your server for wine and whiskey pairings to enjoy with your meal.** **Things to Know:** The Bar The stunning two-story Grand Bar blends the beauty of past and present into one luxurious lounge. The look is a modern rendition of classic art deco cocktail parlors in New York and Paris with gilded accents, leather barstools and plenty of high-end spirits.The Toronto bar is home to one of the largest collections of dark spirits in North America — more than 500 bottles, to be precise.Grand Bar updates classic and nearly forgotten tipples. Enjoy a taste of history with a revived 19th-century libation, the whiskey-based New York Sour, or savor a fragrant low-ABV cocktail like the In Cadenza.Inspired by Toronto’s history as a renowned distillery district, the bar menu specializes in sips featuring top-shelf whiskies and brown spirits. A cocktail like the Bay Street Manhattan might be made with Michter’s US*1 small-batch bourbon or the Spiced Old Fashioned with Appleton Estate 8-year-old reserve rum.Teetotalers aren’t forgotten at the Grand Bar. A small collection of complex mocktails like the Headly Grange (cucumber, rose, pink peppercorn, coriander and tonic water) satisfies without encroaching on overly sweet territory. **Amenities:** 325 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 4G3 | Easy | — | |
| Alo | Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sushi Masaki Saito | Sushi, Japanese | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Aburi Hana | Kaiseki, Japanese | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Don Alfonso 1890 | Contemporary Italian, Italian | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Edulis | Canadian, Mediterranean Cuisine | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
How Louix Louis stacks up against the competition.
For serious tasting-menu dining, Alo and Edulis are the stronger choices — both carry more culinary weight than Louix Louis, which leads with atmosphere and a bar program rather than destination cooking. If you want high-end Japanese, Sushi Masaki Saito and Aburi Hana operate in a different format entirely. Louix Louis earns its place if you want a skyline setting with Canadian-inflected French food and one of the largest dark-spirits collections in North America — over 500 bottles — at a hotel bar that doesn't feel like a hotel bar.
Yes, and the Grand Bar is the right move. The two-story bar at Louix Louis is purpose-built for solo visitors: leather barstools, a serious whisky and cocktail list, and bar staff who can walk you through pairings. You can eat the full menu at the bar, so there's no need to take a table alone. The 31st-floor setting makes it a worthwhile stop even for a single drink.
The menu at Louix Louis is French and Mediterranean in structure with Canadian touches — roasted chicken, clam chowder, Caesar salad, lobster risotto — so there is reasonable flexibility for common dietary needs, but the kitchen skews toward rich, meat- and seafood-forward dishes. Confirm specific restrictions directly with the restaurant before booking, as the venue data does not specify a dedicated dietary accommodation policy.
The venue is inside The St. Regis Toronto, which has event and private dining infrastructure, so groups are manageable. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels to confirm private dining options — the Grand Bar's two-story layout suits groups for drinks, but a seated dinner for six or more benefits from advance coordination. This is not a venue where you can comfortably walk in with a large group and expect immediate seating.
Yes. The Grand Bar at Louix Louis is a full dining option, not just a waiting area. You can order from the dinner menu while seated at the bar, and the bar program — cocktails like the Bay Street Manhattan and Spiced Old Fashioned alongside mocktails like the Headly Grange — is the room's strongest suit. For solo diners or couples who want flexibility, the bar is often the better seat in the house.
Louix Louis sits inside The St. Regis Toronto and the room has a grand art deco aesthetic — gilded accents, 60-foot ceilings, and a two-story bar. Dress accordingly: business casual at minimum, and smart evening wear is appropriate for dinner. Showing up in casual streetwear will feel out of place in this room, even if the door policy doesn't explicitly turn you away.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
