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The best rooftop patios in King West, Toronto are not hard to find. For great getaways and amazing food, the two names that immediately come to mind when considering rooftop restaurants along King are Lavelle and Luma.
Lavelle, located at 627 King Street West is a combination of rooftop pool, patio, bar, and restaurant. It markets itself off of high-priced luxury and exclusivity, sitting up sixteen stories above street-level. The popular King West restaurant boasts unobstructed, 360-degree views of the Toronto skyline which is truly a beautiful scene. In the summer, Lavelle is a tremendously popular hot spot for big spenders looking to make an impression on a new business partners, for King West residents looking to escape from the hustle and bustle down below, and even a popular pick for date nights.
There are many reasons to go to Lavelle. There’s a nice pool to take a dip into during the summer months, a lounge and cocktail in a private cabana, and contemporary French cuisine by chef Romain Avril on the table for dinner. Lavelle boasts a number of different atmospheres which makes it easy to switch between different vibes as you like. In terms of the city’s view, it’s difficult to find anything similar in Toronto’s west end. It’s quite an impressive view and going beyond that, you’ll probably see some of Toronto’s biggest power players at this hot spot.
Luma Restaurant is a very different vibe compared to Lavelle. Luma specializes in fish and seafood, and is found inside Toronto’s Entertainment District at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Luma comes to the table with crowd-pleasing seafood dishes and some multicultural favourites prepped to perfection. Locally sourced ingredients and global inspiration is promised in each of chef Michael Wilson’s dishes, including some amazing quality meats and seasonal vegetables. The dining room and bar are dressed up in rich woods, leather, and stone.
Moving up to Luma’s second floor in the TIFF Bell Lightbox, you’ll see floor to ceiling windows providing outstanding views of King Street West and all the activity of downtown below. Luma also is well known for its private dining room with a seat capacity of 14, a patio capacity of 44 seated, and an entire restaurant capacity of 128 seated. The atmosphere is not quite as diverse in spirit here at Luma as it may be at Lavelle however the closeness to downtown Toronto may be a benefit to consider.
Furthermore, when comparing the two, Luma does not quite have the same height and does not boast the same sort of patio experience. If you’re hitting up one of the local attractions though and want to have a really nice dinner waiting, Luma is a great place to reserve a table.
At a glance, Luma has the stronger ties to other downtown Toronto attractions whereas Lavelle is somewhat more secluded and has that privacy component that you may not find at Luma, outside of renting your own private room. There are certainly reasons to hit up either of the rooftop restaurant patios mentioned here, though most King West residents may prefer the slightly closer and more luxurious Lavelle. That said, the menu at Luma is unique and close proximity to amenities make it a hard offer to pass on.
Luma v. Lavelle in the rooftop restaurant patio debate and the answer remains open to interpretation.