A VIEW of the KING WEST SCENE at TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX’S LUMA

Just a block east of King Blue Condos, LUMA offers an exciting blend of King West taste and ambiance in one of Toronto’s best neighbourhoods for entertainment and cuisine.

LUMA restaurant at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, home to the Toronto International Film Festival, was chosen as winner of Opentable.com 2012 Diner’s Choice Award, as no surprise. Open for lunch during the week and dinners extending to Saturday, one of Oliver & Bonacini’s signature restaurants, is located at the corner of King and John Streets.

An exceptional wine list and exciting cocktails are available in the LUMA lounge with a diverse selection of lighter fare to complement the warm and inviting dining area next door. Combining textures of stone, leather and wood with floor to ceiling views, you can scope the scene overlooking the vibe of King Street West above the O&B Canteen below at street level.

The TIFF Bell Lightbox is home to the Toronto International Film Festival and highlights five theatres, three exhibition galleries and Malaparte, a dramatic sixth floor event space. Paying homage to Toronto’s rich, cultural landscape, Luma’s menu showcases global and Canadian artisanal cuisine featuring the finest local and regional ingredients. Executive Chef Jason Bangerter’s original and imaginative recipes draw on his classic roots at one of Toronto’s top French restaurants, Auberge du Pommier, where he became one of the city’s most notable chefs.

Now at LUMA, he creates and imaginative menu of new world cuisine that defines fresh market and showcases the best of the finest local Canadian ingredients. Prior to attending an evening show, I met up with a friend for a late afternoon lite-bite at the LUMA lounge.

The unobstructed view from the second floor dining bar provided some great street-scape entertainment while waiting and warming up once inside.  If it were a Thursday, I may have indulged in Whiskey Thursday’s for a $7 cocktail, but my usual mid-afternoon pick-up often aligns with caffiene and on this windy day, the Cafe Nanaimo, with godiva white chocolate liqueur and spiced rum was a frontrunner for my cappucino choice. This preceded the arrival of my friend and a couple of glasses of Santa Barbara, Chardonnay ($15) that complemented our nibbles and reacquainted our conversation and our taste buds.

There are also signature cocktails on the menu and plenty of choices of Canadian and fine international flavours of wine in red, white, sparking and rosé by the glass, or you can select from the more extensive wine list available to LUMA guests who choose the finer dining experience next door.

If you prefer port or sherry as an aperitif the menu features a fine selection of Taylor Fladgate from ’10 year Old Tawny’ to ‘100 Years of Port’.  Following a meal or evening of entertainment, the lighter side menu provides a flavourful selection of sweets, dessert wines and cognacs to satisfy the most distinguished of tastes.

We kept it to a light choice combination from the lounge menu that included suggested favourites from our server; beef brisket sliders with truffle aioli and watercress ($13.), marinated tuna with ginger, herbs and chili pepper jelly ($16.). The warm marinated olives had to be replenished twice. as they were the perfect complement to a fine selection of cheeses ($16.) with o & b artisan breads that were served fresh with honey.

Whether you need an escape mid-day from the busy streets of downtown for lunch or appetizers, or you want a casual or fine-dining experience before or after a show, LUMA lounge and restaurant provide the perfect Oliver & Bonacini experience that is sure to satisfy.