The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto is giving its holiday tea a playful twist this season. Starting Dec. 1, its Toy & Tea pairs seasonal teas with festive pastries that look like classic toys. The pastries are what you’ll notice first, but the toys on your plate aren’t the only ones this tea is about.
Toy & Tea is part of the Festive Tea Experience at Epoch Bar & Kitchen Terrace, a bar and restaurant inside the hotel. A portion of the proceeds from Toy & Tea goes toward donating toys to a children’s charity, so your toy-shaped pastries help pay for real toys.
When You Can Book the Toy Tea
The Festive Tea Experience runs Dec. 1 through Jan. 1 at Epoch, on the lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
Toy & Tea is a whimsical version of a traditional afternoon tea, and it’s one of several holiday events at Epoch this year. Reservations go through OpenTable.
Santa and Gingerbread for the Kids
Epoch is also hosting Santa Sundays, with a real Santa Claus visiting from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20.
Lano, another restaurant at the hotel, is hosting gingerbread making for families from Dec. 1 to 25.
The Holiday Market Is Already Open
The Ritz-Carlton Curated Holiday Market opened Nov. 5 on Epoch’s patio and stays open through Dec. 30, so you don’t have to wait for December. This is its second year, and it takes its cue from traditional European holiday markets.
You can browse holiday vendors and artisans for gifts, then step inside a giant snow globe for a photo.
Food includes ham hock sliders with pineapple marmalade and gingerbread sticky toffee pudding. The drinks menu has hot and chilled holiday cocktails alongside nonalcoholic options.
The hotel’s general manager, Lukas Boeckmann, said the season is about bringing people together. He said the hotel wants this year’s market to be an even more thoughtful celebration for guests and the local community.
The market is open Monday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. You can reserve a spot online.
Holiday Dinners Through New Year’s Day
For a sit-down holiday meal, the hotel’s restaurants have plans for the big dates.
- Christmas Eve: Toca serves dinner, and Lano has its own Christmas Eve program.
- Christmas Day: Toca serves both a Christmas brunch and a Christmas dinner, and Lano has Christmas Day programming.
- New Year’s Eve: Epoch has dinner seatings between 5 and 9 p.m. with a DJ and a countdown to 2027, while Toca and Lano host their own celebrations.
- New Year’s Day: Toca serves brunch on Jan. 1.
Pair the Tea With a Night at the Market
Heading to Toronto in December? Book the toy tea for an afternoon, then save an evening for the market on Epoch’s patio, where you can pick up gifts for the people on your list. If you’re celebrating at home this year, the hotel also offers seasonal amenity and celebration packages.