# Avantika kicks off TIFF week on a W Toronto rooftop

> A small dinner above Yorkville, Nikkei food from a Michelin-starred chef and a hidden vinyl bar that kept the night going.
- Title: Avantika kicks off TIFF week on a W Toronto rooftop | Shortify
- Summary: A small dinner above Yorkville, Nikkei food from a Michelin-starred chef and a hidden vinyl bar that kept the night going. W Toronto opened its TIFF season…
- Keywords: tiff, avantika, w hotels, toronto, nikkei cuisine, kicks, week, rooftop, The Hollywood Reporter
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/avantika-w-toronto-hotel-tales-campaign-interview-tiff-2026-1236700796
- Author: Tim Chan
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:21:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tiff, avantika, w hotels, toronto, nikkei cuisine
## Avantika opens the festivities
Avantika, star of Mean Girls and Not Suitable for Work, helped kick off W Hotels' TIFF celebrations last week with a dinner at W Toronto.
## A Yorkville address
The hotel sits in the heart of Yorkville, the ritzy Toronto neighborhood where much of the festival's glamour plays out.

> located in the heart of the city's ritzy Yorkville neighborhood
## Dinner above the skyline
The outdoor dinner took over the rooftop of TONO, the hotel's new restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Akira Back. Just over 30 guests got skyline views.
## Nikkei on the menu
The meal drew on Nikkei cuisine, which blends Japanese and Peruvian cooking. It's the style that runs through Akira Back's kitchen at TONO.

> a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian dishes
## Late night at TOKI
The party ran late at TOKI Listening Bar, the hotel's hidden vinyl bar. It pours cocktails inspired by Japanese whiskey and has highballs on tap.

> the hotel's hidden vinyl bar
## Key takeaway

W Toronto opened its TIFF season with an intimate rooftop dinner at TONO and a late night at TOKI Listening Bar, with Avantika as the headline guest.