Best Group Dining 2009

Getting a table for two on a Saturday requires calling ahead; getting a table for 10 requires a maître d’–manipulating miracle. For those who want to enjoy a meal with an entourage, here are the top spots for super-sized dining

Image credit: Jack Dylan

At Torito’s more laid-back but equally authentic resto-bar downstairs, jugs of sangria are great for a gang—although after a glass or two and a few fantastic crab croquettes, the pitcher-per-person urge might prevail.

There’s no place quite like Oddfellows. At this resto-studio (it’s owned by the design firm Castor), super-friendly servers and a sense of studied unpretentiousness (lamb stew, anyone?) create a family dinner mood. With just one communal table in the tiny room, hanging with a group is a must, so your fellow diners might as well be your friends.

The funky private room at Amaya’s Bread Bar (which seats up to 40) is one of the city’s liveliest venues. Its rich red decor and vibrant paintings match the playful tone of the chef’s unapologetically experimental tasting menu, a mouth-watering mix of trad and mod Indian dishes made for sharing.

Sun worshippers, take note. The Spice Route’s bamboo-and-bliss-soaked patio transports clubbers to Koh Samui. Items are to be shared, but the by-the-pitcher cocktails are the real draw: green tea with black cherry vodka and peach schnapps, for example. 499 King St. W. (at Brant St.), 416-849-1808.

PicNic Wine Bar embraces the best aspects of its kitschy name: groups can huddle at a communal table and create their perfect platter by selecting from 24 rustic snacks (olives, chorizo). Wine flights provide plentiful pairing options, and best of all, there’s nary an ant in sight.

Originally published April 2009

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