Canadian World Traveller

66
St. Regis, Toronto
by Jennifer Merrick
Champagne: in victory one deserves it;
in defeat one needs it. — Napoleon
The French emperor enjoyed his bubbly so
much that his cavalry would open bottles on
horseback, a difficult task to be sure. To
accomplish this, a horseman would grab a
sabre from his belt and slice through the neck
of the bottle with one clean swipe.
And so began the art of sabrage, a tradition
that continues to be carried out worldwide,
and one that has been embraced by the St.
Regis Hotel brand in its Evening Sabering
Ritual. We were delighted to witness this ceremony
at the St. Regis Hotel in Toronto, the
first Canadian location for this illustrious
brand.
“Our founding father, Jacob Astor, and his
family would sabre a bottle of champagne to
celebrate the end of the work day and welcome
the beginning of the evening,”
explained the sommelier to the crowd gathered
in the Astor Lounge. In the luxurious, yet
comfortable, ambiance of the lounge with its
fireplace, sofas and marbled bar, we were
more than ready for the evening to start.
After explaining the history of the sabrage
and reading the Napoleon quote, the sommelier
expertly slid the knife over the neck,
severing the bottle cleanly with not a pop of
the cork to be heard. Applause and cocktails
followed, and we indulged in a Negroni
Sbagliato, consisting of Campari, Sweet
Vermouth and Champagne (which somehow
tasted better sabred). Our evening at the St.
Regis had officially kicked off.
The spacious suite (almost half of the hotel’s
256 rooms are suites) echoed the rich comfort
of the lounge with leather sofas, stately
desk and marbled and crystal accents. The
bathrooms were particularly blissful with an
oversized tub, heated marble floors and a television
embedded in the mirror.
Large windows looked out to Toronto’s
bustling downtown core, which was coming
to life in the fading sun. The city lights shone
brighter by the moment, beckoning us to
explore.
The Regis location at Bay and Adelaide made
it easy to do just that, as many of the city’s
most well-known attractions, including the
Eaton Centre, CN Tower, Roger’s Center and
live theatre venues, were in walking distance.
We checked out a newish addition to
Toronto’s culinary scene –Assembly Chef’s
Hall. This upscale food hub featured 18+
eateries, two bars and a coffee shop under
one roof. So whatever cuisine you happen to
be craving, there’s a good chance of walking
away satisfied. We certainly were with our
brisket sandwich from Cherry Street BBQ and
Shoyu Kotteri Tsukemen at Ramen Isshin.
Back at St. Regis, we took advantage of the
sizable saltwater pool, which was perched up
on the 32nd floor, offering commanding
views of the city that stretched out to Lake
Ontario. It was an indulgent end to a luxurious
stay that was certainly worth toasting to.
Now, where did I put that sabre?
www.stregis.com
Canadian World Traveller Fall 2019