What’s on the menu at Mossop’s Social House, Hotel Victoria’s Levantine-inspired restaurant, cocktail bar and café
Tomer Markovitz of Romi’s Bakery was the consulting chef
More New Restaurants
Name: Mossop’s Social House
Contact: 56 Yonge St., mossops.ca, @mossops.social
Neighbourhood: Financial District
Owner: Silver Hotel Group
Chef: Asokkumar Tharumalingam
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
Mossop’s Social House is—as the current trend dictates—a restaurant, coffee house, cocktail bar and hangout spot all rolled into one. Attached to the newly renovated Hotel Victoria, it’s named after Frederick Mossop, a former hotel clerk who bought the site in 1906 and opened the Hotel Mossop a few years later. A portrait of him in the foyer keeps an eye on the goings-on.
The building has since been through several rounds of ownership, and the first-floor restaurant space was more recently a breakfast spot called Over Easy. After a thorough renovation—which carefully preserved some of the historical features, including the original flooring—Mossop’s Social House officially opened in October.
The food
Tomer Markovitz—chef and owner of Romi’s—was the lead culinary consultant for this project. His influence is everywhere: the emerald-green falafel, the velvety hummus, the flaky bourekas and the rich Nutella-filled challah, which comes straight from his St. Clair West bakery. For breakfast, every item on the menu comes with a salatim platter—a spread of challah with tahini, labneh, chopped salad and Moroccan carrots. Dinner options include a selection of grilled skewers and sharables (as well as a larger version of the salatim). The breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are all plant-forward and include plenty of gluten- and dairy-free options.
The drinks
“We curated our beverage menu to reflect the history of Hotel Victoria by putting our twist on classic cocktails, which were also inspired by our food menu,” says food-and-beverage manager Jhovaine Brown. Zero-proof options are no afterthought here, with nine carefully designed non-alcoholic tipples at notably lower prices than their boozy counterparts. There’s also a streamlined wine menu and two “drink towers” (think bubbly or customizable spritzes for eight or 12 guests). Mossop’s partnered with Detour Coffee and Metz Luxury Tea for its café menu, which features all the espresso-based beverages one might expect as well as drip coffee.
The space
Mossop’s is spacious, comfortable and eclectic—WestGrove Design studio carefully preserved a handful of historical features, like charmingly lived-in hand-laid marble mosaic tile and stained glass above the main entrance. The layout is split into a few different areas. Off the main entrance are alcoves with cozy lounge seating, including one playfully appointed the Coral Room, in a space that used to be the hotel’s ladies-only entrance (think Flapper Barbie’s Dreamhouse complete with a peacock-adorned gold mirror). Past the reception desk is the main dining area, lined by a long bar decorated with dried flowers and a fringed fuchsia lamp. Off this area is the Mosaic Room, currently used as a small art gallery. It’s cozy enough for a solo coffee and big enough for a party.
