Toronto’s roots run deep in this jewel-toned, Deco-accented bar off the busy lobby of The Fairmont Royal York. Martinis here have been poured tableside with flair for more than 50 years. A portrait of George Locke, the city’s early 20th-century chief librarian, hangs over the mantelpiece. The menu investigates plot points and geographic backdrops from Michael Ondaatje’s novel In the Skin of a Lion, which is set in Toronto. For example, Belly of the Beast — a nutty, spiced marriage of mace, pecan, Jamaican rum, Canadian whisky, Greek brandy and sea buckthorn — is inspired by the protagonist’s journey from the Mediterranean to Union Station (which is right across the street from the bar). This reverence for the city’s origins doesn’t equate to stuffiness. Beverage director James Grant (World Class Global Bartender of the Year in 2021) and his crew employ innovative techniques, exacting execution and right-brain thinking to keep the storied bar just as exciting as it was on the day it opened.