O&B Holiday Gift Guide
10 O&B-approved gift ideas for everyone on your shopping list
Season’s eatings, Toronto! Whether you’re browsing for a final few items or have yet to start your holiday shopping, O&B is here to help. We’ve created the ultimate holiday gift guide so you can spend less time browsing and more time eating, drinking and being merry. From stocking stuffers to bigger-ticket items and even a host/hostess gift or two, you’ll be in your giftee’s good books throughout 2023!
Get inspired and shop the guide below.
A Memorable Meal
This season, gift the joy of eating out. Redeemable at over 25 restaurants, the uber-versatile O&B gift card is a choose-your-own dining adventure that never expires. Treat loved ones to a Mediterranean feast at Babel, an elegant French affair at Auberge du Pommier; an evening of comforting British favourites at The Rabbit Hole and more. Shop online and email directly to your giftee, or purchase a physical card in-restaurant.
Make it a Movie Night
Why not gift your movie-loving friends and family a TIFF membership? Members receive free tickets to over 200 Cinematheque films, exclusive Toronto International Film Festival pre-sales, invitations to special events and more. Pair with drinks and bites at Luma or Canteen located inside the TIFF Bell Lightbox and you’ve got a guaranteed winner.
Kitchen Inspiration
Inspire foodies and chefs-in-the-making with a Canadian cookbook filled with delicious recipes to try at home. Some of our favourite picks include Afrim Pristine’s For the Love of Cheese (complete with a foreword by Chef Michael Bonacini), Langdon Hall by Jason Bangerter and Chris Johns and Caesar Country by Aaron Harowitz and Zack Silverman. Write a personalized message on the inside cover for a thoughtful way to say happy holidays.
Laughing All The Way
For a fun night out, grab your giftee some tickets to Second City, Toronto’s legendary improv and sketch comedy hub. Their new location at 1 York Street features three theatres and a full-service restaurant and bar with food by — you guessed it — Oliver & Bonacini. Plus, use the promo code OBGIFT to get 25% off your ticket purchase from now until the end of February 2023. Belly laughs and full bellies… who wouldn’t love that?
Boozy and Bright
Know a couple of cocktail lovers? Made one batch at a time, Dillon’s x O&B Collaboration Spirits use locally grown ingredients and copper stills to deliver unique handcrafted spirits without artificial flavours or colours. Stock your recipient’s bar cart with Dillon’s Selby Cucumber Gin or Canoe’s Single Barrel Rye.
Dinner and a Show
Shopping for the person with everything? You can’t go wrong with an experiential gift! Potterheads will love tickets to see Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, or you can choose from many more Mirvish shows to come like the highly anticipated Toronto engagement of Hamilton. Add a pre-show meal at Sap or Leña for productions at Ed Mirvish Theatre or Luma and Canteen for those playing on King Street West and they’ll be singing your praises (and maybe some show tunes, too).
FAN-tastic Favourites
Bring a little holiday cheer to the sports lover in your life (see what we did there?). Jump on Ticketmaster and secure some tickets to a TFC or Argos game along with lunch or dinner at Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery. Recipients will love stopping in for a flight of beer or BBQ platter with fellow fans on their way to or from BMO Field.
Sugarplum Fun
Tickets to The Nutcracker make a magical gift for tiny dancers and adults alike. Pair a set of tickets with dinner at Sap, just a five-minute walk from the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. From Dec 10–31, guests can enjoy two courses for $39 or three courses for $49 with Sap’s Nutcracker Prix Fixe, which also includes a kid-friendly main and dessert option for $25.
For the Weekend Warrior
Looking to really wow your giftee? Treat them to some time away at Blue Mountain Resort for a winter wonderland escape or a March Break getaway complete with a memorable meal at Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, Blue Mountain. Fancy something further afield? A luxurious stay at Montréal’s Le Mount Stephen — the grand heritage mansion once belonging to Sir George Stephen — would put a smile on anyone’s face. Hot tip: opt for dinner at Bar George for a contemporary take on classic U.K. fare, spiked with a few Québecois quirks.
Don’t Forget the Host!
Holiday rule of thumb: never show up empty-handed. Whether you’re off to a family dinner or a festive potluck, you can’t go wrong with comfort food like Sap’s famous Pork Shoulder Tourtières. Order online for pickup and stock your freezer while you’re at it! Need a great bottle of vino? Our partners at Cave Spring have developed three crowd-pleasers, including Jump Chardonnay, Biff’s Juicy Red and O&B Sparkle & Buzz Brut.
With ten fun and creative gift ideas to choose from (if we do say so ourselves), even last-minute shoppers can look like a hero this holiday season. Plus, O&B has got plenty of restaurants to fuel mall-goers, too! Bayview Village shoppers can stop in at Beauty Eats, Parcheggio or Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, Bayview Village for a bite while Sherway Gardens shoppers can enjoy a break at Beaumont Kitchen. Braving the crowds at the Eaton Centre? Leña’s bold South American flavours will help put a pep in your step.
Happy shopping!
Photography Credits Nutcracker Photo: Karolina Kuras | Second City Photo: The Canadian Press & Arthur Mola | Cookbook Photo: Penguin Random House | TIFF Photo: Rayson Ho
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