Hard to compete with Christmas ornaments, but Caren's - in its two-month existence - has managed to create a scene with the right kind of magic. With its entire leather wall and miniature custom-made chandeliers (Walters found one in an antique store, and had six more reproduced) Caren’s reads as a hipster's version of a fondue party.

Dark, plush and polished, with woodwork buffed to a high shrine and the pungent scent of wine wafting through the room, Caren's evokes an air of sophistication, of people who know one another from boarding school engaging in witty banter, sipping wine and looking down on the rest of us. Two levels continue with the same vibe (meaning no VIP area), so find a seat you like and try to capture the spirit.

Still finding its legs, the mix includes not just Nesbitt Burns boys, which is HQ'd uptown, but also visiting Four Seasons types and the much-desired urban cocktail crowd that has picked up on the new pulse on the street.

It's too early to say whether the fresh-faced Caren's will have smooth sailing. Yorkville is the trickiest of all Toronto areas; while spectacular spots that were instantly adored had shockingly short life spans, some of the cities most smirked-upon venues soldier on forever in these parts.