here's a place in Toronto where you can experience the sensation of travelling the globe in the span of a few hours, without the aid of injectable substances or frequent-flyer miles: Pass through the glass portals at Front and Church, where you’ll be greeted by two hollowed bamboo tree trunks. Descend further to a lower level, past dozens of antique mirrors, into the charismatic lair that is The Foundation Room.

On first reflection, the space could seem a venue split between subterranean drinking den and upmarket lounge, your average downtown bar. Delve a little deeper and you’ll uncover a place of raw, impetuous – yet completely irresistible - innocent fun.

A large marble bar, impressive tiger wood flooring and sparkling chandeliers all conspire to form great first impressions. With an aesthetic that borrows from Morocco, the space is decorated with rich colours and ill-defined spaces, each bleeding into the next.

The back area is pleasantly pumped with deep red drapes, puffy furniture, gold-trimmed tables and festive vases, all showcased by massive industrial steel beams (happily freed from sheets of drywall). The mix of gold and dark reds reflects the dominant theme.

On the way to the restrooms - both of which are decorated with black tile and red piping and have an air of a Sheikh’s quarters - you pass a little brick cave that is used to showcase the liquor stock. A true showstopper, really, as the natural brick is a virtual shrine to the bottles within, highlighted by single LED light and a sheet of glass.