Just in time for Canada's peak sporting months, Toronto's Scotiabank Arena has upgraded your game-day experience with some serious renovations. Home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, the downtown venue’s Reimagination Project includes vibrant murals, a new Mastercard Lounge and more.
Call me a fair-weather fan, but the new and luxurious Mastercard Lounge is just the thing to get me to see my favourite Toronto sports teams in person.
Delivering a fantastic view and gourmet food, the first-of-its-kind entertainment hub lives up to the hype. I'm talking about luxe "dream seats," a crème brûlée station and freshly shucked oysters — and that's only the start.
Comfy seats & awesome views from the Mastercard Lounge
The view from the Mastercard Lounge. Courtesy of Mastercard
The 200-level space serves a five-star restaurant vibe with the comfort of a jersey-and-jeans dress code. There are marble walls, gold accents and first-class table settings.
Fans can sit on the high-top stools for easy access to the buffet and bar, but I’m partial to the aforementioned "dream seats." Aptly named, these leather chairs put other arena seats to shame. Not only are they comfortable, but they're located on a balcony directly overlooking the bowl. Whether you’ve got tickets to the playoffs or your favourite artists' concert, you won’t miss a thing from your vantage point.
Dream Seats in the Mastercard Lounge. Courtesy of Mastercard
Plus, every seat is accompanied by a classy table for all your assorted treats and libations. Trust me, you’ll want to sample all the kitchen's creations — the chefs who create the menus for Mastercard Lounge are Michelin Star trained and not messing around.
On the menu at the Mastercard Lounge
A chef at Scotiabank Arena's Mastercard Lounge. Courtesy of Mastercard
The must-visit lounge at Scotiabank Arena builds upon Mastercard’s culinary footprint around the world that shows off a commitment to seriously good food as part of the company’s multisensory strategy.
Smashing the boundaries of typical arena eats, the Mastercard Lounge's bar and food offerings are here to impress, with everything from shrimp and oysters on ice to the bespoke cocktails, Passion and Optimism. And, of course, ice-cold beer.
The Passion cocktail. Right: The Optimism cocktail. Courtesy of Mastercard, Sierra Riley | Narcity Media
The curated sips available are a nod to Mastercard's taste of "Priceless." Passion features whiskey, passionfruit syrup and pinot noir, while Optimism is made with gin, sesame agave syrup and elderflower tonic.
Vegetarian food options included colourful salads and heirloom vegetables, but the true MVP was the dessert buffet. My sweet tooth drew me to the pistachio cake and crème brûlée station, which included both vegan and dairy renditions of the French treat.
The Mastercard Lounge buffet. Sierra Riley | Narcity Media
The menu is refreshed daily, so you likely won’t get all the same options as I did — though I hope for your sake that the crème brûlée station is a mainstay.
How to get into the Mastercard Lounge at Scotiabank Arena
Access to the Mastercard Lounge at Scotiabank Arena is a members-only affair, but if you're a Mastercard cardholder, you can save money on the membership fee in this inaugural year. Or, if you're feeling lucky, you can enter Mastercard’s contest on priceless.com and win your way in.
Whether you're a Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto Raptors fan, you can score tickets to a top-tier Scotiabank Arena home game for you and a friend. There are three pairs of tickets up for grabs for each of these four upcoming games:
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins: Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 7 p.m.
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 7 p.m.
- Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks: Friday, December 1, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
- Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks: Friday, December 15, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
The contest is open now and runs until November 19, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., with winners announced on November 21. Full contest rules can be found here.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so shoot your shot, but be warned — you might just get hooked on this next-level fan experience. I’m counting the days until I’m reunited with that dessert bar.
Mastercard Lounge at Scotiabank Arena
Sierra Riley at Scotiabank Arena's Mastercard Lounge. Daniel Hagon | Narcity Media
Where: Scotiabank Arena - 40 Bay St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Elevate game day with Mastercard’s multisensory experience including gourmet eats and unbeatable views. Enter the contest for your chance to win seats for you and a pal this season!
To learn more about the new Mastercard Lounge at Scotiabank Arena and enter the Mastercard contest, check out the official website.