Just one month after a new Piano Piano location opened next door to Paradise Theatre on Bloor St. W., Toronto is set to welcome another highly anticipated Piano Piano location — this time in the city’s east end. This Saturday, March 8, Piano Piano Leslieville will open its doors, offering its signature charm and high-quality Italian cuisine.
The restaurant is nestled at 1190 Dundas St. East, right next to the Crow’s Theatre, so patrons can dine on delicious Italian cuisine before enjoying an award-winning production. This location is designed by the award-winning Design Studio Future Studio, led by Ali McQuaid Mitchell, who was also behind the restaurant’s Bloor St W, Mount Pleasant, Oakville, Colborne, and Piccolo Piano Pizzeria locations.
Patrons can expect a blend of moody, colourful and vibrant textiles, including large-scale snake wallpaper, creating a captivating and fun theatrical experience. For artwork — Piano Piano Creative Director Nikki Leigh McKean commissioned her daughters, artists Charlotte and Sofie Barry, to design a piece titled the “Magick Wall of Wands”. Also look out for two large-scale works, “Let Us Begin” and “Fly” by Toronto-based artist by Megan Landes — her works explore the mystical nature of crows, seances and magical beings.
“Every space we bring to life is a creative act of love” McKean said. “For Leslieville, we embraced a theatrical feel, pulling from the ‘Crow’ and inviting in the similarities of live theatre and other dramatic elements in a restaurant to tell a story each and every night.”
McKean added that creating a restaurant is an amalgamation of imagination, intention and intuition, involving artists shapeshifting, playing and working with whatever they have to bring an idea and vision to life.
“Although the process is fluid, there is always an invitation to make room for interpretation and adaptation to the space to make it feel more intimate, more vibrant, more alive and a little fantastical—somewhere that makes every meal feel special. This is the practice of magick!”
As always, guests at Piano Piano Leslieville can enjoy the restaurant’s beloved menu of house-made pastas, pizzas, and seasonal Italian specialties, alongside a selection of more indulgent dishes like ribeye, rack of lamb, octopus, lobster, caviar, and truffles.
“Our menu has evolved so much over the years—it’s gone beyond our signature pizza and pasta to become a true Italian feast,” Piano Piano Co-Founder and Chef Victor Barry said. “This new space feels like the perfect setting to enjoy it all, from classic comforts to the kind of dishes you order when you’re really ready to indulge.”
Piano Piano Leslieville, the sixth location in the restaurant group, is located at 1190 Dundas St E, right next door to Crow’s Theatre at Dundas E and Carlaw. The restaurant will open daily from 12 pm until late, serving lunch, happy hour, dinner, and everything in between.