{ Posts Tagged ‘restaurant makeover’ }

bloor street diner’s restaurant makeover

Here’s another restaurant makeover that really rocked my socks.

The recent $750,000 refresh of Yorkville’s iconic Bloor Street Diner brought the 28-year-old eatery into full-on cool and contemporary territory, without sacrificing the casual comfort (and surprisingly affordable menu) that originally put it on the map. And the Cobb salad’s just as tremendous as it always was.

I was lunching at the Diner last week, and had the chance to chat with Sebastien Centner, director of Eatertainment — the firm that operates the Diner in addition to some of Toronto’s most celebrated (and celebrity-frequented!) restaurants, including the Panorama Lounge. Sebastien kindly shared the “before” shots, knowing that I absolutely luuuuurve a tasty transformation!

 

Here’s the Dining Room BEFORE the makeover… An late-’90s mix of American diner and French brasserie…

diningroombefore bloor street diners restaurant makeover

 

 

… And after!

diningroomafter bloor street diners restaurant makeover

diningroom2after bloor street diners restaurant makeover

Designed by Mehran Foroughi, the ceiling is solid teak panelling, elegantly lit by 40 spectacular conical pendants. The real standout for me is the textured white wall that lends the dining room a Euro-chic wine cellar vibe.

And I’m a sucker for an achromatic approach done well, which is certainly the case here. “We didn’t want the renovation to look dated in five years,” says Sebastien of the timeless black-and-white scheme (with a few hits of rich bordeaux, primarily in the cafe and billiards areas).

Congrats, and bon appetit! 

 

Bloor Street Diner, Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W. (Bay & Bloor), Toronto, 416-928-3105

restaurant makeover — ultra style!

wholeroom restaurant makeover — ultra style!

 

Goodbye, Ultra Supper Club; hello Ultra! The radical redesign and rebranding of Toronto’s elegant eatery reestablishes Ultra as the place to see and be seen in the hip Queen & Soho neighbourhood. If you’re not distracted by playing “spot the celeb”, check out the 15 ft. tall roosters, rendered on soaring screens from iconic photographer Stephen Green-Armytage. At the hub of Ultra’s “social dining experience”, the daring Canadian designers at Castor have crafted a grand solid oak dining table that seats 24. The 25-foot behemoth also doubles as a runway! Delish madness! Would you care for a catwalk after your cocktails?

 

Check out the hand-carved legs of Castor’s dining table. Incredible detail!

legdetail restaurant makeover — ultra style!

 

Acclaimed design duo munge//leung have delivered a delightfully tongue-in-cheek-global-chic vibe for the space. The cavernous entrance is lit by Moroccan-style lanterns and establishes a surprisingly intimate atmosphere. So gorgeous!

entrance restaurant makeover — ultra style!

 

Ultra, 314 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-263-0330

Photos by Device 222