Charles Khabouth and Danny Soberano, two of the most prolific names in Toronto hospitality, have opened Bar Romy in the Entertainment District — a casual Italian restaurant taking over the former home of Figo, which was also Italian, just considerably more formal.
The shift in tone is intentional. Where Figo leaned into fine dining, Bar Romy is built around a menu of antipasti, house-made pasta, Roman-style pizza, and a strong sandwich program, aiming for something people can drop into any day of the week — whether that’s a quick pre-theatre bite or a full celebratory dinner with friends. Khabouth describes it as exactly the kind of restaurant the neighbourhood has been missing: unpretentious, welcoming, and easy to return to often.
Chef Ben Heaton leads the kitchen, working from what Khabouth calls “honest Italian cooking” — familiar, comforting dishes built from high-quality imported ingredients, executed with care rather than flash. The goal, per the team, is food that feels like a grandmother’s cooking reimagined for a modern dining room, not reinvented beyond recognition.
Inside, the space is designed to transport diners to a corner of Italy, offering a deliberate contrast to a stretch of downtown increasingly dominated by chain-restaurant energy. For a neighbourhood that sees no shortage of tourist traffic and pre-show diners, Bar Romy is betting that genuine hospitality and a reliable red-sauce menu will outlast flashier competition.
Bar Romy is now open in the Entertainment District — a solid pick for anyone who wants real Italian comfort food without the fine-dining price tag or formality.