There’s a great story behind Eloise, one of Toronto’s most talked-about new openings of the year.
Graham and Dan Hnatiw are the brothers behind the Old Spaghetti Factory — one of Canada’s most recognizable family dining chains. But at Eloise, on the Esplanade, they’ve done something entirely different.
The room is all softness and sophistication: burl walnut tables, silk accents, curves instead of straight lines, cosy nooks that invite lingering. It’s a study in what happens when a family with decades of hospitality experience decides to aim at a completely new target.
Hidden behind a door at the back of Eloise is Bar Cart — a moody, railcar-inspired speakeasy that operates as one of the city’s best post-dinner drinking destinations. The entrance alone has become an event.
For the nightlife crowd, Eloise is worth knowing about as a pre-game destination or a late dinner spot that doesn’t feel rushed. It occupies a different register than the King West party circuit, but in the best way — it’s a place where the evening can actually slow down and breathe.