Some restaurant concepts are built to fill a market gap. Others are built because their creators simply had something specific to say. Eloise and Bar Cart — the dual-concept opening from brothers Graham and Dan Hnatiw at 42 The Esplanade — falls firmly in the second category, and the result is one of the most thoughtfully considered new dining and drinking experiences Toronto has seen in years.
Graham and Dan are the next generation of the Hnatiw family, whose name has long been associated with the Old Spaghetti Factory. Rather than continue the family legacy in its familiar form, they’ve used Eloise to articulate their own vision: a sophisticated dining room defined by curves, silk accents, burl walnut and an atmosphere of refined intimacy that feels genuinely elegant without tipping into stiffness.
The menu balances light, seasonal starters with more ambitious mains, and the kitchen is clearly operating with the kind of confidence that comes from having something to prove. But the real conversation piece is Bar Cart — accessible through a hidden door at the back of Eloise and designed as a moody, railcar-inspired speakeasy with velvet banquettes, vintage-inspired cocktails and curated playlists that set an unmistakably particular mood.
Together, the two concepts create an arc for an evening: dinner at Eloise, then a retreat through the hidden door to Bar Cart for something quieter, more intimate and more surprising. It’s a format that rewards the curious and makes a compelling case for Toronto nightlife as a genuine art form.
Reserve your table at Eloise through their website and make sure to save room at Bar Cart for the second act. 42 The Esplanade is where Toronto’s most interesting evening out is happening right now.