Famed restaurant Nobu has announced that its first Canadian location will finally open its doors in Toronto this August, and the upcoming addition to the acclaimed Japanese restaurant empire has shared a new preview of what it will feel like to visit the highly anticipated establishment.
The Nobu Hotel, Restaurant & Residences project now wrapping up construction at 15-35 Mercer Street will be anchored by the first Canadian presence of the famed Nobu Restaurant, a restaurant venture founded in 1994 by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Hollywood icon Robert De Niro and movie producer Meir Teper.
The restaurant has been hyped up for years, first unveiled in 2017 and celebrated with a star-studded groundbreaking event the following year.
After six years of construction, the complex of twin 45-storey Teeple Architects-designed towers in Toronto is finally nearing completion and ready to welcome the 10,000-square-foot, two-level, 278-seat restaurant with separate bar and lounge spaces, two private dining rooms, a sushi bar and an outdoor terrace.
Nobu now confirms an early August opening date for the new restaurant, opening just in time to become the newest celebrity hangout during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
The opening announcement is accompanied by new renderings of the Studio Munge-designed interiors, giving the public a glimpse at what awaits next month.
Visitors will enter Nobu through the bar and lounge area on the ground floor, offering 57 seats amid a space featuring a 28-foot bronze chainmail Lasvit chandelier and handcrafted Kawara Japanese roof tiles.
This ground-floor space will connect with a mezzanine level via a grand staircase.
Moving the party upstairs, a mezzanine level hosts a 20-seat sake bar area, a terrace inspired by urban Japanese gardens, and an artwork by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai Katsushika.
The main restaurant space on the second floor will offer a blonde elm Japanese 140-seat courtyard dining room, including a private tasting room finished in dark cherry wood with an exclusive capacity of just ten guests. People will enter this dining area through a sculptural space referred to as “The Great Wave.”
One notable feature of this space will be a suspended light and porcelain art installation crafted by Canadian ceramic artist Andrea Braescu.
The second level will also host an 11-seat sushi bar, giving visitors the chance to directly interact with sushi chefs.
Another second-level space is the private dining room with a capacity of just 20 seats.
Nobu will serve up the restaurant’s famous staples like Black Cod Miso, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno, and Rock Shrimp Tempura alongside signature cocktails like the Lychee Martini and Oni Negroni. There will also be new Toronto-specific menu items celebrating the city’s multicultural food scene from Executive Chef Alex Tzatzos.
Nobu will open at 25 Mercer Street this August, with the Nobu Hotel Toronto expected to welcome its first guests in spring 2025.