Nobu restaurant and bar will mark its Canadian debut in Toronto in August (prior to the opening of Nobu Hotel Toronto, which is expected to debut in the spring of 2025). The world-renowned hotel and restaurant group, founded in 1994 by chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper, has released renderings of what patrons can expect at the resto-bar next month—including a separate bar and lounge, two private dining rooms, a sushi bar, and an outdoor terrace.
The establishment was first announced in 2017 and construction began a year later in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District at 25 Mercer Street, one block away from TIFF Light Box. Once complete, Nobu Toronto will rise 45 storeys above the historic Pilkington Glass Factory with two dramatic residential towers, featuring 660 residential units with striking views of the city.
The restaurant’s interior design was conceived by Toronto-based Studio Munge and will feature a blend of Japanese-inspired concepts and Canadian craftsmanship. The resto-bar will span 10,000 square feet across two levels and feature 278 seats.
The bar and lounge can be accessed at street level and offer 57 seats enveloped in a charming dark atmosphere. The bar’s main centrepiece is a 28-foot bronze chainmail Lasvit chandelier descending from the mezzanine level, imitating the drapery of a Japanese kimono. Warmly lit pillars will elevate the two-storey-high bar.
After sipping on a signature lychee martini or oni negroni, guests can head upstairs to the mezzanine level, which features a 20-seat sake bar and an intimate outdoor terrace reminiscent of a serene urban Japanese garden. The bar space is adorned in a blue and white colour palette expressed with a hand-applied plaster finish, gracefully curving across the layered ceiling.
For dinner, guests can head to the 140-seat courtyard dining room on the second level, featuring a porcelain art installation crafted by Canadian ceramic artist Andrea Braescu — the installation represents a Japanese ginkgo tree known as a “living fossil” – a symbol of peace, hope, and longevity.
For a more discrete experience, the restaurant offers a private tasting room for 10, adorned in contrasting dark cherry wood, as well as an intimate 20-seat private dining room tucked behind the cascading chandelier. That room is enclosed within bronze-tinted glass panels and offers a glimpse of the ground-level bar.
Also on the second level is an 11-seat sushi bar, where guests can sample delicious sushi while engaging with the chefs.
As for the menu, patrons can expect local perspectives on the signature Nobu experience, including new dishes honouring Toronto’s multicultural food scene by Executive Chef Alex Tzatzos, as well as iconic Japanese cuisine influenced by Chef Nobu’s travels across South America, such as Black Cod Miso, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno, and Rock Shrimp Tempura.
As always, service will be infused with Omotenashi — the Japanese spirit of hospitality.
Click here to sign up for early dining reservation access.