The Old Spaghetti Factory’s new sister spot is nothing like the kitschy red-sauce restaurant

Name: Eloise Contact: 42 The Esplanade, eloiserestaurant.ca, @eloisetoronto
Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence Owners: Graham and Dan Hnatiw (Old Spaghetti Factory, Scotland Yard, Bar Cathedral) Chef: Akhil Hajare (Alo, Alo Bar, Bangkok’s Gaggan) Accessibility: Fully Accessible

For more than half a century, the Hnatiw name has been stitched into the fabric of Toronto’s dining scene via the Old Spaghetti Factory, that 54-year-old temple to red sauce on the Esplanade. Brothers Graham and Dan grew up in its glow. Like Drake, they started at the bottom—scraping gum, tightening chairs, sweating through shifts in the dish pit—before working their way up to bussing, serving and, eventually, managing the family restaurants.

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The brothers spent years running the nostalgic spot and its sister pub, Scotland Yard, before striking out in 2021 with Bar Cathedral, a dance club carved from the restaurant’s old overflow bar. But Eloise, in the former Shoeless Joe’s space next door, is the siblings’ first ground-up build and long-term lease. The concept is split but symbiotic, with two rooms and one kitchen: Eloise, a polished dining room, and Bar Cart, a speakeasy-ish cocktail lounge.

Growing up in a hospitality household gave the Hnatiws callouses where most people have nerves. Tariffs and inflation spikes? They’re rattling—but not for two brothers who have been fixtures on this strip since their teens. What does give them pause is Toronto’s snap judgment. Say the name Hnatiw and people familiar with the family’s legacy picture bottomless breadsticks and complimentary spumoni ice cream—not Dover sole carved tableside. “We know that some baggage comes with our last name,” says Graham. “People don’t expect us to open something like this.” For years, Hnatiw has been shorthand for kitsch and carbs. With Eloise, the brothers are hell-bent on rewriting that script.

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The Food

At Eloise, chef Akhil Hajare cooks with enoteca comfort and steakhouse swagger. There’s a lean roster of pastas, salads and crudos, but also dry-aged beef, Dover sole and tableside theatrics. The menu is unmistakably Toronto in its quiet use of spice and umami, with ingredients from Japan, India, China and Thailand making appearances here and there. The through line is balance: indulgent without weight, luxurious without flex. Hajare doesn’t need Wagyu or caviar to strut—his menu proves that elegance is enough.

Though Bar Cart uses the same kitchen as Eloise, it has its own menu. The snacks pull from everywhere, so there’s crispy cauliflower with Korean gochujang ($16), Brazilian-style mortadella skewers ($18), and Chicken 65 from South India with curry leaf and tongue-tingling chilies ($18). Where Eloise leans refined, Bar Cart is loud: bold flavours and a heavy hand with the deep fryer—exactly the kind of food that pairs well with a stiff drink.

The Drinks

Much like their different spaces, Eloise and Bar Cart are divided when it comes to their cocktails. In the dining room, drinks lean classic and restrained, designed to complement rather than compete with the food. Think negronis, palomas and whiskey sours. “Eloise runs with a classical backbone,” says Dan. But slip through the hidden passage that leads to Bar Cart, and the mood flips. Here, the drinks are spirit-forward, globally inflected concoctions built with lab toys including a $20,000 rotary evaporator with Swiss parts.

Eloise’s wine list, curated by AGM and sommelier Yuliya Grytsay (ex-Enigma), leans European and highlights woman-led wineries, like Marina Cvetić in Abruzzo and Maria Donata Bianchi in Liguria. Prices are accessible, with entry pours starting at $14 by the glass or $42 a bottle. The bulk of the bottle selection sits in the $70 to $150 range, though there are a few statement vintages—like the 2010 Valdicava Brunello “Madonna del Piano” Riserva at $775—for those looking to splurge.

The Space

A subtle railcar motif, hinted at in the curved banquettes and organza drapes, threads Eloise and Bar Cart together. The two rooms play off each other: Eloise is soft and airy in blush and taupe, and Bar Cart leans dark and sultry in rust and slate. They’re joined behind the scenes by a hidden pass and a single kitchen.

Both rooms were designed by Westgrove, a woman-led Toronto firm. “For Eloise, we were inspired by old-world interiors—wood panelling, plaster walls, mouldings,” says principal Keri MacLellan. Together, the spaces span about 5,000 square feet, with 86 seats in Eloise and 60 at Bar Cart.