International chain Piola to bring pizza, rotating art exhibits to Queen West’s Bohemian Embassy

Queen West’s Bohemian Embassy condo will soon be home to the first Canadian location of Piola, a chain of eat-in pizza restaurants (not to be confused with local chain Pizzaiolo, whose closest location is 1.4 km east). The restaurant, which features a brick oven and 95 seats, touts its “rigorously Italian” heritage, although only the original location is in its home country (compared to eight in Brazil and 10 in the States). The Toronto menu is still being finalized, but we’re told it’ll be similar to the restaurant’s Miami fare, with a few twists.

Piola’s food and prices are approachable (in Miami, pizzas hover around $13), and the decor is meant to be fun and unpretentious (although we’re not sure about the multicoloured lights and painted squiggles at most locations). Unlike most pizza chains, Piola publishes an annual magazine that captures the “essence of the Piola food culture and activities.” Also, all Piola restaurants support local artists by hosting events and rotating six-week exhibitions, all of which feels suspiciously like the Bohemian Embassy is trying to make nice with a neighbourhood that was less than thrilled when the new development was announced. The restaurant is slated to open by the end of November.

Piola, 1165 Queen St. W., piola.it.