A swanky seafood spot has been transformed into Toronto’s newest listening lounge
Out with Pink Sky’s surf and turf, in with Vinny’s vinyl
This past January, seasoned restaurant flippers Charles Khabouth and Danny Soberano of Ink Entertainment closed the doors to Pink Sky, their swanky King West seafood restaurant. This week, they reopened those very same doors—but this time it’s Vinny, a listening bar that looks like a zhuzhed-up rec room from the ’70s, decked out with vintage speakers, stacks of vinyl records, Persian rugs and a forest’s worth of wood panelling.
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Much like the vibe of the space, the new menu offers a contemporary take on comfort food from around the world. Think mushrooms done in the style of carbonara or hake Kiev, a seafood spin on the classic chicken dish, with pesto butter, silky potato purée and smoked hollandaise.
But, like at many of Charles Khabouth’s spots, the food is almost secondary to the entertainment. “We wanted to create a place where people come for dinner, then stay for the music and vibe,” says Khabouth. To that end, the lights are dim, the music is loud and when the food stops, the cocktails don’t. The menu’s standout drink: Staying Alive, a savoury blend of Patron Silver, gentian liqueur, earthy matcha, fresh cucumber, cucumber syrup and saline solution with a Tajín rim. And with nothing on the drinks card north of $20, guests can afford to linger and listen to the next track.
480 King St. W., vinnytoronto.com, @vinny.toronto
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
