What’s on the menu at Kissa, a sleek multi-level listening bar with a karaoke room on King West
Including smoked cocktails and caviar-topped oysters
More New Restaurants
Name: Kissa
Contact: 619 King St. W., 416-203-3777, kissatoronto.com, @kissatoronto
Neighbourhood: King West
Owners: Dan Gunam (Soluna, Roosevelt Room, Story’s, Parcae) and Vito Tomasicchio (Nodo, Soluna, Nest, Hush Hush)
Chef: Michael Parubocki (Kasamoto, Momofuku)
Accessibility: The main floor is fully accessible
After the pandemic, a time when a focus on deeper connections—to anything or anyone—became crucial, 1950s Japanese-inspired vinyl listening bars saw a global rise in popularity. The trend eventually made its way to Toronto with the Little Jerry (which opened its doors in late 2019) and Standard Time. And while these listening bars, which boast stylish audio equipment and highly curated record collections, are typically intimate paces, the swanky and multi-level Kissa, King West’s newest addition to the evolving trend, is more club than cozy.
Related: The Little Jerry, Toronto’s first listening bar for serious audiophiles
Brought to you by nightlife guru Dan Gunam, Kissa—Santal scented, velvet draped and mirror lined—is a lot for a speakeasy-inspired lounge. But, although details within the space, like the massive wood-slatted spin station and the Tron-like stairwell, are over the top in that King Street kind of way, the overall effect of the swanky listening lounge is far from gauche. In fact, the opulence of the details works to create a venue in which the collection of richly historic vinyl can shine.
The food
Having fallen in love with Japanese culinary techniques as a ’90s kid watching episodes of the original Iron Chef, Michael Parubocki became dedicated to mastering the meticulousness, harmony and understated beauty of the cuisine. And while his Japanese-style snacks have an intense artfulness about them, they’re still playful. For instance, the A5 Wagyu Sando (which rings in at $85) is a buttery cut of beef seared rare and audaciously served between two pieces of house-made milk bread. And the Mushroom Forest, an exquisite dish of roasted and fried fungi, looks more like a Japanese pop-up card than it does a plate of food.
The drinks
The cocktail card is divided into three categories: Albums (signatures), Compilations (shareables) and Singles (highballs). Commitment to the experience is part of the fun here, so the Back in Black is a must-order. For it, Johnny Walker Black, house-made black sesame orgeat, Madeira, fig and cinnamon are shaken over ice and strained into a claret glass. The drink is smoked tableside and enclosed in a cloche until ready to drink. It’s much fancier than a beer at a bonfire but equally pleasurable.
The space
Divided into two levels, the main floor features a sexy wood-slatted cocktail bar, plush sage-coloured fabrics, ambient lamp lighting, arched mirror-lined walls and a ceiling of reflective mirror balls. Though the details of the space speak for themselves, they all seem to set the stage for the awesome custom-made DJ booth.
Walk up the LED-lit hall-of-mirrors stairwell to leave the listening room behind and access the second floor, where the party really gets started. Meant to serve as more of a club after dinner is over, the main room on the second level has another full cocktail bar, more LED lighting, padded banquettes that line both sides of the space and a roomy dance floor. There’s also a small karaoke room, with windows looking out to King Street, that’s available for guests and private bookings.
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