What’s on the menu at Margo, a new (public) Mediterranean restaurant inside a posh private club on King West

Name: Margo Contact: 600 King St. W., fourth floor, margotoronto.com, @margo.toronto
Neighbourhood: King West Owners: Charles Khabouth, Danny Soberano, Fernando Mammoliti and Domenic Oppedisano Chef: Marc Cheng Accessibility: Fully accessible   Clio, a posh members-only club complete with a private cinema and rooftop lounge, opened in late 2021. Its fourth-floor restaurant initially had a globally inspired menu and, like the rest of the club, was accessible only to members. But, in late April, the restaurant rebranded with a new Mediterranean concept—and, to inject new energy into the space, opened to the public for dinner and Sunday brunch. It’s called Margo, after owner Charles Khabouth’s late mother. “She loved flowers and the colour yellow,” says Khabouth, sitting under a luxurious arching floral installation. “This restaurant is an homage to her.”

Whether you’re curious about the club or just in the mood for mezze and a seafood tower, Margo will prove an obliging destination. Members do get priority reservations plus food and beverage perks, but now there’s nothing stopping the rest of us from getting in on the action.

The food

Mediterranean cuisine is a broad frame here—the menu takes cues all the way from the Iberian Peninsula to Egypt and Lebanon. Naturally, seafood is a focal point, especially in the mezze selection. There’s hamachi crudo laced with bergamot aioli, olive oil and spicy house-made zhug; tuna tartare with gooseberry and calamansi mayo; and a gorgeous whole sea bream with punchy lemon dressing. There’s also a great deal of turf to balance out the menu’s surf, including a few hefty steaks and a whole Cornish hen roasted in house-made lemon harissa. These dishes brim with the brightness and kaleidoscopic colours of Mediterranean cuisine, boosted with the epicurean opulence you’d expect from the kitchen of a private club.

The drinks

House-made syrups, purées and infusions form the gastronomic foundation of Margo’s fun cocktail list. There’s a sangria amped up with strawberry purée and a crisp calamansi mocktail with cucumber syrup—all with whimsical flourishes to match Clio’s decor. The extensive wine list—helpfully laid out in descriptive categories like “medium and versatile” or “fun and playful”—focuses on the Mediterranean region, including Greek varietals from Thrace and Santorini.

The space

The street entrance to Clio is a relatively discreet black door. Once inside, hit the entry buzzer and take the elevator up to the fourth floor. A lavish, vivid floral installation lines the ceiling and trails down the walls of Margo’s entryway, hanging over lavender tables lined with teal armchairs. Farther in, the mood goes from Mediterranean garden paradise to a comfortably chic resto-lounge lined with playful art and plush slate-grey booths around a big central bar. Soon to come: a sunny rooftop patio.