Think big.
Okay, now whatever you’re thinking – think even bigger. And you might come close to what Cluny, the new restaurant from the team behind El Catrin, is putting together in the Distillery District (35 Tank House Lane).
Enjoying a quiet soft opening for the past week, Cluny is now open and ready for the public eye. And a lot of eyes at that.
In fatc, by the time all is said and done, Cluny will be able to accommodate just shy of 500 people. That’s right. FIVE HUNDRED. Let’s break that down for a second.
Inside the swank (possibly bordering on ostentatious) restaurant you’ll currently find 140 seats, including several at the luxurious bar. Within the next three weeks a 170-seat patio will be completed to match the 40-seat patio that will soon sit in front of the still-to-be-completed patisserie & bakery (‘cause what restaurant doesn’t have it’s own patisserie?). An event theatre in the back of the restaurant will house up to 80 people for private functions while another 100-seat patio is planned for next spring.
It’s pretty safe to say Cluny is the biggest thing to hit Toronto this summer.
The menu and atmosphere are both a self-proclaimed rebellion against traditional French. This is the new wave – with a twist.
Expect a raw bar and seafood counter, several small sharing plates that include the likes of salt cod donuts and roasted duck poutine as well as spicy chilled watermelon & tomato soup and all the seared foie gras you can handle.
Larger plates like drunken tuna, hay smoked organic chicken legs, and six different steak frites options promise you will never, ever leave Cluny hungry.
Of course a highly developed cocktail program that includes a decidedly refined Absinthe line-up complete with infused sugar options, several champagnes by the glass, and enough high-end liquor to make Louis XIII nod in approval will certainly help to keep the high end clientele rolling in.
If you’re planning on going in anytime soon we suggest you call ahead. Despite its size, we suspect Cluny isn’t going to have any trouble getting its fill.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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