A new Italian restaurant has given Toronto’s busy and busting downtown professionals a new go-to lunch spot. Opened in September in place of The Lost Land at 146 Yonge Street, Bar Filo is serving up a $35 prix fixe lunch menu.
“Yonge Street is a very busy street with a huge population, but people rush to work and I don’t think people spend a lot of time sitting down to eat unless it’s a quick meal,” says a member of Bar Filo’s team. “Everyone’s in a rush.”
@barfilo.toronto/Instagram
Though a “pasta-lover” himself, he explains that bringing Italian cuisine to the Financial District was something he wanted to do not only because it’s affordable, but it’s accessible to his customers.
“Italian food has been known by the public for a while, so people aren’t against trying,” he says. “Some people are afraid to try new food because they may not like it, but Italian food — pasta, pizza, seafood —doesn’t really go away.”
@barfilo.toronto/Inswtagram
At Bar Filo, think fine dining meets restaurant-bar, stylish lighting meets massive murals, and green foliage meets industrial ceilings. Seating 60, the ambient dining room is a timeless spot fit for an intimate date night or post-work cocktail.
The playful drink menu boasts spins on classic cocktails like the aptly-named “Good Vibes Only,” a tropical spicy mango margherita.
On the a la carte dinner menu, you’ll find classic Italian cuisine from burrata with pesto Genovese, crispy calamari and a beef tenderloin with mushroom gravy. A new menu will soon boast new homemade seafood pastas and rotating daily-fresh seafood platters.
@barfilo.toronto/Instagramn
Weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the $35 prix fixe lunch is shaking up the Financial District. Diners can choose from antipasti like lettuce salad, burrata or tuna crudo, followed by mains such as paccheri, cavatelli, beef tenderloin or pork chop. Portions match the dinner menu, but service is timed so you can still make it back to the office without rushing.
“We provide the lunch in 35 minutes so people actually have time to eat it for lunch,” says the team member. “They don’t have to rush.”
Bar Filo is located at 146 Yonge St.
Dining and Cooking