Toronto bar busted for illegal gathering has closed and is now something else
A Toronto bar that lost its liquor license for having an illegal 125-person gathering in the summer of 2020 has permanently closed, and it's already been transformed into something else.
Goldie quietly shut down in December 2020. The cocktail bar was pure King West with an imposing entrance and a dark, moody interior.
It's still a posh club, but now it's been turned into The Hartly by the people behind Daisy and Lobby. The new concept officially opened on Nov. 20.
"The Goldie ownership group was broken up," Josh Herman, an owner of Daisy and part of the new Hartly ownership group, tells blogTO. "When we took over we weren't interested to keep the brand."
The downstairs area of the club been totally transformed into a new restaurant and lounge with a stage, new fixtures and a 25-person communal table that actually doubles as a runway.
What was formerly an upper VIP area is now a private dining room and event space, but its function may continue to change in the future.
The space should host a variety of shows and theatre, and they've brought on Daniel Ken as chef. The menu consists mainly of cold and hot share plates, plus a tight list of mains and creative cocktails.
Cold share options include oysters, salmon tartare and shrimp cocktail, and hot share options include truffle fries, fried chicken, mac n' cheese and wagyu sliders. Price points for shares range from around $8 to $24.
As for drinks, the Umami Caesar is made with kimchi Clamato and togarashi, the Matcha White Rabbit pairs tequila with tapioca pearls, and the Mr. Sparkle has actual edible sparkles.
Hector Vasquez
