Toronto restaurant that closed after almost 30 years will soon be replaced

An Italian restaurant in Toronto has closed its doors after nearly a decade and is about to be replaced with a new concept by a hospitality group whose star is on the rise.

There was a time in Toronto when you couldn't mention Italian food without Noce coming up in the same sentence.

A West Queen West mainstay for about the past 28 years, the restaurant was a no-fail when it came to contemporary takes on Italian classics, undergoing a huge renovation in 2017 which massively upped its street cred in the neighbourhood, which, at the time, was becoming increasingly tailored to the young and stylish.

In the fall of 2024, though, the restaurant quietly faded away, closing its doors and bearing only a notice on its website that announced the restaurant was "temporarily closed" and that a reopening date would be coming soon.

Months later, and not only has said reopening date never come, but a brand-new business is set to soon move in, signifying the end of an era for Noce — at least in that location.

Earlier this week, Peanut Gallery Hospitality, the team behind Papi Chulos and Aleria, as well as two catering companies, quietly dropped confirmation in the form of an announcement of their latest venture, Little Ese.

Set to take over the space that once housed Noce, Little Ese claims to be "coming soon," though the exact opening date — along with much of the rest of the finer details surrounding the restaurant, is under wraps for now.

The website, upon which the restaurant's bright neon logo is emblazoned, proudly advertises "pizza, pasta and wings," so it's a safe bet to assume that Little Ese will be bringing a fun, casual vibe to the West Queen West space.

The Peanut Gallery isn't stopping with Little Ese when it comes to adding new properties to the roster in 2025, though; they're also working on another new concept, seemingly an extension of Papi Chulo's, called Papi & Rosita just down the street at 198 Ossington.

A representative from the hospitality company told me that there are no further details to be shared on either Little Ese or Papi & Rosita at this time, but both restaurants will be opening their doors soon, within the coming months.

At the time of publication, Noce has not responded to a request for comment on the closure and whether the restaurant will be reopening in a new location.

Noce was formerly located at 875 Queen West.