Michelin-recommended Toronto restaurateur opening new Italian restaurant

The new year is already bringing all sorts of exciting new ventures to the Toronto food scene, and a stylish Italian restaurant from a local Michelin-recommended restaurateur is just the latest on the menu.

Hot off the heels of his latest concept, The Carbon Snack Bar, illustrious Toronto restaurateur Yannick Bigourdan (Lucie, The Carbon Bar) is at it again, this time focusing his efforts on Italian cuisine with his soon-to-open new concept, Notte.

If the name sounds familiar, there's a good reason for that. The new restaurant, which lands on Church St. this weekend, is the new-and-improved iteration of Amano Trattoria and its associated cocktail bar, Bar Notte.

"Amano was always a place people loved, but we saw room to let it evolve," co-owner Adam Teolis says.

"We wanted to create a place that still feels special and elevated, but without making guests feel priced out of enjoying the night fully. A place where guests feel comfortable ordering another drink, another dish, and coming back often."

Entering the Notte era, the team that made Amano the smashing success it was remains intact, the restaurant's kitchen still helmed by Executive Chef and Co-Owner Michael Angeloni (Amano Trattoria, Berczy Tavern).

Where Amano offered a more formal dining experience, Notte will be a more relaxed space, with each evening bookended by happy hour and a lively, conversational atmosphere.

"Notte reflects how people actually want to spend their nights right now," says Angeloni.

"You come in for a drink, order a few things to share, and before you know it, you're deep into dinner. The food is comforting and indulgent, but the atmosphere stays relaxed. It's meant to pull you in naturally and keep you there."

So long, hour-long seating limits. Notte calls to a more traditional Italian dining philosophy: one where the company you keep during a meal and the conversation that flows through it is of equal importance to the food and drink itself.

That said, the food and drink you can expect from Notte is nothing to sniff at.

Dishes from regions across Italy make up the menu, from Roman-style pizzas to handmade pasta, paired with a full salumi bar and larger shareable plates like a 12 oz. bone-in veal parmesan.

All of the eats are paired perfectly with an equally comprehensive beverage program, which includes extensive amaro and wine selections and a cocktail menu of refined classics.

Notte officially opens on Jan. 10, and is located at 9 Church St.