Massive nightclub-meets-restaurant opens in a Toronto mall this weekend

A new restaurant that doubles as a nightlife destination is opening in a Toronto shopping centre this weekend, a first-of-its-kind venture for the complex.

After months of anticipation, Noyaa, The Well's groundbreaking dining and nightlife venue, is finally ready to open its doors to the public this Friday, Feb. 13, ushering in a completely new era for the open-air lifestyle complex.

Sure, one might say that opening on Friday the 13 is a bad omen, but, screw it, I choose to believe that the team is simply so confident in its product that they laugh in the face of the fabled day of misfortune.

Given that Noyaa, a Mediterranean and Asian restaurant that transforms into a nightlife destination as the night deepens, is currently the only true nightlife spot at The Well, they have every reason to be confident.

The restaurant marks the first Canadian venture for Dubai hospitality group Tribes Hospitality Investment Group, who have brought Executive Chef Cirian Gabriel Porumbacean, a Romanian chef with extensive experience in the U.A.E fine dining circuit, to make sure the menu matches the vibes.

Centred around luxe combinations of Mediterranean dishes and Asian flavours, the menu features its fair share of ostentatious dishes: Oscietra caviar at $200 for 30g, A5 Wagyu seared tableside on a hot stone and truffle lobster topped with Champagne emulsion (top with more caviar for $30), but a handful of more modest ones, too.

Lobster Bao Noir. Image courtesy of Noyaa.

Cut through all the Wagyu, truffles and caviar, and you can find some dishes that merge the two cuisines more intriguingly, like gyro bao buns, halloumi kushi and pistachio lamb chops with wasabi tzatziki.

The food is perfectly in line with the interiors, which, similarly, offer up a sort of primitive luxury: all layered textures, raw wood pannels and heavy bronze accents.

Standing at 7000 sq. ft. with seating for 160, the restaurant is divided into four sections, each offering a distinct experience.

The 10-seat Omakase bar offers an intimate, multi-course sushi meal, the bar and lounge, which seats 40, is described as "the glowing heart" of the restaurant, with a sweeping horseshoe-shaped bar and towering pillars, while the outdoor terrace (set to open in the summer) is a natural respite from the higher-energy interiors.

Finally, the impressive 90-seat dining room is the real show-stopper of the space. Intimate seating and cascading overhead greenery give the entire space a wild yet refined feel: one that, without a doubt, will make you forget that you're just a stone's throw away from a Shoppers Drug Mart.

To top it all off, the restaurant hosts live DJs seven days a week, with live performances every Friday and Saturday.

Noyaa is located at the Wellington end of The Well (437 Wellington St.), on the Terrace level. Reservations for Noyaa are available on OpenTable now.