Little Ese is a people-pleasing spot in Toronto serving Day-Glo drinks, guilty-pleasure grub, and endless good times to an insatiable Queen West crowd.

Opened in late June, the restaurant is the latest spot from Nathan Godin and Elena Arsenov, the duo behind Pnut Gallery Hospitality.

Owners of Papi Chulo's and Aleria, the team is known for its casual approach to restaurants and fierce focus on fun. "Everybody knows Papi Chulo's. Everybody loves Papi Chulo's," says Godin, of the team's Ossington hot spot.

Having worked in the automotive industry, Godin made the permanent move to hospitality when he co-opened Greek & Co., in 2013.

Following his stint in the fast-casual realm, Arsenov joined Godin to open Papi Chulo's and Aleria in quick succession. "I've worked in restaurants since I was 16. Restaurants, bars, nightclubs. It's something I love," she explains.

Now, the team is applying its tried-and-true approach to a new venture housed in the former Noce space. "It was a great place. It, at one point, was the biggest Italian place in the city," says Godin. "When it started going down, people forgot about it. It became a corner where you just walk by. We have to change that."

Designed by Godin, Little Ese is welcoming and comfortable, its 210 seats divided between leather-backed booths, cozy tables, bar stools and a wrap-around patio which the team plans to enclose for all-season access.

Thanks to its sheer size, plus its number of big-screen TVs, rhythmic Latin music and photo booth, it's a spot aimed at a diverse crowd of customers — from sports buffs to pleasure-seekers, large groups to couples.

"The menu is fan favourites," says Godin. "Italian, American, Mexican. We just wanted to give people a little bit of everything." Though the menu is peppered with nods to the team's other restaurants, dishes at Little Ese are not carbon copies of what diners have seen before.

Designed to pop on social media, drinks are bright, sweet, and, in the case of the Gummy Chelada ($15) and Duckin' Delicious ($13), garnished to appeal to the kid in us all.

Tamer, in part due to its lack of alcohol, Virgin Island ($9) is a coconut-forward mix of tropical juices, grenadine and soda.

For groups in need of a dozen or so drinks, stat, a Margarita Tower ($120) is a low-cost route, available in classic, mango and pineapple.

Pair it with chunky Mami's Gauc ($16), a fresh, if timidly-seasoned, starter that benefits from the salty pop of its feta cheese garnish.

Feeling naughty? Oozy with a golden, crunchy crust, Mozzarella Sticks ($13) are fried nostalgia crafted to the same bigger-is-better aspirations as the team's Margarita Tower.

Smothered in mozzarella and a heavy blanket of the team's slow-cooked beef sauce, Birria Poutine is rib-sticking sustenance best shared among friends.

A side of Greek & Co's yogurt-based dill sauce is a cool and creamy counterpoint to crisp Salt & Pepper Wings ($22).

Made in the team's PizzaMaster oven, New York-style pizzas boast thin crusts with no bend. Classics meet inventive combinations, meaning that there's one for every diner. Hot Honey Ricotta ($22) balances the zip of its chili-spiced drizzle with cool dollops of smooth cheese.

A unique riff on polarizing Hawaiian, the Al Pastor ($22) replaces diced ham with crisp pork shoulder, tomato with an herb-flecked sauce blend, and chunks of tinned pineapple for caramelized slivers of fruit.

Dolloped with Papi's Jalapeño Dip ($3), it's a sweet-meets-savoury bite with a whisper of spice — an offering that could make anyone believe that they actually like pineapple on pizza.

With its uncomplicated menu and laidback feel, Little Ese is a natural sibling to Pnut Gallery Hospitality's other restaurants. Soon, festooned in baubles and tinsel, flickering fairy lights and a suffocating amount of glitter, it will also follow the family tradition of celebrating the holidays in a big way.

"We're excited about the Christmas season," says Godin, adding that the décor is already in storage and will be up by early November.

Little Ese is located at 875 Queen Street West.