With glitz and glamour, Queen Street’s new eatery is challenging the idea that fine dining is dead
Culinary Director, chef Craig Harding hangs out in Bar Prima, which opened Oct. 20 on Queen Street West in Toronto, promising a modern take on classic Italian cuisine.Toronto chefs Craig Harding and Julian D’Ippolito want to bring back the “pomp and circumstance” of a nice meal out.
For the past year, the duo – who are also behind popular Toronto eateries La Palma and Constantine – have been researching what it takes to open a lasting fine-dining restaurant in today’s environment. “Ali was good at selling us on the value of that. It’s funny, with our other restaurants, we’ve never focused on that level of detail before. We’ve always paid attention to the eye-level fixtures. Here we thought, well, we own the building. We’re going to be here a long time, so we’re going to do every surface right.”