NBA Courtside Restaurant brings immersive sports dining to Toronto

NBA Courtside Restaurant is Toronto’s (and the world’s) first and highly anticipated basketball-inspired, immersive official league dining experience.

This spot has stepped up the sports bar game, in our opinion. We popped in ahead of its official opening to check it out.

It weaves one-of-a-kind sports-related gems into the fabric of the space, from table tops fashioned from actual NBA courts to bespoke art installations made with vintage jerseys.

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The restaurant’s impressive array of cultural assets is eye-catching and each artifact is placed purposefully so diners feel closer to the sport as they eat.

Noteworthy memorabilia ranges from a glass case adorning a selection of iconic sneakers, including one of Shaquille O’Neal’s giant signed shoes, to vintage Air Jordan’s rarer than finding a needle in a haystack.

 

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A sculpture of Kawhi Leonard’s canonized four-bounce winner is suspended proudly above The Champions Lounge, which is overlooked by an exclusive All-Star Dining Room, hidden from view, and accessed only by a private staircase.

There are 25 screens around the 10,000 sq ft room, and all eye lines are covered, visibility stretching as far as the soon-to-be-built 170-person outdoor patio.

Erica Karbelnik, winner of Top Chef Canada‘s ninth season has been tasked with overseeing the development and execution of the restaurant’s eclectic menu, characterized as being full of “familiar food that’s elevated.”

Vegan, Spiced Cauliflower Tacos top the list of starters and Hennessey BBQ wings are offered in a variety of spice levels to complete a substantial selection of upscale bar snacks.

Swordfish served with fingerling potatoes, Castelvetrano olive salsa verde, dill, and roasted cherry tomatoes stand out as one of Erika’s signature dishes and a rarely seen item on a sports bar menu.

More likely options include pizza, that according to Erica, will “make you want a beer” and deconstructed San Antonia Chicken Salad that fares well as a shareable side.

Last but not least, decadent desserts that double up as crowd-pleasers populate the table for the final course.

Biscuity cheesecake bases and creamy centres punctuate a full-bodied menu that hinges on unconventional takes on bar food classics.

As sports dining emerges as the new wave of immersive eating, the opportunity to feast amongst a carefully curated exhibit of invaluable NBA artifacts boasts an increasing appeal, perhaps one adjacent to the euphoria of sitting courtside.

Thankfully for sports fans, Toronto is now home to the type of innovative modern space that’s a far stretch from your run-of-the-mill sports bar.

NBA Courtside Restaurant officially opens on April 3.

NBA Courtside Restaurant

Address: 15 Queens Quay East, Toronto

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