A sneak peek inside Toronto's epic new four-storey restaurant opening this week

What was once an exclusive, members-only club in Toronto is transforming into a four-floor dining experience this week, and we got a sneak peek.

The enormous, four-storey piece of prime real estate that formerly housed Ink Entertainment’s Clio Social Club and Margo has officially gotten a new lease on life, transforming, as of Thursday, July 24, into Portland Square, perhaps the hospitality group’s most ambitious project yet.

When all is said and done, Portland Square will be home to three distinct dining experiences on three different levels of the building, as well as a private event space and rooftop patio. It’ll almost be like the department store of King West party pads, but infinitely cooler.

As tends to be all too frequently the case when it comes to restaurant openings, things are running right down to the wire before the restaurant’s grand opening this Thursday, July 24. The thing with finishing touches is that the more you complete, the more they jump out at you.

Still, Portland Square — or what exists of it so far — is already shaping up to be King West’s latest uber-Instagrammable nightlife and dining spot.

The whole project — like another recent Ink Entertainment concept flip that immediately springs to mind — was designed by Toronto-based architecture firm NIVEK REMAS. While each floor of the restaurant is its own self-contained concept, the whole space still somehow manages to feel utterly cohesive.

On the third floor, Honey’s Chinese is Portland Square’s contemporary Chinese restaurant, which is hammered home with the help of large-scale contemporary artworks, traditional Chinese decor and rich, deep colours, paired with a menu of Chinese staples.

Upstairs on the fourth floor, Primadonna is a modern take on an old-school Italian joint, true to form down to the mob-themed movie posters and newspaper clippings plastered to the walls.

A red, neon sign bearing the restaurant’s name, sitting just beyond the elevator, is almost fated to become Portland Square’s ubiquitous Instagram spot once folks discover it. Keep an eye on your feeds, everyone.

Staying true to the mob-esque, old Italian-American vibe that informs Primadonna’s aesthetics, the restaurant is set to serve up a menu of Italian comfort food classics, like chicken parm and a selection of crisp-crusted pizzas that are reminiscent of a family dinner at Nonna’s, but with significantly more people filming TikToks around you.

Upon opening day, only the third and fourth floors will be open for business, but Portland Square has plenty more tricks up its sleeve in the coming months.

Formerly Ink Entertainment’s crown jewel of a Mediterranean restaurant, Margo, the rooftop is a shoo-in for the hotspot du jour for the rest of the summer, inserting itself as a major competitor to Public Gardens just across the street, which the Portland Square rooftop just so happens to double in terms of height.

Not that it’s a competition, or anything.

Come October, the first floor will be transformed into a country-inspired Sports Bar called Rodeo Dive, complete with a country music soundtrack and TV screens for a decidedly more casual vibe, while the second floor is due to eventually get flipped into The Portland Room, the venue’s private event space.

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Portland Square

Address: 600 King St. W.

Phone: 416-368-8448

Opening: Thursday, July 24

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