Three years ago, Noce owners Elena Morelli and Guido Saldini were approached by the heads of Telus to open a restaurant in the telecom company's new headquarters on York Street. The 30-storey Telus House Toronto opened last year, and now, a few months later, the 3,500-square-foot Aria Ristorante is ready for business on the skyscraper's main floor.
Like Noce, Aria's focus is on high-end Italian food, but the atmosphere and menu of the new space have a more contemporary slant. To match the environmental, urban focus of Telus House—one of the only gold LEED-certified buildings in the city—Aria's design is rooted in natural materials and work by local artists. Head designer Urszula Tokarska of Stephen Pile Architect plays on the height of the room with a swirling walnut ceiling installation by Dennis Lin and spherical Moooi lights of different sizes. Behind the granite and quartz bar, a glass wall designed by Vancouver-based artist Brent Comber displays wine; for a European touch, Morelli sourced Carlo Moretti glassware from Italy, which she refers to as “art on tables.”
Noce head chef Eron Novalski is at the helm of Aria's kitchen, delivering a modern Italian menu that includes both a fried (“fritti”) and a raw (“crudo”) section and a focus on meat, including grilled Quebec milk-fed veal chop with roasted potatoes and rosemary jus. Wine is another selling point—the restaurant contains one of the largest selections in the city, with more than 500 varieties available and a soaring wine cellar that stores more than 2,500 bottles. (Private wine tastings can be arranged.)
The space can hold 140 seated or 250 for cocktail parties, while a sectioned-off area can serve as a private dining room for as many as 45. An 80-seat patio with fireplaces is slated to open in the warmer weather.
