Paradise Theatre, one of Toronto’s legacy entertainment venues, has entered a new era as part of its extensive revitalization plan, with all five businesses who call the 100-year-old building home now in operation. Housing Paradise Theatre, Café Paradise, Bar Biltmore, Blue Door Wine Shop, and Osteria Rialto, the iconic Bloorcourt Village hub is located at 1006 Bloor Street West and uniquely blends arts, entertainment, dining and retail to create a one-stop complex offering a distinctly local cultural experience.
“The next chapter in Paradise Theatre’s rich history has officially begun,” said David Thorek, Director of Operations at Paradise Theatre. “Today, the venue offers far more than it ever has before, creating a unique destination to do it all – eat, drink, gather and play. We want Torontonians to get a little bit of everything when they visit the site.”
Osteria Rialto is a full-service Italian restaurant that mimics the singular establishments of Italy. Chef de Cuisine Jesse Sarretore has been a member of the Osteria Rialto family since 2019, first as Sous Chef, and now as Chef de Cuisine. His culinary passion is the result of a childhood immersed in the simplicity of farm life and the warmth of Italian family gatherings. Chef Sarretore has developed a reimagined menu inspired by his Southern Italian heritage and classic cooking rooted in Ligurian, Emilian, Tuscan and Roman traditions. Casarecce with red shrimp, chili and garlic, Cappelletti featuring Fogo Island cod, and Zucchini Flowers stuffed with lemon and ricotta are some of the new dishes to discover at the restaurant, which is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.
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Bar Biltmore can be found just up the stairs of Osteria Rialto and is Paradise Theatre’s intimate speakeasy-style bar, with antique brass and an art deco look-and-feel. Bar Biltmore also houses a seasonal outdoor patio balcony that overlooks Bloor Street and the landmark Paradise sign. Stop in to try some of Bar Biltmore’s signature cocktails such as the Piña Quemada, which features charred pineapple-infused mezcal, maple, ginger, cinnamon and lime, and the Fireside Folly, mixed with hazelnut-infused brandy, rye, Peychaud’s, nutmeg bitters and turbinado.
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Blue Door Wine Shop is a gorgeous retail space within the complex, offering an assorted mix of classically expressed wines with an adventurous style. Customers can enjoy a sit-down glass at the tasting bar accompanied by small plates of food items curated by Paradise’s culinary team. Visitors can also purchase an array of unique bottles to take home. The Blue Door Wine Club offers a sommelier-selected, three-tiered subscription system for wine delivery across Toronto. New subscribers receive a 10% discount off the first two subscription deliveries. Items from the bottle shop can also be ordered through UberEats.
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Café Paradise is a casual dining destination serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Known for its coffee, wine and eats, the restaurant’s expansive menu includes everything from fresh bread baked daily in-house and ricotta pancakes, to decadent pastas and classics like Clubs and Cobbs.
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Paradise Theatre has been deeply ingrained in the Toronto community for more than a century. It was originally established in 1937 as a venue for live shows, which operated for decades before closing in 2006 for a 13-year hiatus. In 2007, Paradise Theatre was designated a heritage building, with intentions to turn it into a pharmacy. However, in the early 2010s, with the support of Moray Tawse and ERA Architects, the building was purchased with plans to restore the cultural hub that continues to define Paradise Theatre today.
