King West, Toronto has just added an exciting new addition to their already vibrant dining scene with the opening of The Hartly, a compelling mix of restaurant, lounge, and variety theatre. The Hartly is a new venue that originated from the brilliant minds of Josh Herman, Reza Abedi, and Sam Reznick.
The three Toronto-based entrepreneurs are also owners of other well-known nightlife establishments such as Daisy, Lobby, and many more, making them veterans in the field. With these three at the helm of this operation, it is only a matter of time before this incredible place goes far.
Josh Herman is mainly known for being a manager to various multi-platinum producers and DJs until 2017, when he partnered up with Sam Reznick to open a nightclub called Liar, Liar, which later on won Night Club of the Year from the Notable Awards. They opened up Daisy later in September 2019. On the other hand, Reza Abedi grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Toronto in 2000 to study Economics and Finance at Ryerson University. Realizing that he had a knack for event planning, he established Something and Monroe, an events management business. Since then, Abedi has branched out to open multiple venues, absorbing the mechanics of their financials, operations, and marketing. His enthusiasm towards art, music, and people eventually brought him into the nightlife buzz, where he launched several successful ventures like Lavelle and Lobby. Now, he’s up in there with Herman and Reznick to propel The Hartly into triumph.
The Hartly is not your average restaurant and lounge just bracketed together. It is also a home for a variety of theatre and burlesque shows. The place aims to promote an excellent dine-in experience with a good dose of quality entertainment, a rarity nowadays. In addition to the very intriguing production they have prepared, the food is also something to look out for—from cocktails, salads, main dishes, and dessert.
The lounge has an assortment of interesting culinary selections prepared by executive chef Daniel Ken, who used to work for Lavelle and Blowfish. Ken has a long list of remarkable work experiences that set off while he was still in Brazil, which is where he gets the Latin inspiration for some of his dishes. The chef also worked in Japan, enhancing his skillfulness towards Japanese cuisine. He plans to showcase more of his take on Japanese and Latin fusion at The Hartly.
Now that they have built their stage, changed their fixtures, and added a 25-person communal table that doubles as a runway for entertainment purposes, The Hartly is ready to take on guests. But, of course, with the pandemic still looming in the corner, its management has taken extra precautions making body temperature checking mandatory, as well as the constant disinfection inside the lounge between visits.The Hartly is at 619 King St. W. Toronto, ON, M5V 1M5. To find out more about them, check out their website.
