For a long time, the 51st floor at the Manulife Centre sat empty, made vacant by the closure of The One Eighty. The now-closed spot used to be an upscale cocktail bar with bar bites that doubled as an event space. The One Eighty was a pandemic casualty, and the venue–complete with sweeping panoramic views of the city–was left without a replacement. Until now. Thanks to a famous Canadian chef, the 51st floor at the Manulife Centre will see new life again, and offer some of the best cuisine the country has to offer. The kitchen will now be helmed by none other than Antonio Park.
About Antonio Park
Originating from Montreal, celebrity chef Antonio Park quickly shot to fame when he partnered with Drake to open the since-closed restaurant Pick 6ix. He also partnered with Gordon Ramsay for a Toronto pop-up, setting up a presence in the city well before he took over the Manulife Centre space. He also operates a restaurant in the Westmount neighbourhood of Montreal, called Park, which has attracted both national and international acclaim.
The menu at Park is similar to the offerings at the new Manulife Centre restaurant, offering a fusion of Japanese and Latin cuisines inspired by the flavours of Park’s youth.
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About the new restaurant
Park’s new venture in Toronto opened yesterday and is called AP Restaurants. He collaborated with Scale Hospitality Group (the company behind famous Toronto spots like Lapinou, Byblos and more) to open the sky-high space, which boasts food options like omakase sushi, seafood soup and scallop ceviche.
The experience begins with an elevator ride up to the luxe space, complete with views of the city that preview the panoramic views from the restaurant. Inside, muted tones and custom furniture meet under a custom, centralized ceiling installation and walls dotted with. curated art. Apparently, AP Restaurants at Manulife Centre has been a decade in the making.
Antonio Park’s new spot, AP Restaurants, is open now at 55 Bloor Street West.
