This comedy club and Filipino restaurant is the first of its kind in Kensington Market

Nestled next to what used to be Torito Tapas Bar on 276 Augusta Ave, sits a comedy club and restaurant with not just their pulse on comedy, but also Filipino food, and it is unlike any other space in the area.

This beloved independent comedy club in Toronto opened their new home in Kensington Market on Friday, July 15^th of this year.

Created through the uncertain times of covid on what was once their first home, 1185 Dundas St W in Toronto, this bar was only just getting its footing when social restrictions put that to a halt.

So Alberto Richards, the owner, did what he had to and decided to change with the times and Nothing Fancy comedy shows were born.

As Richards puts it, Nothing Fancy was simply just that.

“I was talking to, I think it was my Mom, and I was like ‘these are the names I have, and she’s like ‘none of those are good, and I’m like ‘well, the place is so bare-bones, you know? It must be nothing fancy like that. And then I was like that’s it, that’s the name.”

Nothing Fancy came to be.

Now Nothing Fancy sits in all its glory in the busy Kensington Market and is managed by owner Richards, general manager Zoe Rumney, and comedy coordinator Bria Hiebert. Nothing Fancy and the team put on comedy shows from Wednesday to Sunday, with Tiktok Comedian Neema Naz headlining every Thursday night for his showcase.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food”

Before moving to Kensington Market, Nothing Fancy featured local comedians on the back patio of their Dundas location in the summer of 2020, telling jokes to anyone who would attend. And the audience loved it, wanting more.

It wasn’t until July 15^th of this year that Richards decided to take Nothing Fancy and move it to Kensington Market. Though it has only been a couple of months, the comedy bar and restaurant continue to thrive.

Now at their new location, Nothing Fancy has two floors at their disposal and can hold up to 80 people combined. The basement bar is where the stand-up comedy show magic happens, and the main floor is where you can find the one-of-a-kind Filipino food and bar.

The Filipino food found at the comedy bar is the work of Tito’s Barbecue Cookout. The dishes guests can expect are foods like crispy lumpia to fresh hot sisig throughout the evening, and even for brunch.

Richards says they are currently the only Filipino restaurant in Kensington and encourage people to come and try it out.

“It’s easy, it’s accessible, and it still fits the ‘nothing fancy’ theme.”

Richards says that the Tito Boy seems to be a popular choice when it comes to the best dishes: two skewers of pork and one chicken thigh on a bed of rice. Though he says, the lumpia is his favourite – deep-fried spring roll filled with chicken and pork and a sweet chilli sauce on the side.

“It’s not just a great bang for your buck dish, but also it has that crunchy feel that fries have, but it still has a very savoury feel. It just hits. It ticks a lot of boxes for me.”

“The secret to humour is surprise”

One of the top acts to take the Nothing Fancy stage, who now calls it his home for his showcase, is Tiktok comedian Neema Nazeri who performs every Thursday at 8 pm and 10 pm.

Nazeri is a Persian-Canadian comedian who has found considerable success and fame on TikTok and Instagram, with his Gary Vee impersonation gaining great success.

Richards says guests who attend his shows can expect all that and more.

“He does a lot of crowd work and brings some of his TikTok to life on stage, so it’s kind of like you witness it in person.”

Other comedians that have performed at Nothing Fancy have been Mark Little, Ali Pierce, this year’s Juno Award nominee for Comedy Album of the Year Keith Pedro, among many others.

Richards says he encourages people to come down on the weekend as that night is his favourite and always delivers.

Next weekend, on the 27^th, is no exception as the comedy bar looks to be moved out of their old Dundas location and officially into their Kensington market location. Richards wants that to be an evening to remember.

Richards says all these changes couldn’t have happened without a great team behind him and emphasized teamwork.

“The team here really is kind of like a family, and we all are working really hard together, and while the buck may stop with me, it is very much that everyone’s a team participation here to get this going.”

Richards says that by the end of the year, he hopes to finalize the Nothing Fancy programming schedule, including a DJ night, karaoke, open mic night, and tons of great comedy acts.

“I want to have regularity brought to this space by the time one year here (276 Augusta Ave) rolls around.”

Tickets for any comedy show at Nothing Fancy can be found online or at the door, with tickets ranging from $15 on Wednesdays to $25 on Thursdays to Saturdays and Open Mic Night on Sunday being free.

“Nothing fancy, just love.”

When asked of any parting thoughts, Richards thought for a second and then said he wanted people to know that Nothing Fancy is one of the few clubs in the city that always pays comedians for all of its sets.

“We don’t have any unpaid sets here, and I think that’s really important for people to know that these people put a lot of time and effort into their art and into their craft, and we respect that.”

Richards looks for Nothing Fancy to be established as a great comedy venue and restaurant in the next three years. If his last quote was any indication, this goal might happen sooner than we think.

“I don’t want to give anything away, but we are planning to have some acts roll through, and people should stay tuned.”

Nothing Fancy was once almost a bar; through the ashes of the pandemic came a diamond in the rough, and now stands a comedy club that cares about the craft more than most.

Richard’s Nothing Fancy is a comedy bar and restaurant that lives on the idea that it really is nothing fancy, besides of course, the defining characteristics that make a place go from good to great, and that is passion and love, which continues to live at the comedy club in Kensington Market thanks to Richards and his team. Even the fanciest things couldn’t turn the attention away from what is to come.

Nothing Fancy strives to be the best comedy club and restaurant in Toronto, and they are well on their way. When you have that, nothing fancy can take it away.