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Food Food & Drink

Manulife does a One-Eighty

The revamped Panorama Lounge on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre (55 Bloor West, at Bay, 416-967-0000 ext 26, the51stfloor.com@The51stFloor) has opened its doors as the One Eighty. The sweeping vistas are the same, but the interior has been completely redone, with arched tile ceilings, brass light fixtures and a black and white colour scheme that extends to the 14-seat bar (with coat hooks for each chair) that greets you at the entrance. 

While Panorama was known more as a lounge, the One Eighty has put more of a focus on food, says Sebastien Centner, director of Eatertainment, the company that owns the restaurant. The kitchen has doubled in size over a six-week renovation that, according to Centner, could have taken 12 if the team hadn’t worked round the clock. 

Dishes mix continental and American styles, with mains like beef tenderloin with buttermilk spun potatoes and asparagus ($36), buttermilk fried chicken and waffles with crispy jalapeños and cherry chutney ($27) and Cornish hen with rosemary jus and zucchini tagliatelle ($28). Pizzas ($18-$22), which come on a wooden board with scissors to slice it, are accompanied by tiny metal spoons containing spicy, chive-infused oil. 

Centner still wants drinks to be a draw, citing the signature Shaken + Stirred cocktails, bottled in house, which arrive in their own miniature bottle. Look for the rosemary bramble (Dillon’s gin, rosemary, ginger, blackberries, lemon, sugar, cassis and soda), bourbon 51 (bourbon, lemon, mint, simple syrup) and One Eighty Spritz (Absolut raspberry vodka, Aperol, soda and prosecco, all $15). They’re “not nearly as sweet as they look,” insists Centner, and with 2 ounces of alcohol in a 5 ounce cocktail, pack a punch. 

The One Eighty seems to be aiming for a young, cosmopolitan crowd with its new menu and decor. Its uptown location may deter hardcore downtowners, but it’s upstairs from  major movie complex the Varsity. And the view, one of the best in the city, is a big selling point, especially when the new glass-walled patio officially opens.

See listing.

food@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto

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