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The Parlour
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Nestled in a nook of King Street West inside what used to be a piano factory, The Parlour is a cool hideaway that brings West coast charm and stellar pizza to Toronto. The Parlour opened in Toronto in 2019, expanding from its Vancouver location, which opened in 2012, with pizza, share plates, and socializing on the menu.
The Parlour Toronto has kept the original foundation and structure of the 1894-built Mason & Risch piano factory, paying homage to its history with a refurbished and deconstructed Mason & Risch piano chandelier, and developing the space beyond its dark and stormy base. The transformative restaurant now boasts a bright indoor courtyard with retractable roof, a heated patio with a fire pit, and a VIP room overlooking the ground floor.
The Parlour’s unpretentious and reasonably priced menu is balanced with light, fresh, and flavourful fare, from the incredible stacked short ribs to the surprisingly affordable chilled seafood platter, the distinctive brunch menu with eggs Bennys served on pizza crust and, of course, the iconic wood/gas fired pizza—some of the best in the city.
With the Parlour Restaurant Group having opened Deer Lady, a new restaurant and lounge located right above The Parlour in November 2022, it’s clear that the restaurant's journey in Toronto has only just begun.
This Vancouver-to-Toronto mainstay comes from the minds of Sean Holland, Christopher Holland, and Paul Rivas, a trio of trained chefs with unique career backgrounds. While Sean was an executive chef at Cactus Club in Vancouver for some 12 years, his younger brother Christopher was once an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, and their third business partner, Paul Rivas, comes from the family-owned, half-century old Spanish tapas joint in Vancouver called Bodega on Main.
Opening his own restaurant was always the dream for the elder Holland brother, who grew up in Stoney Creek where he worked at a pizzeria and often visited Toronto for its nightlife, then moved to Vancouver in 2001 where he worked at Cactus Club. Combining his work experience and passion for being a restaurateur, Sean Holland opened the first location of The Parlour in Vancouver in 2012 with the help of his two partners, and the Toronto location followed seven years later in 2019.
Now, while Holland oversees day-to-day operations, his brother Christopher is behind the restaurant’s impressive design and maintenance, and Rivas takes care of the administrative work and back end. Holland notes that there is a separate operations team for the Vancouver location, too.
“The great thing about our partnership is we have three of us, and not once have we ever argued on a vision,” says Holland. “We overlap and help each other out, but we’re always aligned, which is somehow what I think makes The Parlour magical.”
“Our goal was to be a community spot first,” he continues.” “A place where anybody felt they could come in and get good value.”
Blink and you might miss it—The Parlour is truly a hidden gem. The restaurant is located on King Street West, but guests must keep their eyes peeled for the secret turn into the alleyway through the tunnel of lights leading to the entrance of The Parlour and Deer Lady.
Approaching the restaurant, you’ll notice the long, well-heated outdoor patio with retractable awnings that’s designed to extend patio season through late November. A large, blue booth anchors the patio at one end around a cozy fire pit, surrounded by floral tiled walls, a space that is also available for small parties to reserve.
Dark, reddish brick and a smoky-looking wooden sign above the door signify that you’re in the right place, hinting at the piano factory that was once in The Parlour’s place. Circling back to its 1894-built piano factory roots, the interior of The Parlour is striking.
Look up at the refurbished Mason & Risch piano chandelier in the main lounge with 16-foot ceilings, encapsulated in browns, ambers, mahogany, and wood. The sexy, masculine space boasts two long booths in the middle, with chairs on either side for family-style seating, encouraging networking and socializing among groups.
The intricate bar is lined with old crates along the back wall, TVs that double as mirrors to open up the space, candles, and knick-knacks like a sculpture of lips, a purse, and Playboys.
The interior quite literally transforms from night to day, as the main lounge opens up to the indoor courtyard area, perfect for brunch. The courtyard is a light and airy space with dream catchers, live greenery, and bird and insect sculptures made from recycled toys by artist Todd Dillinger. And, this space has a retractable roof that opens in the summer, and radiant heated floors for the winter.
From the outdoor patio, to the main lounge, to the courtyard, all of the windows open fully so guests can enjoy the cross-circulation of fresh air in the warmer months.
Let’s not forget about several other pockets of The Parlour’s dreamy space: the Instagram-worthy powder room, the couch nook under the stairs, and the upstairs VIP area for small parties.
Now, for the food! While Holland created the original menu for The Parlour, Joey Agostino is now Chef de Cuisine at the Toronto location, and Shane Deptuck holds the role in Vancouver. The Toronto menu is very similar to the Vancouver menu, bringing West coast vibes to the 6ix.
“I really wanted to go down the route of ‘let’s create something healthier’,” says Holland.
“We’re not just a restaurant that sells really good pizza—we also do really good appetizers and you can also get gluten-free, raw, and vegan items here. And everything’s made in house, which is fantastic. It’s about making it fresh that day and getting it out there.”
Starting off strong, all the drinks at The Parlour are double shots. The Blackberry Smash cocktail above infuses Remy Martin VSOP Cognac and St. Remy Brandy with lemon, blackberries, and honey ginger lavender syrup for a dark yet refreshing drink with a punch.
They Hey DJ! cocktail is made with Don Julio Blanco tequila and Sombra Mezcal for liquor, and incorporates grapefruit, mint, and lavender, with a lime finish. This is a subtle drink with a pleasant, balanced taste.
Gin There, Done That contains Beefeater gin and absinthe, with pineapple, lime and honey. This cocktail is tropical, refreshing, and simple.
The Caesar Salad is $12 during happy hour which is every day until 6 p.m., and $17 afterwards. There are a few salads on The Parlour’s menu, but the restaurant’s take on the classic Caesar definitely stands out, with fresh lettuce, parmesan, butter croutons, candied maple bacon, and house made Caesar dressing. Don’t forget the roasted garlic—which Holland says is roasted and placed on the side of the dish so you can pick it off if you’re on a hot date.
Hoisin and tamarind are among the 12-ingredient marinade for these delightful stacked short ribs, brought together with a kick of sriracha, a garnish of sesame seeds, and Granny Smith apple and jicama slaw. The ribs are marinated overnight for 24 hours for a tender, flavourful treat, and the stacked presentation is very satisfying. Holland notes that there is no deep fryer onsite, honouring the healthy menu, so this is The Parlour’s version of a chicken wing. The short ribs are a must-try—it’s no surprise that these are a best-seller.
The Chilled Seafood Platter is next, served on a heavy dish of ice. Premium oysters, jumbo prawns, and ahi tuna lettuce wraps make up the platter. The lettuce wraps are fresh, juicy little pockets of tuna, avocado, citrus ginger soy, mint, spicy ponzu aioli, crispy shallots, and sesame seeds, topped with sriracha mayo for some heat. The Chilled Seafood Platter rings in at a reasonable $59 at happy hour every day before 6 p.m., and $69 for dinner. This is one of Holland’s favourite dishes on the menu.
Pizza is the cornerstone upon which The Parlour was built, and the restaurant’s pizza selection speaks for itself. The pizzas are also available in halfsies, so you can try two pizzas on one crust. What’s more—many of the restaurant’s iconic wood/gas fired pizzas can be made on The Parlour’s own gluten-free crust. Holland himself created the gluten-free crust recipe about a decade ago after much trial and error, resulting in a blend of a few flours, including rice and tapioca. The gluten-free dough is thinner and crispier than the regular dough.
Pictured above is the Standard pizza, topped with pepperoni, button mushrooms, red pepper, onion, bacon, olives, and mozza on gluten-free crust. This is a classic pizza, and the toppings sit well on the unique crust. Each bite is crispy, the toppings are proportional, and it’s an overall enjoyable dish.
The Parlour does potato pizza right. The Goldmember pizza is loaded with Yukon gold potatoes, mushroom duxelles, truffle oil, gruyere, and mozza, with caramelized onions as the star of the show. The sweetness of the onions combines with the carby potatoes, plethora of mushroom flavours, and cheesy goodness to really bring this pizza home.
A few dipping sauces are available for pizzas: the 610, the Dragon Sauce, the Spicy Aioli, the Tomato Dip, chili oil, and truffle oil. While some of these are recognizable, the 610 is a highlight whose name offers no hint of its origins. The Parlour’s premiere 610 dipping sauce consists of a selection of pickled sauces, mayonnaise, and lemon juice, and is named after a repeat customer who asked the kitchen for a dipping sauce so many times that Holland had to make one—and name it after the customer’s height: 6’10”.
A parlour isn’t complete without ice cream, and that’s where the epic Salted Caramel Sundae comes in. For dessert, experience a dose of childhood with this simple but loaded sundae with chocolate fudge, caramel popcorn, and whipped cream.
If you’re wondering whether The Parlour serves a vegan, gluten-free dessert, look no further than the Raw Chocolate Torte. Made with overripe avocados to elicit the ideal, smooth, creamy flavour and texture, the “vegan fudge” in this dish is indulgent perfection. The torte comes with a side of tart and sweet raspberry sorbet, with a light crust of chocolate dust, which is made with walnuts, pecans, and cocoa nibs.
The Parlour Toronto is located at 642 King Street West. The restaurant’s hours of operation are Monday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday from noon to midnight, Thursday and Friday from noon to 2 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
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