Ardo Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Story That Begins in Milazzo

For generations, Chef Roberto Marotta's family lived in Milazzo, a port town on the northeast coast of Sicily facing the Aeolian Islands. His love of food was shaped there — by his mother, by the sea, by the land — before he opened his first restaurant, Mood, on the Milazzo waterfront. When Creative Director Jacqueline Nicosia, whose own family roots run deep in Sicily, passed through town after a year in Japan, a partnership formed that would eventually cross the Atlantic.

Roberto and Jacqueline moved to Toronto in 2009, and by early 2015 they had opened ARDO on King Street East — a restaurant whose very name carries a family story. Their son, at two years old and unable to pronounce "Leonardo," called himself simply "Ardo." The name stuck, and it suits a place that is, at its core, a reflection of love and family.

Sicilian Cuisine with Roots and Rigour

Toronto diners were well acquainted with Italian food when ARDO opened, but Sicilian cuisine — its particular balance of Arab, Norman and Mediterranean influences — was less familiar territory. Roberto set about changing that, maintaining relationships with the finest Sicilian producers while studying the local Canadian ingredients available to him. The result is a menu that earns its Michelin recommendation honestly: Sicilian flavours rendered with a modern approach, without losing their sense of place.

The spuntini section alone tells the story well: Sicilian chickpea fritters with lemon and parsley (Panelle), a medley of Italian and Sicilian olives dressed with Sicilian oregano, and the iconic Arancino — a rice cone filled with beef ragù, green peas and caciocavallo cheese. Raw dishes like the tuna carpaccio with celery, caper and cucumber, and scallops with wild fennel and chilli, speak to the kitchen's confidence with simplicity.

Pasta is a serious matter here. Con le Sarde — spaghetti with cured sardines, fennel pesto, salted anchovies, pine nuts and house breadcrumbs — is a canonical Sicilian preparation done with care. The truffle spaghetti with anchovy butter and parmigiano is a more indulgent turn. House-made gnocchi with porcini, local mushrooms and cream, and orecchiette with spicy Sicilian sausage and rapini round out a pasta selection that rewards repeat visits.

Mains include a pan-seared fresh fish of the season, a braised beef with red wine and porcini jus, and a dry-aged ribeye for two. Desserts stay true: Cannoli with sweet fresh ricotta, candied orange, chocolate and roasted pistachios; a fennel-infused panna cotta; and a Sicilian dark chocolate mousse.

The Space and the People Behind It

Jacqueline Nicosia brings to ARDO a career built in events, public relations and hospitality — her focus always on atmosphere and the smallest details, from the design of the dining room to the cocktail programme. The result is a room where the experience feels considered without feeling stiff.

Recognised by both the Michelin Guide and Gambero Rosso, ARDO has earned its place among Toronto's most credible dining destinations. The King streetcar stops at the door on King Street East, in the Old Town neighbourhood — easy to reach, and worth making the effort for.