Amano Trattoria rang in 2026 by hopping on one of Toronto’s biggest restaurant trends: a full rebrand. This weekend, the upscale Italian spot officially transformed into Notte Ristorante, a new concept designed for lingering late into the night.
“We had a great run with the brand, but looking to the future and at what other restaurants are doing, we wanted to shift the menu and the experience,” says co-owner and executive chef Michael Angeloni. “Notte is something we’ve been working on for a while.”
Backed by Adam Teolis and Toronto restauranteur Yannick Bigourdan, Amano was revamped to meet a demand Angeloni says Toronto diners are on the hunt for: affordability.
Everything is made in-house or sourced locally, with the menu anchored by Angeloni’s handmade pastas and big plates like a 12-oz bone-in veal parm. Late-night diners get their own reward too — after 9 p.m., a $99, 28-oz Bistecca Fiorentina lands squarely in after-theatre territory.
Happy hour sets the mood early, then the lights drop, the music picks up and late-night pricing kicks in, merging Amano’s kitchen with the energy of its cocktail bar offshoot, Bar Notte.
“The quality and level of service are the same, but the atmosphere is more relaxed,” says Angeloni. “We wanted our regulars to feel that it’s still us — still their restaurant — just with a bit of a facelift.”
On the menu, Angeloni sticks to modern Italian, drawing from his own culinary roots. The focus is on assaggini — small bites meant for the table — and a new salumi bar that now anchors the space. Options range from finocchiona and his nonna’s pickled tomatoes to chicken liver mousse with Treviso jam and other shareable plates.
“We’re always inspired by our heritage, we’re not confined by it,” says Angeloni. “Being in Canada, we can use some ingredients that are a little bit more focused on Canadian, but with an Italian philosophy.”
Also on the menu is Roman-style pizza, fermented over 72 hours and made with a high-hydration dough using five types of flour.
“We didn’t want to do Napolitano-style pizza because there are so many places that are doing it and doing a great job of it,” says Angeloni. “(Roman style) is something that we think is unique and there’s not a lot of people doing it in the city. It’s something that I fell in love with when I was in Italy.”
With everything made fresh in house or sourced locally, the menu is rounded out with Angeloni’s familiar homemade pastas and large plates like a signature 12oz bone-in veal parm. You can even get a special late-night steak after 9 p.m., a 28oz Bistecca Fiorentina, priced at $99 and perfect for those after-theatre cravings.
“Our regular loyal client base that has been with us forever will find familiarity. There are the staple dishes that have been there from day one, same quality, same dish,” Angeloni says. “What we really wanted to do was find those key, popular, delicious great items, and just play off that, making it more accessible, more fun, more inviting dishes.”
These can be paired with classic cocktails, spritz, mocktails and premium wines that live up to Amano’s mission to not break the bank. Daily happy hours take over Notte Ristorante from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and later in the evening.
Notte Ristorante is now open at 9 Church Street.
