Ardo

What is Ardo? Set along King Street East near Sherbourne in Old Town, Ardo is the intimate Sicilian project from chef-owner Roberto Marotta and creative director Jacqueline Nicosia, named after their son's childhood moniker. The candlelit space pairs warm trattoria touches with clean contemporary accents, featuring dark wood tables, framed family photographs, an ocean-blue bar, and front-row views of the open dough station. It skips downtown pretension entirely in favour of genuine hospitality and deeply regional southern Italian cooking that has earned Michelin Guide recognition.

Ardo Menu & What to Order The kitchen sidesteps standard Northern pasta tropes to focus squarely on the bold, coastal flavours of Milazzo and Sicily. Start with the golden arancino loaded with slow-cooked beef ragù and caciocavallo cheese, or order the raw tuna carpaccio punctuated with capers and celery. For mains, the light-crusted sourdough pizzas—especially the Etna with house Sicilian sausage—and the handmade porcini mushroom gnocchi are reliable crowd-pleasers. Complement the meal with an Etna Rosso from the southern-focused wine list, and finish with a freshly piped cannolo filled with sheep's milk ricotta, candied orange, and roasted pistachios.

Know Before You Go Tables fill rapidly Thursday through Saturday, making an advance reservation on OpenTable essential for dinner. Weekday lunch and aperitivo hours offer a quieter, sunlit alternative, and solo diners can often slip into a seat at the bar. The 504 King streetcar drops off steps away, with metered street parking available along King East and neighbouring side streets.