he street address is self-evident and it's been open just a few months, but word-of-mouth is keeping the tables filled at The Harbord Room. Opened in late January by Dave Mitton (co-owner of Czehoski's), this latest piece of demographic bait is a combination neighbourhood bistro and generation-gap venue that proves Mitton really puts thought into how to tap the restaurant zeitgeist; it’s just that he’s right behind the curve.

The restaurant - which takes over the old Eduardo's space - is a ready-made rendezvous spot on what is slowly becoming a little restaurant row. Joining the other quality-centric eateries in the area - Splendido, Boulevard Café, Messis and Tati Bistro - the dark, cozy room is outfitted with the kind of vintage details that have made Czehoski's on Queen Street such a success, but here they're more contained. In fact, this entry may actually feel more Queen Street than anywhere else in the area at the moment, with as many expats at the tables as on the restaurant staff.

Leather banquettes and chairs, hanging globe lights, marble tables, tasteful salmon-coloured walls and a long cocktail bar set the scene for serious drinking and dining. Serious meaning a solid menu of small and large plates, a supply of top-shelf local produce, and Chef Cory Vitiello - who has been lured over from the Drake Hotel.

Made of a long thick slab of dark wood and stocked to the rafters, the cocktail bar lures its own scene. Anton Potvin from the Niagara Street Café has been brought in to make up the drink list and he has left them with a work of art. The signature Harbord Room Manhattan is made with Wild Turkey, port, bitters and maple syrup and is aimed to knock your socks off.