Splendido consistently ranks among the top five restaurants in Canada, but it's always had the feel of an old relic of the Toronto restaurant scene. Started in the '80s, Splendido has always staked its reputation on consistency of cuisine and quality service, never on trends or fads. It's never been considered a "hot" restaurant or an "It Spot" and it's never graced the front page of martiniboys.com, but it's never needed to. Splendido is the type of destination spot you go to only on special occasions, the type of place where you know you'll get a quality meal, but not the type of place to go any night of the week.

At least it was. For the first time in its multi-decade lifespan, Splendido has been given a major renovation and concept revision. It all started in 2008 when former proprietor Yannick Bigourdan and Executive Chef David Lee opened Nota Bene on Queen Street. As the restaurant earned accolades left and right the phones started ringing off the hook and the two decided to sell Splendido to focus on their new spot. Rather than finding a new suitor, Lee and Bigourdan kept it within the family, selling the well-worn restaurant to long-time General Manager Carlo Cattalo and Chef de Cuisine Victor Barry.

But that doesn't mean Splendido has stayed the same. Not by a longshot. After a month of renovations, the Harbord Street fixture has officially re-opened with a new design, a new price point, and a new attitude. Forget the rigid formality of the past; the new Splendido is welcoming, affordable, and accessible. These may not be adjectives you'd ever expect to hear in conjunction with Splendido, but now's the time to put aside your preconceptions.

The renovations, undertaken by Giannone Petricone ( Terroni, Bar Italia, Bar One), has brightened the room with a sky blue colour motif, emphasized the bar area (turning the volume down on the "dining room" concept), and removed the blinds, and opened the space up to Harbord Street. You may even feel compelled to walk in without a reservation, something previously unheard of.

"We wanted to make an immediate impact and give Splendido a new identity," says Carlo Cattalo. "Splendido used to be a destination for people once or twice a year. I'd like Splendido to be a destination once or twice a month." This may sound familiar to anyone following the Toronto dining scene, but Carlo assures us he's not just trying to fit in. "Restaurants are getting more casual. That's an undeniable trend," he says. "But this is less a reaction to any sort of social force than it is a reaction to how Victor and I are as people. We're still a fine dining restaurant, not a trattoria or a bistro. That much hasn't changed."