Barberian's Steak House is a downtown Toronto steakhouse located at 7 Elm Street, close to Sankofa Square. It was founded in 1959 by Harry Barberian (1930–2001) and is now owned by his son, Arron Barberian. The restaurant includes two main dining rooms, two private dining rooms, and a two-storey underground wine cellar housing over 20,000 bottles[1] in 22 ft tall racks, with antique chandeliers, and a dining table for exclusive parties. The restaurant houses a collection of rare Canadiana including original paintings by the Group of Seven.
Patrons over the years have included Robert Morley, James Beard, Rudolf Nureyev, Veronica Tennant, Mick Jagger, Denzel Washington, Eminem and every Canadian prime minister since John Diefenbaker. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were engaged at the restaurant in 1964.
History
Harry Barberian was the youngest of four children born to Armenian refugee parents. After working as manager-chef at Le Baron steakhouse, Barberian bought a cottage at 7 Elm Street for $6,000 and founded his own restaurant.[2]