Inside Powder Room, discover a sense of occasion shaped as much by what is hidden as by what is revealed.
By Rosie Prata
In Yorkville, discretion is often a signifier of status. One of the neighbourhood’s most desirable destinations is the upscale cocktail lounge Powder Room, and it fits in perfectly. The 4,000-square-foot, second-floor space is unexpected, its entrance accessed via a secret elevator in an office lobby on a side street. If it weren’t for the queue outside, there would be no immediate indication of what awaits upstairs.
All of this is deliberate, of course. The atmosphere is very “if you know, you know,” says Nadia Di Donato, creative director of Liberty Entertainment Group, the company behind the project. Though Powder Room has been described as both a speakeasy and a supper club, Di Donato sees it as something more fluid and layered. “Depending on what day of the week and what time of the night, it goes from a dining room with live entertainment to a full nightclub,” she says.
Guests are offered a menu of haute comfort food (caviar chicken nuggets, anyone?) and show stopping, high-concept cocktails, alongside crooner-style live performances and polished service. “We like kicking it back a little old school,” Di Donato says. As the night progresses, the music intensifies, lights dim, and guests revel in celebration, enjoying bottle service and a distinctly private-club atmosphere.
Design is central to the experience. Conceived as a circular environment, the space is layered with hidden details and artistic interventions. The entire venue is indulgently wrapped in Dolce & Gabbana wallpaper, and seating is upholstered in a mix of vintage and designer fabrics, which Di Donato describes as an “eclectic weave.”
Art is embedded in similarly unexpected ways. An original Banksy, Monkey Queen, is set within a wall, visible from both sides. It is positioned not in the main space but off-centre, in the washroom corridor. True to the venue’s name, the powder room is conceived as its own environment, a memorable feature rather than a secondary, functional space. “Every stall is created with extremely high-end materials that create a little story and vignette in each,” says Di Donato.
One of the defining elements of Powder Room is its bar, a piece with its own distinctive origin story. Di Donato purchased it on sight at the Living Luxe Design Show 2025, where it was showcased in a booth by Title Building Group, Cohen Homes and Estates, and Lancaster Custom Cabinetry. Designed by Natasha & Michael Design Studio and featuring marble from Cava Surfaces, it quickly became one of the standout pieces of the show.
For those involved, its placement at Powder Room represents more than a design commission. “Although Title Building Group’s Mastermind Builder Award carries weight, this feels far greater than the award alone,” says founder Justin Miandro of being able to take clients and colleagues to a showpiece brought to life alongside Cohen and Di Pietro. Debbie Di Pietro, vice-president of Lancaster Custom Cabinetry, shares a similar sentiment. “We were beyond excited knowing our work would live on, becoming the backdrop to countless celebrations and shared moments for years to come,” she says. “Now, every time Ralph and I find ourselves there, cocktail in hand, surrounded by friends and laughter, we can’t help but pause and think, ‘Wow, we built that.’ ”
The ambition of Powder Room is visible in its aesthetic, which draws more from international references than local precedent. “It’s almost like London meets L.A.,” says Di Donato, pointing to a balance of intimacy and eclecticism. There is no strict dress code, but a “style code” that encourages clientele to step up their game and dress to the nines. High-profile guests, including Drake and Nick Jonas, frequent the venue as visitors and performers, though Powder Room is averse to overt promotion. “We like to keep it low-key,” says Di Donato.
With an operating ethos that privileges discovery over display, Powder Room offers a design-forward, curated atmosphere for those seeking an exclusive place to unwind in style.
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