A spot you can bank on
The former bank-building provenance of Edmonton’s newest supper club does more than inform its name. Everything is rich at The Treasury Vodka Bar & Eatery, from the red upholstered elegance of the VIP dining area to the extent of its (80-brand-plus) vodka menu.
“Edmonton’s premiere mature destination,” as the Jasper Ave. address bills itself, opened its 14,000 square feet to much fanfare this summer.
Ever since, this restaurant by day and nightclub by (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) night, has exploited its plum downtown location to the fullest, drawing clientele from the business lunch crowd to hungry travelers.
The interior ambience is dramatic, with much attention paid, crows manager and head chef Paul Greene, to colours, fabrics, lighting and textures. “We’re going for a modern classic look,” he says. “Sex appeal is very important to a room.”
To wit, find the “champagne area,” a walled-off area in the middle of the space that can accommodate 25 or 30 diners who crave exclusivity with their Grey Goose. Everywhere, modular furniture abounds, pushed to the walls after dark to accommodate dancing.
But the restaurant’s classiest feature, Greene believes, is its European-style bottle service. Rather than crowd your table with the big locked case that typically houses a bottle, the Treasury offers discreet individual locking caps. And choose from an impressive variety of mixes to go with the booze—from Dr. Pepper to Gatorade.
Highlights of the Treasury’s continental menu include beef tenderloin medallions wrapped in peppercorn bacon, spinach salad with raspberry dressing, and a to-die-for appetizer of jumbo prawns sautéed in sambuca cream sauce.
The former TD Bank origins of the Treasury are evident throughout, including marble bars, chandeliers, dark wood and fabulously extant massive vaults—complete with seven-ton doors—cleverly adapted as food and beer coolers.
