The past year has been a challenging one for the culinary community. s were forced to close to indoor dining, with takeout and delivery services their only options. However, with the arrival of warmer weather, those with outdoor patios look to offer patrons a socially distanced, open-air option to enjoy their meals.
A number of establishments opened last year during a very brief window of restaurant service, only to be shuttered. They return this season with another chance to impress Toronto’s hungry palates. With something for every occasion and interest, here are five coveted new patios that should be added to your dining list. Please follow government recommended protocols and procedures, and do make reservations, since these hot seats are likely to be in big demand.
AMAL
When it comes to creating dazzling spaces, INK Entertainment’s Charles Khabouth and Danny Soberano are always front and centre. Their latest triumph is the transformation of Yorkville’s former seen-and-be-seen hotspot, La Société, into a lofty and elegant Lebanese restaurant.
Overlooking Bloor Street, the secondfloor terrace is outfitted with cushioned seating and heat lamps, with plans to prolong the seating option with tents.
Arabic for hope, Amal’s stunning interiors are the result of a complete floor-toceiling makeover that’s inspired by traditional Lebanese architecture and design. It’s peppered with hand-picked imported décor, like mosaic terrazzo flooring and hand-painted ceiling tapestries by GZ Art Co.
The long-awaited project brings flavours from Beirut-born Khabouth’s heritage via executive chef Roy Ghaleb’s contemporary spins on familiar dishes. Known on Lebanon’s fine-dining scene, Ghaleb’s menu features traditional meze, like hummus and freshly baked pita bread, plus shareable pistachio-dusted grill platters flavoured with traditional spices and fresh herbs that are served on custom-made dishware in the restaurant’s motif.
All skewer mains—including the pistachio beef kabab that’s seasoned with a house spice blend (shown here)—are served with biwaz (parsley salad topped) pita, grilled tomatoes, serrano peppers, grilled onions and home fries.
The grilled branzino is topped with fresh herbs, lime, pickled red onions and served with green shug.
At brunch, there are traditional breakfasts like manouche (thyme and meat pie), foul (fava beans) and balila (warm chickpea and cumin salad), and modern interpretations, including pita with lox and labneh, eggs and makanek (Lebanese sausage).
The sampler platter features a choice of three dips with fresh pitas. Shown here: hummus (chickpea puree, tahini, lemon), baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant puree, tahini, lemon) and muhammara (fire-roasted red pepper, house spices, walnuts).
While the food is takeaway friendly, the main draw will be people-watching from a cushioned perch on the gorgeous second-floor patio while tipping back deceptive high-octane cocktails by award-winning Nishantha Nepulongoda that are infused with flavours from the Lebanese pantry, including teas, sumac and Arak.
131 Bloor St. W., 2nd floor,
416-551-9929
amaltoronto.com
BAR MIGNONETTE
Named after the classic oyster accoutrement, but also French for “cute,” this intimate space atop sister restaurant Patois Toronto seats only 14 on its patio overlooking Dundas, plus another 14 inside its quaint cathedral-ceiling room. Filled with tropical greenery and shelves made from reclaimed church woodwork that is crammed with vintage knick-knacks and family heirlooms, co-owners Ivy Lam and Craig Wong’s latest project leans on Wong’s French culinary training, while taking influence from his Chinese-Jamaican background.
Focused predominantly on low intervention, organic and/or biodynamic consignment wines that range from crushable to eclectic, by bottle or glass, this wine bar does have a seriously delicious menu by Wong and executive chef Alex Nacinovich. Expect simple sharefriendly bites, like warm crab dip and garlic shrimp mingling with seasonal vegetable such as asparagus with sauce gribiche. There’s also a raw bar specializing in fresh-shucked East Coast oysters, wild coldwater shrimp and lobster.
Sous chef Daniel Shin is behind the clams and pasta that features B.C. clams, spaghetti, black garlic and sake. The dish was influenced by his Korean heritage and his time cooking in Alba, Italy.
Fresh shucked East Coast oysters (6, 12 or 24) are served with watermelon red chilli mignonette, fresh horseradish and signature mango-habanero hot sauce (a fan favourite at Patois).
The show-stopping shrimp cocktail features wild cold-water shrimp from northern Canada served whole with shell-on, cocktail sauce and mayonnaise.
794 Dundas St. W., 2nd floor
647-350-8999
barmignonette.com
DOVA
Let chef-owner Roberto marotta and his wife, Jacqueline Nicosia, take you and your taste buds to the mediterranean Islands through their spacious multi-level new venture. Named after Don Vale, the village that became Cabbagetown, Dova offers guests various experiences from their bright and airy main dining room that’s flanked with banquettes and lined with tiles and stoneware brought in from Sicily to counter seats bellied up to the bar.
Hilditch Architect is behind Dova’s long dining room, creating a calm and minimal space through the use of natural wood, leather, polished brass accents and terrazzo-look porcelain tiles.
There are also coveted seats at the plexiglass-barriered kitchen counter and an intimate private cellar downstairs for larger dining groups. Then there’s their 39-seat covered patio tucked behind the restaurant with features influenced by mediterranean courtyards.
The carpaccio blankets shaved beef, arugula, raw king oyster mushrooms and saffron pecorino Ennese cheese.
For crudo, there’s the Capesante, which finishes Nova Scotian scallops with wild fennel, chili, orange wedges and Leonardo Marino extra virgin olive oil.
Filling tables with vibrant, ingredient-focused dishes prepared with restraint, the sharefriendly dinner menu features everything from fresh-caught seafood to handmade artisanal pastas, ethically sourced meats and wood-fired pizzas that are accented with imported Sicilian flavours.
Polpo features tender octopus, parsley, celery leaf and grilled lemon.
Mains include fish and meat dishes like the Maialino, which features suckling pig from a small Ontario farm that’s been brined for 24 hours before being slow roasted for another 24 hours. The 9-oz portion is served with a juniper reduction and red wine-poached shallots.
Weekend brunch offers items like a fried organic egg on braised Sicilian lentils, homemade sourdough pancakes with either a hazelnut maple praline or Sicilian chocolate sauce, and a spinach, ricotta and potato frittata that can all be embellished with black truffle. make it a perfect pairing with unique consignment wines from European producers, or well-balanced craft cocktails using homemade infusions that can be made without alcohol or vegan.
229 Carlton St.
416-901-3501
dovarestaurant.com
POMPETTE
Proving that Toronto can have nice things, Pompette is the brainchild of an accomplished trio from Paris. Trained in classic French cuisine, chef martine Bauer worked at Prince maurice in mauritius before leading the kitchen at Hôtel de matignon, the official residence of the Prime minister of France. While waiting to open Pompette, she did stints at Brothers and Pearl morisette through which she was connected to local producers.
The expansive patio along Clinton Street is lined with wooden benches that can seat 45, half of which are sheltered by a covered veranda in the back for continued outdoor seating during colder months.
The neighbourhood restaurant is a breath of fresh air with food that’s French in nature, but showcases local ingredients. Due to the fact it was launched during the pandemic, it offers heat-to-finish takeaway meals, while dine-in service is focused on a daily changing roster of simply prepared food that’s wonderful to tipple with.
Pompette’s open dining room houses a wine island at the entrance that may eventually host informal wine tastings by Bauer.
A cute way to say tipsy in French, Pompette is like heaven for serious imbibers. martine’s partner in business and life, Jonathan Bauer, helms the restaurant’s producer-focused organic, biodynamic and often lowintervention 3,000-bottle deep cellar. Known for leading the wine program at acclaimed chef Daniel Rose’s now-shuttered Spring in Paris, Bauer was named France’s best sommelier in 2014.
Always available, the pâté en croute at Pompette is made with chicken rather than traditional pork. A generous slice is served with pickles and local grainy mustard.
The Bauers are joined by maxime Hoerth, who is responsible for the spirit-forward cocktail menu. Besides having headed the Bar du Bristol in Paris’s five-star Bristol hotel since 2012, he was the first Barman meilleur ouvrier de France in 2011.
Generous lobes of pan-fried Ontario sweetbreads finished with a lemon verbena bisque (lobster and veal jus) are served with changing garnish. On our visit, it was roasted cauliflower.
A selection of signature cocktails are served at Pompette, but they shine most at just-opened little sister, Bar Pompette, a few doors down on College Street—a specialty coffee shop with fresh daily snacks and treats during the day, and a bar with curated cocktails and rotating wines at night.
The dessert of the day might feature a crumbly sable biscuit topped with airy vanilla mascarpone-whipped cream and a fresh poached Ontario peach.
The list is divided into three sections that can be enjoyed on their beautiful hidden patio: modernized classics using homemade fermentations and infusion, and hand-cut ice cubes like his signature Nordic Negroni; spirit-free drinks; and a “friends of Pompette” feature –cocktails based on recipes provided by Hoerth’s international network of barkeeps.
Inside, seats are divided among booths and tables, with custom plexiglass barriers set up along the long wraparound bar. outside, the expansive patio caters to 45, with a covered veranda in the back for continued outdoor seating during colder months.
597 College St.
416-516-1111
pompette.ca
