OPEN/CLOSED: TORONTO/GTA Restaurant News January 15-21, 2026
The OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of the latest restaurant openings – virtual, brick-and-mortar, pop-ups, allll the things - and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #iykyk
🕘 12 min read
Buckle up: Keeping pace with last week’s lineup, this edition features 30 food and drink destinations. Half of those? Closures. With more on the way.
NO ONE COVERS THE CITY LIKE THIS.
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Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Over the years, UK milk tea brand Chayan has launched cafes featuring its signature sipper, frappes, cream tops, and matcha in Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles. Making its Toronto debut, grand opening celebrations take place in Chinatown (407 Spadina Ave.) on Saturday.
Established in France in 1994, Columbus Café & Co first touched down in the Big Smoke in the Entertainment District in 2023, followed by one amongst books a year later. Newsflash: The Financial District just got one to call its own at York and Adelaide (Richmond-Adelaide Centre 130 Adelaide St. W.). Did you know? CC&C now boasts 190+ locations in France alone.
Caribbean and soul food haven Dav’s Hotpot anticipated second haunt, Dav’s Hotpot Restaurant + Lounge kicks off grand opening in Gerrard India Bazaar (1499 Gerrard St. E.) tomorrow. Will the menu include beloved fare such as Rasta Pasta, Fried Cajun Shrimp, Dav’s Loaded Alfredo, and/or Buttermilk Fried Wings? See for yourself. UPDATE: Grand opening has been delayed. Rescheduled date TBD.
How to describe the food at Ginsoy Extreme? In their own words: “Extreme Chinese.” What does that mean exactly? Fried Chicken Dumplings, Prawn on Toast, Red Manuchurian Gravy, and Hot & Spicy Chow Mein, for starters. Grand opening for Scarborough gets underway tonight at Warden and Eglinton (824 Warden Ave.) at 5pm. p.s. In the west end? Visit their resto in Mississauga.
PSA: Beef Brisket Noodle Soup lovers, this one’s for you. Hometown Road Noodlehouse has arrived downtown at Bay and Harbour (RBC Waterpark Place 20 Bay St.).
African eatery Jollof King takes over the corner office at College Park’s compact food court (444 Yonge St.) with tantalizing breakfast (Eggs with your choice of fried yam or plantain), mains (Suya, Nigerian Shawarma, Jollof Spaghetti), and too-hard-to-choose-just-one snacks (Fish Rolls, Puff Puff, Chicken Pie, Scotch Egg).
Kabbana Bar & Grill (139 Lakeshore Rd. E.) celebrated grand opening in Port Credit yesterday. What to expect menu-wise? Mediterranean fusion that runs the gamut from Short Rib Shakshuka to Paella for Two. Stay tuned: Locations in Toronto and Michigan of all places, are in the works.
La Petite Colline & Shan Shan Cafe came on the scene in North York in 2021. Say hello to Scarborough sis, La Petite Colline & Chu Loo (2181 McNicoll Ave., Unit 1), your new go-to for Taiwanese cuisine.
The bustling Ossington and Bloor nabe has added a public house to the mix. Introducing Michael Collins Irish Pub (926 Bloor St. W.), taking over where Another Bar stood until last summer. In addition to pub grub, whiskeys galore, and live music, discover daily specials including a pint of Guinness for $10 “all day everyday.'“
Sandos are taking over the city, particularly Italian and Vietnamese varieties. Mico Sandwiches (679 Queen St. W.) at the crazy corner that is Queen and Bathurst, centres theirs around pan-style focaccia al padellino.
I gave you the inside track on Monasaba’s plans for Scarborough last month. Update: Saturday marked grand opening for the Yemeni spot at Warden and Lawrence (1960 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit B2).
Micro-grocer Neighbor Market in The Beaches (2116 Queen St. E.), provides plenty of options for everything from produce to pantry requirements, not to mention cravings of all kinds.
Ohana Coffee lands across from High Park (2100 Bloor St. W., Unit 5B) with Colombian coffee and pandebonos - Colombian cassava and cheese bread - aka your latest obsession. See for yourself at grand opening on Saturday.
Zen Kyoto bringing their sushi and ramen selections to the business crowd across four locations positioned throughout the Financial District. Discover the fifth just south at Harbourfront (RBC Waterpark Place - 88 Queens Quay W., 2nd Fl.).
As I reported a few months back, 18feet Espresso Bar & The Cheong keeps the hits coming. Soft opening for the Yonge and Dundas location* (329 Yonge St., 2nd Fl.) kicked off Monday with ten percent off everything until January 31. Conditions apply. *Find it above Five Guys, sharing space with Viet OGs, Banh Mi Boys.
CLOSED
It’s the end of the chocolate and ice cream studded road for Avoca’s Danforth shop (176 Hampton Ave.). To get your fix, head to the Leaside branch (850 Millwood Rd.).
Bevy’s second east end cafe (401 Logan Ave., Unit 101) commenced last summer, with construction plaguing the area for some time. Two locations are ready to serve you: One just down the street and The Combine.
Butter Chicken Roti joined Yonge north of Wellesley (646 Yonge St.) in 2019. The space is making way for Persian eatery Shamshiri.
Beach vibes watering hole The Dive Shop (1036 Gerrard St. E.) stuck it out in the east side for five years. For what some of their alum are up to, check out last week’s roster. As for what’s replacing it? Stay tuned for Bar Etc.
Duck was a fixture at College Park (444 Yonge St.) for so long, I can’t recall what stood there previously. And shout out to it for being a standout and original amongst incoming chains (Looking at you KFC and Taco Bell) and duck in a mall food court downtown? So rare. For who’s moved in, pop up top.
Neo Anatolian restaurant Flame Food+Design arrived in Bloor West Village (2197 Bloor St. W.) December 2018.
ISO Greenhouse Juice Co.’s healthy elixirs at Queen and Niagara (740 Queen St. W.)? No such luck. GJ’s closed up here. Fortunately six remain throughout the city.
End of an era. Since 1997 Kathmandu Restaurant served the community-at-large comforting Indian and Nepalese fare from its original perch on Yonge Street, then nestled in Yorkville (12 Cumberland St., Unit 300).
First a ‘For Sale’ sign right out front, then a move to take-out only. Now, Lamoon Thai Cafe has 86’d the East Chinatown location (713 Gerrard St. E.), with eyes on setting up elsewehere.
As I reported last week, you’ve got until Sunday to get your buffet on at Mandarin Yonge & Eg (Canada Square 2200 Yonge St.).
Canadian chain Moxies, known for its posts largely positioned in malls and suburban settings across Canada and the U.S., is ceasing operations at Yorkdale Mall (3401 Dufferin St.). Doors close Saturday after 18 years. Numerous locations remain throughout the province.
Following a fire in October at Pasaj a few steps away, Simit and Chai’s Leslieville subterranean store (1114 Queen St. E.) has been marked ‘Permanently Closed’ on Google, as has the newer location in the Entertainment District (19 Duncan St.), next to their now defunct Barba that opened and closed like that. It’s not the only change for the local chain: The original on King West (787 King St. W.) is now under new ownership.
Woah, Rumi Steakhouse (1599 Bayview Ave.) barely got started before doors closed.
From full-blown bistro in 2022 to last year pivoting to French ‘za a few days a week with occasional bistro nights, east end’s Taverne Tamblyn (1426 Danforth Ave.) is wrapping things up shortly, as owner chef Ben Gundy has sold the business.
Next door neighbour to Bayview’s Rumi that received a lot of buzz last summer? Zzavia Pizzeria (1597 Bayview Ave.) has also shuttered.
NEWS
After announcing service at 5633 Finch Ave. E. would end earlier this week, Lucky Lin’s shared yesterday time at their current addy has been extended. Watch this space.
Police are reaching out to the public regarding break-ins at a restaurant on Tuesday in The Beaches.
‘Daily Bread to cut off Scarborough food bank’ sounds like a tabloid headline. It isn’t.
Resos for the city’s prix fixe fest Winterlicious 2026 - January 30 to February 12 - open today.
Latest food recalls: No Name Beef Burgers recalled due to E. coli O157:H7, Various pistachios and pistachio-containing products recalled due to Salmonella.
Life moves fast. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.
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