This is a tough time for restaurants in Toronto, but some losses hit harder than others. Some couldn't make it past the first wave, some have dropped in the second, and some closed before COVID-19 even hit just because 2020 sucks. Here are 7 restaurants we've lost this year that even though we know they're gone, we still sort of expect to see pop up on Ritual. Editor's Choice: This Toronto Park Is Perfect For A Romantic Stroll With Your Favourite Person Marché Mövenpick We are hiring https://t.co/jiJ4c1G0QO pic.twitter.com/v00oex4nrq— Marché Mövenpick (@Marche_TO) October 18, 2016 This was the place you brought your out-of-town friends when you wanted to impress them with how big and modern and sky-scrapery Toronto was. Brookfield Place was right out of a movie, and the Marché was open enough for you and your country-mouse friends to soak it all in. The Universal Grill View this post on Instagram Missing our lovely staff and customers. Hope you’re staying safe and healthy. Dug through some old files and found this sweet #tbt circa 1996. #torontorestaurant #since1996 #covid A post shared by Universal Grill (@universalgrillto) on Apr 9, 2020 at 12:56pm PDT This was the restaurant that made Dupont into a place to go. It opened in the '90s, and was a destination spot – worth the trip to Dupont! – until the rest of the strip started filling out until, finally, there was no place left for poor pioneering Universal. Poutini's House of Poutine View this post on Instagram #squadgoals courtesy of @foodcla 😍🙏🏻 A post shared by Poutini's (@poutini) on Jan 9, 2020 at 3:55pm PST This one's a mystery. Poutine is the physical embodiment of the comfort we all need right now, and that we're going to need even more when it starts to get really cold outside. Poutini's! We barely knew ye! Nish Dish View this post on Instagram Tomorrow on @onedishonemic radio Chef Johl will be interviewed live about COVID, Indigenous Food Sovereignty and planning for the future... tune in at 10:15am Sunday May 10th! . . . . #indigenous #firstnations #indigenousownedandoperated #nishdish #media #radio #tkaronto #foodsovereignty #chefjohlwhiteduck #nativecuisine #nish #bloorstreet #resilience #contingency A post shared by Nish Dish (@nishdishmarketeria) on May 9, 2020 at 6:54pm PDT Toronto was just on the verge of an Anishnaabe culinary renaissance. Then, Kukum Kitchen closed on Mt. Pleasant, and Nish Dish on Bloor followed (it's now a sewing station for the Poop Cafe's new COVID-19 mask business). Keep an eye out for Chef Ringuette, though; you can't keep a good chef down for long. Tucker's Marketplace View this post on Instagram #beautiful #day#team #together #красота #весна A post shared by YevO (@yeva77) on Apr 26, 2019 at 1:46pm PDT For those who grew up in the areas immediately outside the downtown core, this is where birthdays, anniversaries, and after-work drinks happened (remember after-work drinks with actual people?). But it was an all-you-can-eat buffet concept, and that did not play well with COVID-19, even before dining-in got canned. Il Gatto Nero View this post on Instagram Hi everyone! This account will be closed and deactivated within the next week. If you wish to continue and show support to our family and the Il Gatto Nero brand follow our new account for our Etobicoke location. 37 Advance Rd. @ilgattonero___ A post shared by Il Gatto Nero Bar | Caffè (@ilgattonero1960) on Sep 29, 2020 at 8:11am PDT The Black Cat (il gatto nero in Italian) was a College Street anchor since the 1950s. It moved at least once but it was the sort of place you could have an espresso next to a guy who'd been having his espresso there for 50 years and could tell you all about it. Il Gatto Nero was one of the reasons this stretch of College is still called Little Italy. If you still want a taste of the old ways, Cafe Diplomatico (The Dip), founded in 1968, was still there last time we checked. Southern Accent View this post on Instagram Rosie & Bertie always made a Halloween appearance! 🎃 should we find the costumes and send you a 2020 update? I can't promise it will be pretty, 2020 hasn't been easy on ANYONE 😅 A post shared by Southern Accent (@southernaccentrestaurant) on Oct 16, 2020 at 6:01am PDT It used to be in Mirvish Village, and moved to College a few years back. It was the sort of place two little dogs dressed as lizards would totally not feel out of place. Wacky "Cajun, Creole, and Soul" cooking, staffed by people who'd worked there since the '80s. It was all about the ambience, and you can't get that to go.
