A suspiciously large amount of Toronto restaurants have closed last month, including some fairly new entries to the dining scene. This spate of closures in such a short period of time is clearly something to worry about. Especially considering the time of year: Restaurateurs notoriously step up for the guaranteed gold rush that is Christmas. It might just be the natural selection that goes on in the Toronto restaurant industry, but if this is the high season, what are we to expect in January, an absolute dud of a month?

Madras Pantry: August 2009 – November 2009
Four months? Design-heavy Madras Pantry (877 Queen St W.) opened up its alluring doors this summer, doling out signature rolled dosas to the local masses. Seemed as though things were rolling along smoothly, with chairs filled and the space humming along just fine. But now, four months later, all there is to Madras Pantry is a papered-up store-front. Signage on the door (See here) indicates non-payment of rent, and that the restaurant has been padlocked due to owners “abandoning the premises.” The hip dosa café, brought forth by Hanif Harji and Ryan Fisher, certainly had a fun décor (seen here), featuring hanging tube lights, hand-painted sword eaters and original artwork (by Marlo Onilla, of Fuel/Biography Inc. ). But, if you’re out looking for a rolled dosa, you might want to try plan B. But not Indus Junction; it’s gone too.

Indus Junction: June 2007 – September 2009
Queen Street had over the years become the, um, Queen of stationary epicurean imperialism, collecting cuisines from around the world and plopping them down on the venerable strip. Indian gastropub Indus Junction was part of it, opening at 811 Queen Street West, two years ago. But the room saw too many empty nights, and owners closed the doors last month. Chef Sanjiv Malhotra and owners Alka and Poonam Dhir had opened the space that, thanks to designer Glen Peloso, fused standard Queen décor (exposed brick) with a colourful Indian theme, creating an inclusive and lively look. But it’s gone now, and an Indian restaurant called Apalla has taken over the space.

Flow: September 2005 – November 2009
When a hot spot loses its lustre, there’s just one thing to do: Close it up and start again. Which is what The Liberty Group did with Flow. The Yorkville restaurant closed last month, but if you were to wade through the various Reader Comments on martiniboys.com, very few people will be shedding tears. Tony Longo, Julian Gova with Chef Richard Andino (North 44) opened the Yorkville restaurant in the old Movenpick space at 133 Yorkville Avenue, and managed to squeeze four good years out of it. But, after an ugly death, the doors are now locked and the windows papered over. Without missing a beat, the space is already in construction mode, on its way to becoming a thing called Ciao Wine Bar. Not surprisingly, Ciao is also from The Liberty Group (who also have Spice Route, Tattoo Rock Parlour, etc). More here.

Era Ora: June 2007 - November 2009
Most Torontonians would think Era Ora might be the name of an upcoming restaurant. But the little Toronto restaurant sat quietly at the corner of Avenue and Davenport for two years before finally closing up shop last month. Quickly, and sufficiently ballsy, another restaurant has moved in to take over the space at 137 Avenue Road: Masala Indian Room. The restaurant space, which had a good success back in the ‘80s as, strangely enough, Ciao (see above), is a hard lure. Without the luxury of walk-by traffic, and parking being a bitch, it’s hard to get excited about this address. But we wish them well.

Arrabiata Trattoria | Zelda’s | Living Well
This entry isn’t terribly new, but the dizzyingly whirlwind of restaurant musical chairs is worth the re-tell. This is a one-sentence wonder, so hang on: Living Well had a long-running existence (two decades!) at 692 Yonge Street until owners sold the concept to new restaurateurs who weren’t quite as successful and closed up shop two years ago liberating the space to the distinctively sub-par Arrabiata Trattoria, with the original LW owners focusing on their other bar/restaurant Zelda’s (542 Church Street), so about the same time the Church street property lease was jacked up to unaffordable rates, and poor Zelda’s had no other choice but to vacate, that sub-par Arrabiata Trattoria was in the process of going under, so – yes, you guessed it – Zelda’s owners (remember, they were the original owners of Living well) took back the Yonge Street space and brought back to life the since-retired Living Well while simultaneously relocating homeless Zelda’s all in one fell swoop. All this, without using the very tired “Ciao” (Ahem, Liberty Group, we mean you).

Circa: September 2007 – Soon
Technically not closed, Circa is on its last legs, with its liquor licence revoked (for serving alcohol to minors), and the owners filing for bankruptcy protection. The monster club near John and Richmond Streets was to be the next big – and really, it is big – thing when it opened its doors. NYC's (‘80s) nightlife impresario Peter Gatien, stormed into town in 2007, pouring over $5 million to get Circa off the ground. He fought the city, he convinced the backers, and won in every department. When Gatien sold the venue earlier this year, most of the staffers followed suit. The club, which was Palladium and Lucid prior, plans on continuing to operate as usual. But death is in the air. An Empty club is an empty club.

Heal Clinic – March 2009 - November 2009
Okay, so technically not a restaurant. But Torontonian Dr. Taverniti had poured a lot of money into the little healing clinic Heal (1098 Yonge Street), tricking the space up with dark woods and antique furniture. Heal offered a card of anti-stress and anti-aging treatments with acupuncture and micro current face-lifts that used electric pulses to mimic the natural currents of the body and smooth out worry lines. But, sadly, it just didn't happen. Taverniti shuttered Heal Clinic last month.


Xian – July 2009 - November 2009
Xian (1252 Yonge Street) has thrown in the towel and closed their doors. Poor thing never had a chance; while it was cute as a button on the inside, it was blink-and-you’ll-miss-it on the outside. Karin Min’s little Rosedale tea shop, named for one of the most ancient and historically rich city's in China, served up over 40 varieties of tea, pastries, and bulgogi and was a genuinely interesting store. But the concept didn’t take. Xian closed last week.



Vdara – May 2009 - December 2009
This is another restaurant space that’s becoming increasingly problematic. A decade ago, this spot on the south-west corner of Queen and Tecumseth was well known as Futures. But then it was replaced by the wickedly popular Habitat, and then another restaurant of some sort, and then the latest, which closed last week, Vdara. The restaurant had a shaky existence, with a scattered menu drawing from several influences. Executive Chef Mani Binelli said to us earlier “I don’t want to be restricted from using any particular style.” But maybe he should have. Vdara has closed after a 6 month run.



i deal coffee Leslieville: July 2008 – November 2009
East enders are mourning the loss of i deal coffee. The local coffee outlet shuttered its Leslieville location (1560 Queen Street East) on November 15th, with no chance of return. While it was a mere coffee shop, this outpost was a buzzing polished wood environment and kept the locals well caffeinated. It will be missed, as Leslieville takes its coffee seriously. The other I Deal Coffee locations remain.



Le Bar a Soup: May 2007 – September 2009
Nathalie Barin has closed her Le Bar a Soup on Ossington. The first-time restaurateur had been doling out three varieties of palatable potage at her little Ossington soupery for over two years. A native of Paris, Barin taught herself to cook although she could have very well attended the finest culinary school in France. The closure of this café, along with Get Real Café down the street, comes as a surprise, as there is no shortage of traffic in these parts. With both cafés landing here prior to the Ossington rush, one would think it to be pure genius to be here now. I guess club kids don’t like soup.