Michelin-ranked vegan restaurant is permanently closing in Toronto
A Toronto restaurant that scored itself a much sought-after spot on Toronto’s Michelin Guide is closing down for good next month.
Beating the unavoidable odds that came along with opening in the summer of 2020, Little Italy’s La Bartola quickly rose to notoriety upon its arrival on the city’s culinary scene.
A true gem among the city’s plant-based cuisine scene, where La Bartola particularly rose above its contemporaries, like the now-shuttered Rosalinda which was another one of the city’s favourite meat-free Mexican spots, in the authenticity and deeply nostalgic feel of Chef Ivan Castro’s menu.
With both food and interiors inspired by his mother and grandmother, Mexico City-born Ivan evokes a heartwarming feel through La Bartola, which he describes as a “female-inspired restaurant that pays homage to all the fantastic Mexican women cooks who have and continue to create a revolution in the kitchen.”
This ethos materialized in the shape of bright, playful takes on classic Mexican fare, like mole, tacos, aguachile, and even quesadillas.
After two years, La Bartola and Ivan had made such a splash that the restaurant earned itself a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction on Toronto’s inaugural Michelin guide, further making history as Canada’s first plant-based restaurant to bear the Bib Gourmand title.
In the years since, the restaurant has maintained its spot on the guide; an honour that not every restaurant to appear on Toronto’s first (or even subsequent) Michelin guide can claim.
Unfortunately, not even good things can last forever, and it’ll soon be the end of the road for La Bartola, who’ve announced they’re closing after five years following their last service on Saturday, March 15.
“It’s bittersweet to be closing La Bartola, after so much love and energy poured into building it up over the years,” says Ivan in a release about the closure.
“We are finishing with the same love and joy we opened with, holding on to the purpose and the goal we still carry in our hearts.”
According to Ivan, the closure comes in the wake of a number of challenges to both his mental and physical health over the past few years, ultimately resulting in his decision to take a step back from the restaurant to prioritize his own wellbeing.
“While I understand that this career often demands sacrifices, I’ve learned that your well-being should never be one of them,” he says. “There’s a stigma around mental health struggles in the kitchen, and not nearly enough conversation or resources to address them.”
Indeed, plenty of small-business owners and members of the restaurant industry alike have been vocal about their struggles with burnout in the past and their candour, though it all too frequently comes with the disappointing announcement that they’re stepping back from their business, ought to be applauded. So too should Ivan’s.
It’s not all dead ends, though, Ivan says that he’ll likely make a comeback in the future, though nothing concrete has been set in stone: “This is not goodbye forever, but rather a pause as I embrace new beginnings.”
To mark the end of this chapter, Ivan has launched a special tasting menu at La Bartola that’s currently available through March 15.
Entitled “One Night in Oaxaca,” the seven-course tasting menu pays homage to the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, and features dishes like Hoja Santa Tamal with Mole negro and an Oaxacan chocolate ice cream among plenty of others.
La Bartola is located at 588 College St.