Guides / Spots

Women-led restaurants, bakeries and bottle shops in Toronto

Robin Winship

over 2 years ago

In honour of International Women's Day, we want to spotlight a handful of successful women in Toronto's hospitality industry. These chefs, restaurateurs and owners are not just great female business owners; they are great business owners, no need for the female delineation. From seasoned icons with years of experience under their belt to first-time owners, these women are all doing something outstanding for Toronto's hospitality industry, whether that be leading the charge on informing the community on wine or opening an empire of successful restaurants.

Below is a list of 15 women-led restaurants, bakeries and bottle shops in Toronto.

85 Hanna Ave #104

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Since 1989, Donna Dooher has been overseeing the kitchen at Mildred's Temple Kitchen, which arguably has one of Toronto's most iconic dishes -- Mrs. Biederhof's Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. A celebrated chef, author and restaurateur, Dooher co-owns Mildred's with Kevin Gallagher.

326 Adelaide St W

Kiin

Chef Nuit Regular is no stranger to the Toronto food scene. A prominent chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality, Nuit is an integral member of our city's hospitality industry. Kiin -- which is owned and founded by chef Nuit Regular and her husband, Jeff Regular -- showcases Thailand's diverse regional cuisines.

4915 Steeles Ave E #8

El Habanero & Churrobar

Partners and owners Michelle and Angel Videaux Mencias initially started the business as an authentic Cuban catering company. Following their business taking off, the duo launched a successful mobile churro bar and eventually opened a brick-and-mortar shop in 2018. Michelle leads up overall business development and is backed up by years of experience, including a prominent role at CTV News, which she resigned from to dedicate 100% of her time to El Habanero & Churrobar, which worked, since shortly after, The McEwan Group started retailing their Gourmet Churro Cakes!

47 Front St E

Fresh - King East

Founded in 1999 by Ruth Tal as a juice bar, Fresh Restaurants has pioneered plant-based eating in the GTA and has gone on to open 10 locations, with one restaurant even in Los Angeles. Both Ruth Tal and Jennifer Houston, who is the co-owner and executive chef of Fresh Restaurants, have an undeniable love for what they do and are only continuing to grow the Fresh brand.

1912 Danforth Ave

Mary's Brigadeiro

Mary Oliveira owns and runs this specialty chocolate shop on the Danforth. Originally from Brazil, Oliveira opened Mary's Brigadeiro back in 2014 in the hopes of sharing Brazil's sweet confection with the people of Toronto. Brigadeiro, a composition of sweetened condensed milk, real butter, pure cocoa powder and fine chocolate, comes in various flavours and is a must-try for anyone with a love for chocolate.

596 Danforth Ave

Simone's Caribbean Restaurant

This Jamaican restaurant in Greektown doles out succulent and spicy jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish and curry, all under Simone Lawrence's ownership (with guidance from her mother, Donna Ogilvie, who helps in the kitchen).

149 Dundas St W

Kimchi Korea House

This beloved Downtown Toronto Korean restaurant is owned by Michelle Lee, who has several years of experience working in the hospitality industry. Besides running the restaurant, Lee also sells her homemade kimchi, Mama Lee’s Mak Kimchi.

120 Avenue Rd

Sotto Sotto

Since 1993, when Marisa Rocca founded the Sotto Sotto team, this Italian restaurant has grown into a Toronto institution, from an expansion to Oakville to holding the title of one of Drake's favourite Toronto restaurants.

158 Cumberland St

Bar Reyna

The popular Mediterranean snack and cocktail bar, Bar Reyna and Reyna on King is owned by Nicki Laborie, who also founded ViewtheVibe.com. Laborie has a background in media and PR and has worked in several cities before landing back in Toronto to oversee the opening and execution of Reyna.

364 Adelaide St W

Tutti Matti

Chef and owner Alida Solomon has been at the helm of Tutti Matti since 2002 and has since received countless awards and recognition, including the "L'Eccio D'Oro" for Osteria of the Year (an award previously won by Alain Ducasse). The chef opened Tutti Matti after spending six years living and cooking in Tuscany kitchens and wanted to bring the regional cuisine to Toronto. Solomon has become a notable figure in Canada's food scene, making several appearances on the Food Network and inspiring young cooks that follow in her footsteps.

199 Augusta Ave

Grey Gardens

Restaurateur and author Jen Agg has a track record of launching successful new restaurants and bars. Responsible for Grey Gardens, Bar Vendetta, Rhum Corner, Le Swan and Cocktail Bar, Agg consistently delivers unique concepts and fresh menus.

501 King St E

Gusto 501

Gusto 54 CEO and owner Janet Zuccarini is nothing short of a seasoned hospitality expert. With several restaurant concepts under her guidance, such as Gusto 501, Gusto 101, Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen and the newly opened Azhar, Zuccarini's projects execute menu, decor and ambiance to a high level of excellence. Besides building a restaurant empire, Zuccarini also holds a seat as a Top Chef Canada judge.

699 Danforth Ave

SugarKane Restaurant

This Danforth neighbourhood eatery, dishing out Caribbean and Cajun fare, is run by business partners and sisters Nicole, Renée and Donna. The sisters have poured their savings and not to mention their souls into the passion project and are dedicated to serving the community.

1247 Dundas St W

Grape Glass

Talk about a powerhouse duo. Nicole Campbell and Krysta Oben, or more widely known as The Grape Witches, took their popular Instagram account and informative wine club and tastings and opened up a brick-and-mortar bottle shop and wine bar on Dundas West. The women are spearheading the natural wine movement and the surge of interest in low intervention wines within the community through virtual tastings, wine pack drops and an overall unpretentious approach to wine.

859 College St

Barbershop Patisserie

Owned by pastry chef Jill Barber, Barbershop Patisserie opened only a few months ago but has quickly become a favourite for those seeking out unbelievably flaky pastries, cakes, cookies and sausage rolls. Barber is a seasoned industry vet with more than 14 years of experience under her belt; the chef previously worked as a pastry chef for Paradise on Bloor Group and was the head of the pastry department at Blackbird Baking Co.