For Sergio Abrunho, Taberna Nacional is more than just a restaurant  — it’s a love letter to Portuguese cuisine. The newly opened spot offers a casual vibe with authentic Mediterranean eats, joining an increasingly long list of Portuguese eateries in Toronto. With its live music and prime location on College Street, it feels like a natural fit in a city obsessed with culinary experiences.

“Portuguese food isn’t just something you eat, it’s something you live. It’s about gathering around the table with family, sharing stories and keeping traditions alive through recipes passed down for generations,” Abrunho says. “Every dish tells a story, whether it’s grilled sardines by the sea or a warm bowl of caldo verde on a chilly night. The flavours are simple but rich, rooted in the land and the ocean. And no matter where you are, Lisbon, Porto, or even Toronto, Portuguese cuisine brings people together, making you feel at home with every bite.”

At Taberna Nacional, that comes to life in dishes like the piri piri tiger shrimp with house focaccia, Cornish hen ‘Guia style’ and Francesinha. The Cornish hen dish comes from the town of Guia in the Algarve, and it’s a spicy Portuguese grilled chicken famous for its piri piri marinade and smoky flavour, typically served with fries or salad. Francesinha, meanwhile, is a hearty Portuguese sandwich from Porto, made with layers of cured meats, steak and sausage and then covered in melted cheese and smothered in a spicy beer-based sauce.

Taberna Nacional also boasts a small but mighty cocktail program, highlighting traditional Portuguese flavours such as port wine, madeira and sour cherries. But its true calling card is its in-house brewery, which adds an extra layer to the restaurant’s authentic, one-of-a-kind dining experience.

“Portuguese food is special because it’s all about heart and heritage,” Abrunho says. “It’s made with fresh, simple ingredients, but packed with flavor. The cuisine reflects Portugal’s history of exploration, blending spices and influences from around the world. More than anything, it’s about gathering, slow meals with family, traditions passed down and dishes that tell stories. It’s comforting, soulful and always made to be shared.”

That culture and cuisine is a major contributor in an uptick in desire to travel to Portugal, too.

“Portugal is becoming a top travel spot because it offers a little bit of everything, beautiful beaches, charming cities, rich history and amazing food, all at a more affordable price than many other European destinations,” Abrunho says. “People love the relaxed vibe, friendly locals and the chance to explore both culture and nature. Whether you’re into surfing, wine tasting, or wandering cobblestone streets, Portugal has something for everyone. It’s warm, welcoming, and full of unforgettable experiences.”

Taberna Nacional is located at 928 College Street.

Toronto’s loudest chef just made a quiet exit. Less than a year after opening, Matty Matheson’s Dundas West restaurant Bar Clams has closed its doors. The seafood-heavy diner, which launched in November 2024, is now listed as permanently closed on Google. Its OpenTable page no longer accepts reservations, though its website and Instagram remain live — the social media equivalent of a light left on.

When it opened, Bar Clams was billed as one of Matheson’s most personal projects yet — a nostalgic maritime diner inspired by his grandfather’s Blue Goose restaurant. The menu was a love letter to East Coast comfort food with its lineup  of raw oysters and clams, donairs, Jiggs’ dinner and diner staples like grilled cheese and crab dip.

It’s not the first time one of Matheson’s Toronto spots has closed — his early restaurant Parts & Labour helped define the city’s indie food scene before shuttering in 2019, and his Michelin Bib Gourmand–recognized Fonda Balam followed suit in 2024 — but it’s still a surprise.  The Bear star, cookbook author, YouTuber and co-owner of multiple Toronto restaurants (including Matty’s Patty’s and Rizzo’s House of Parm) has built one of the city’s most visible restaurant groups, Our House Hospitality Co., turning his brand into an empire that ranges from fine dining to fast food.

And while Bar Clams may have gone under, Matheson’s next move is already underway, this time, outside Toronto. The chef recently announced plans to open The Iron Cow, a full-service restaurant inside the new Hamilton arena. Billed as “protein-forward” and featuring everything from Sunday roasts to hot dogs, it’s expected to open in late 2025 alongside several Matheson-designed concession stands.

Toronto just got a new dinner-and-a-show, and this one happens right on your table! 7 Paintings is a viral, immersive art dinner experience that’s toured Dubai, Europe and the U.S., and its newest location has just opened in Yorkville Village.

The 2.5-hour dinner show merges projection-mapped visuals, narration, music and light puzzles with a delicious seven-course menu that riffs on iconic works by Michelangelo, Banksy, Picasso, Pollock, Warhol, Dalí and Van Gogh!

 

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The show unfolds in seven “acts,” each anchored to a different artist. As the table becomes a screen, courses land in sync with the story (so you’re not just eating, you’re participating). Just imagine the most perfect date-night theatre meets tasting menu experience, where you sketch and solve clues between bites.

Highlights of the Toronto classic menu include:

• Michelangelo: Tomato tart with basil gel and smoked salt.
• Banksy: Ontario beef carpaccio with egg-yolk emulsion, pickled pearl onion, micro cress, crostini and mushroom dust (a beetroot carpaccio swap is available).
• Picasso: Pan-roasted trout with roasted red-pepper butter and citrus (vegetarian swap: falafel).
• Jackson Pollock: A “savoury painting” of spinach-coconut, beet-lime, pumpkin-maple and corn-miso purees with heirloom veg.
• Andy Warhol: Slow-braised beef short rib with truffle mash, grilled oyster mushroom and “Coca-Cola jus” (plant-based meatloaf available).
• Dalí: Orange crème brûlée with blood-orange sorbet and citrus notes.
• Van Gogh: A “sweet painting” of raspberry, passionfruit and chocolate with a petit mango-mousse dome.

7 Paintings also offers vegetarian and children’s menus! It definitely sets a night out to new heights, but it’s a bit pricey: The classic meal is $189+ per person | Vegetarian: $159+/person | Kids: $80+/person.

The dinner experience takes place every Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm. 7 Paintings is located at The Canopy by Hilton Toronto Yorkville (387 Bloor St E). For guests arriving by car, valet parking is available at 28 Selby St. Book early, as shows sell out fast!

Rodney Clark, founder of Rodney’s Oyster House and one of the city’s most influential restaurateurs, has died at 75.

Before Toronto knew what a raw bar was, there was Rodney. In 1986, the commercial artist-turned-oysterman opened Rodney’s Oyster House on Adelaide Street East, serving East Coast seafood with Maritime charm and changing how Toronto ate.

 

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Clark’s start was humble: he was an art school grad who shucked oysters at backyard parties and sometimes got paid in wine. With no business background, he built a restaurant empire on one simple idea: passion first. “You can be successful in oysters if you don’t think of the money,” he said. “You have to think about the oyster.”

That philosophy carried Rodney’s through nearly four decades, spawning locations in Calgary and Vancouver, its own oyster farm, and a generation of shuckers and chefs who passed through his doors. “What we did is create a base,” Clark once said. “We created a foundation to build something on.”

Clark’s legacy continues through his family and protégés. His daughter Bronwen runs front of house at the Toronto restaurant, and his son Eamon is a multi-time Canadian Oyster Shucking Champion and recently opened Seahorse, a seafood restaurant in Summerhill that nods to his father’s legacy.

In a tribute shared on Instagram, the team at Rodney’s reflected on the community Clark built. “You know that Oyster you’re about to eat? We touched that. We know the grower. We’ve swam in its waters,” they wrote in the post, a reminder of the deep connection between Clark and the sea.

“Serve a good person a good oyster, and you’d have them for life,” Clark said. And for almost forty years, he did just that.

Email foh@rodneysoysterhouse.com for celebration details.