Another Toronto favourite has closed its doors as the city moved into the red zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework, forcing indoor dining to remain closed for 28 days.
Montecito Restaurant, owned by Hollywood director Ivan Reitman and chef Jonathan Waxman, seats 400 and is situated just at the foot of the Daniels Cinema Tower behind the TIFF Lightbox. The outpost was an inspiration from its namesake city in California, offering casual Californian elegance fused with smooth sophistication in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District.
“Due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic along with the financial impact that has come with the forced closure on indoor dining, we have made the decision to discontinue our operations at Montecito,” the management team said in a statement released last week.
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The restaurant closed temporarily last month and noted on their Instagram feed that they hoped to reopen by November. Unfortunately, with the extended closure of indoor dining the restaurant made the difficult decision to close permanently after its six-year tenure.
“We would like to offer our thanks and gratitude to all of our customers and staff for the support we have received at our restaurant over the past six plus years. We will miss hosting your corporate events, weddings, and TIFF parties along with your date nights, anniversaries, birthday parties, or just good times.”
While the restaurant will no longer be operating out of their 299 Adelaide St. W. location, the Montecito Bottle Shop will remain open. A list of their current wines available for purchase can be obtained from Heather Santsche at info@montecitorestaurant.ca.
“We can coordinate complimentary pick up or arrange delivery within the city of Toronto, so that you can continue to enjoy our celebrated wines,” the management team said.
Other restaurants that have met with similar fates recently due to the impact of COVID-19 include The Pickle Barrel at Yonge and Dundas, The Walton on College, Wayne Gretzky’s and Ruby Watchco.
As the number of closures continues to rise, the Montecito team encourages everyone “to continue to support other restaurants in our neighbourhood so they can continue to fight against and navigate through these challenging times and restrictions.”