This week, one of Toronto’s beloved and most recognizable French restaurants has soft-launched their new location and, though the response has already been promising, it’s only just the beginning of Chantecler’s re-build.
In November of 2019, the stylish restaurant, which first opened in Parkdale in 2012, was closed down after a three-alarm fire left the space unusable.
While the butcher shop was quick to re-open across the street at Le Phénix, nothing quite like Chantecler has returned to Toronto—Well, until last week, that is, when Chantecler 2.0 opened in Bloorcourt at 798 Bloor Street West, blessing Toronto’s passionate foodies with some familiar favourite dishes.
According to owner Jacob Wharton-Shukster, the “beautiful” space is a “complete re-build with modern designs and touches, though softer in tone.” Facing out from the corner of Bloor and Crawford, the interior is substantially larger in comparison to the former location, with a 60-seat capacity that includes bar seating so customers can sit up close to the friendly staff.
Though the space is more modern, Wharton-Shukster assures the new restaurant keeps the same familiar look and vibe that customers grew to love from the original Chantecler. “We made a comprehensive effort to bring back everything from being purpose-built to the menu design. It’s something Toronto can hang on to,” the owner says, commenting on how much Torontonians lost during the pandemic due to restaurants suffering from food costs and labour shortages, among other obstacles.
As before, customers can expect to find the extensive winelist, a hallmark of the original Chantecler.
One of the most significant changes comes in the kitchen, with an expansive menu that builds off the original offerings. Like before the fire, the menu is chef-driven, but has, according to Wharton-Shukster, “grown up with the restaurant.” Chantecler currently serves seafood, and large and small plates that all focus on French tradition, including a squash vol-au-vent, and steak tartar. With the expanded kitchen, Chantecler now serves baked bread and brioche and a full list of dessert items all made in-house.
Though Parkdale was important to Chantecler’s identity, says Wharton-Shukster, the new location is right across from Christie Pitts Park. Having grown up in the neighbourhood, Wharton-Shukster recognized the opportunity, commenting on the excitement of being surrounded by other “amazing” pubs and businesses in the area, including Civil Liberty, and Paradise Grape.
“But, the area is underserved with restaurants,” he says, leaving a perfect opportunity for Chantecler’s re-build. Though Wharton-Shukster is thrilled to have gained the corner spot, he prioritized finding a location with space for a patio—something he felt to be extremely necessary for restaurants following the pandemic.
Chantecler might have soft launched this week, but they aren’t quite done with the re-build. Stage two of the re-opening will include revealing a front patio to be opened before summer, as the restaurant transitions into being open seven days per week rather than the current five. If that’s not enough to look forward to, the owner says he’s hopeful that over the next few months, Chantecler will even be offering brunch on the weekends.
For Wharton-Shukster, the return of Chantecler wasn’t just a personal goal, though it felt more like an obligation. “When you build something and put it into the world, it belongs to the community, especially when people have their big moments here, from first dates to weddings,” he says. There was never much of a doubt for him that Chantecler would return sometime, somewhere. “We owed it to everyone and ourselves to give it one more try.”
Chantecler is now open Wednesday through Sunday across from Christie Pitts Park.