faim de loup toronto

Toronto fine dining restaurant closes just over a year after opening

Little Italy's restaurant for French tasting menus has officially been replaced by an izakaya. 

Faim De Loup, the two-person operation serving Quebec duck and deconstructed peach pies, closed quietly late last year. 

faim de loup toronto

Faim De Loup opened in August 2019 and closed quietly late 2020. Photo by Fareen Karim.

Owners Ryan Rioux and Jeffrey Yap told blogTO that they closed down in October and eventually sold the restaurant in February, citing COVID-19 as the driving force behind the decision. The couple has moved to Prince Edward Island. 

The 16-seater has since been totally transformed with a woodsy interior and neon signs more befitting for Gonzo Izakaya: a new restaurant specializing in dons and teppan eats.

Gonzo officially opened this Tuesday with menu items like buta don (iron plate-grilled pork on rice), ebi okonomiyaki and kakiage tempura. 

According to Gonzo's owner Juwon, the interior and menu are still in the works, but the restaurant is open daily starting at noon. Gonzo is available for delivery on UberEats.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


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