Restaurant in Toronto known for its patio is permanently closing
A Toronto French restaurant that drew in tons of people for its buck-a-shuck deals and its back patio has announced it's permanently closing.
Le Phenix almost literally rose from the ashes as an offshoot project by the people behind Chantecler, taking residence across the street from where the latter had unfortunately suffered a terrible fire.
It quickly gained popularity thanks to continuing Chantecler's tradition of serving great oysters and fantastic French food like beef tartare.
The team also had a butcher shop project called Chantecler Boucherie located next to the restaurant where the fire happened, but that also closed recently.
The time has come for Le Phenix to close its doors for good as well, as the restaurant announced in a post to social media.
"Le Phenix was always meant to be a temporary home, and our time here is finally drawing to an end," the post signed simply "J" (for owner Jacob Wharton-Shukster) reads.
"It's been a pleasure to have you at our scrappy lil' short-term home after the great fire of '19, through peak-pandemic of '20, the patio summers of '20, '21 & '22, the dozens of lockdowns and takeout times… Please join us one last time to toast the bad times and the good."
There is a silver lining for French food fans up until the restaurant closes: they'll be open seven days a week, and they'll even be offering half-priced wine on Wednesdays - a day the space is normally closed.
"We're opening an extra day of the week to accommodate all the folks who want one, two, or three, last visits," Wharton-Shukster tells blogTO.
"No plans with the space. We retain ownership of the lease, so we'll either sell it or renovate it into a new project. Not exactly sure yet."
Chantecler fans who have been following their social media also know there's even more to look forward to on the horizon with the announcement of a Chantecler 2.0 that will be opening soon in the Bloorcourt neighbourhood at Bloor and Crawford.
"We're aiming for January 2023," Wharton-Shukster says of Chantecler 2.0's opening. "It'll be similar to Le Phenix and old Chantecler. Same vibe but with a better and more polished facility."
Le Phenix will be closing at the end of the year.
blogTO
