Filipino restaurant in Toronto embarking on big expansion in new neighbourhood

A Toronto restaurant is closing down their original location in favour of a new neighbourhood, in a move its owners call "bittersweet."

Ever since opening their doors in 2017, Islas Filipino has been much more than just one of the best Filipino restaurants in Toronto; it's served as a hub for events and community building in its beloved Parkdale neighbourhood.

From live music nights to Filipino heritage celebrations, it seems like the restaurant, situated on the block of Queen West immediately east of Roncesvalles, is always alive, bringing a bright spirit to the already deeply community-oriented neighbourhood.

"We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our Parkdale community over the years," owners Marc and Mariel Buenaventura write in the caption of a recent Instagram post.

Despite all the support the community has offered over the past 8 years, and vice versa, though, Marc and Mariel announced, in the very same post, that Islas would soon be leaving the neighbourhood, setting their sights on a new area of the city, setting up shop just on the border of Little Manila, due south from Downsview Park.

While the decision to defect from Parkdale was, Mark and Mariel tell me, not a particularly easy one to make, it was one deeply rooted in their desire to expand their event offerings and welcome even more people into the Islas family.

"Over the past two years, we have been heavily focused on hosting events and have found the perfect new home: a beautiful 70-year-old building that was previously an Italian restaurant for 60 years," they tell me.

Indeed, Islas is setting up shop at 890 Wilson Avenue, which, up until recently, had been home to Mastro's Ristorante Italiano since 1962.

"This space reminds us of the historic Intramuros district in Manila, Philippines, and it has so much character and potential," Marc and Mariel tell me.

The new location has four distinct rooms, including a 100-person banquet hall, easily dwarfing their Parkdale spot by a wide margin, and broadening the limits of the types of events they'll be able to host there, and how frequently.

Given the size and complexity of the new location, Marc and Mariel tell me that it quickly became clear that it would be integral to focus their energy, and that of their staff, solely on the new location, leading them to make the difficult decision to leave Parkdale in the rear view.

That's not to say that leaving Parkdale doesn't come with its own distinct sense of heartbreak for Marc and Mariel, though; it absolutely does.

"The name 'iSLAS,' meaning 'islands' in Spanish, was inspired by the Parkdale location's proximity to the waterfront and lakeshore, and we're sad to bid farewell to that special spot," they say.

It's hard to be too disappointed, though, when you're moving in to a space with a seating capacity that's around six times greater than the one you're leaving behind, though, and, ultimately, Marc and Mariel tell me they're "thrilled" to start welcoming patrons to the new location.

"We'll be hosting a special acoustic night weekend soft opening from March 14 to 16, and we can't wait for everyone to experience the new space," they say.

It's not too late to visit their spot in Parkdale one last time, either. They'll be operating brunch and dinner services as usual up until March 9, so perhaps your weekend dining plans just got made for you.

"We'd love to see again familiar faces and celebrate the memories we've created together over the years," Marc and Mariel add.

Islas Filipino is located at 1960 Queen West.