Celebrity chef's 51st-floor restaurant in Toronto taken over by something new
A somewhat short-lived Toronto restaurant from a celebrity chef has officially been replaced after suddenly shutting down this spring.
For a brief, bright three years, Yorkville's AP Restaurant was a celebrated, swanky gem in the neighbourhood, renowned in equal measures for its menu of exceptional sushi dishes and its high-profile chef partner, Antonio Park.
The talent behind a number of Quebec restaurants, like Park and Jatoba, Park partnered with Toronto's Scale Hospitality, which runs restaurants like Figo and Maxime's, to serve up a one-of-a-kind menu of Nikkei (a Japanese-Peruvian cuisine) food from the ritzy 51st floor of the Manulife Centre at 55 Bloor St. W.
Despite only opening its doors in 2022, AP instantly became a staple in the city, particularly popular among the well-to-do, status-conscious crowd that finds themselves drawn to the Yorkville area.
Suddenly, in April of 2025, AP closed its doors without warning or explanation. It was marked as “permanently closed” on Google, and its Instagram disappeared. Fans of the restaurant were left to wonder whether it was gone for good or simply undergoing some sort of rebrand or renovation.
Now we have our answer: AP Restaurant is out, and Scale Hospitality's newest venture, a Middle Eastern restaurant called Mar'aa, is in.
The restaurant officially launched on June 11, relatively quietly, given the notoriety of its predecessor and its location, but is starting to stir up some buzz nonetheless.
Mar'aa is described on its website as a "tribute to the timeless grace and rich heritage of the Middle East," and they're embodying that in brunch, dinner and cocktail menus replete with robust, sensuous spices and flavours inside opulent, rich interiors.
On the dinner menu, you'll find a selection of dips, like Duck Confit and Chickpea and Harissa Chicken and Feta, paired with rustic meat-forward dishes like 24-hour Braised Wagyu Short Rib coated in Shawarma spice, as well as lighter options like skewers and seafood.
As for brunch, the menu boasts a complete selection of classics invigorated with Middle Eastern culinary influence. Think Za'atar Lox, Shakshuka and a Middle Eastern Fry-Up with eggs, halloumi, beef, bacon and potatoes.
Though Mar'aa may lack a notable name attached to the project like AP had, it's still bolstered by the same hospitality company that made up half the team, and still benefits from that breathtaking top-floor view. So she might just have what it takes to stick around.
If there's one thing we know for sure about Scale Hospitality, it's that they know how to do a restaurant that'll get people talking.
Fareen Karim
