A Toronto neighbourhood's most iconic restaurant may be gone for good

A Toronto restaurant that defined its neighbourhood may have closed its doors permanently after being kicked out by its landlord.

Kensington Market is known for a lot of things: thrifting, colourful community atmosphere, tacos, to name only a few. 

But, for me and plenty of others, at least, it's always been the scent of jerk chicken getting charred on an outdoor grill drifting up and down Kensington Avenue, embedding itself into my hair and clothes on sticky summer days.

The source of the aroma? None other than Rasta Pasta, a stalwart on the strip for over a decade, beloved for its dual concept serving an affordable menu of Caribbean classics, traditional Italian pastas and, best of all, fusion dishes that blend the two.

There's nary a soul that has visited Kensington Market and hasn't eaten at Rasta Pasta or, at the very least, been intrigued by its name and enticed by the fragrant air it emits.

That's what makes it particularly heartbreaking to deliver the news that Rasta Pasta's Kensington Market location may very well be a thing of the past, as notices of re-entry have appeared on the restaurant's front door.

Rasta Pasta’s Kensington Locations Closed
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A notice, dated Oct. 29, informs the restaurant that its landlord has officially re-entered the property and changed the locks, while a later notice, dated Oct. 30, announces that the landlord has officially terminated Rasta Pasta's lease as of Oct. 30 due to rent non-payment.

On a Reddit post announcing the closure, fans of the restaurant were quick to offer their condolences and express their sadness at the news.

"I've been saying to myself for literally years now that I'd stop by there one day to try the food... looks like I've missed my chance," one person comments.

"This is devastating," another simply writes.

blogTO reached out to Rasta Pasta for further details on the closure and to confirm whether the restaurant is truly gone for good, but did not receive an immediate response.

So, it looks like we'll just have to wait and see whether Rasta Pasta can return to Kensington Market. In the meantime, you can visit their other location at Waterworks Food Hall.

Rasta Pasta Kensington Market was located at 61 Kensington Ave.