Toronto residents think these bygone restaurants need to make a comeback
As exciting as it is to hear of all the great new restaurants that have graced the Toronto food scene lately, it's only human to lament old favourites that have since closed down.
Whether it's a nostalgic chain like Lime Rickey's or a longstanding institution like the Black Bull Tavern, the city's history is replete with golden oldies that, though they've since closed their doors, remain alive and well in Toronto's memory.
That's why Dished Toronto took to the streets to ask local residents, "If you could bring back one Toronto restaurant that shut down, what would it be?"
Hey, maybe Santa's listening and Toronto's been nice enough to be granted one holiday wish. Maybe?
Here's what some Toronto residents had to say:
Flo's Diner
"I wish Flo's Diner would come back up in Yorkville," said one Toronto resident.
For over 30 years, the retro-themed restaurant was an institution for diner staples before its landlord refused to extend or renew the business's lease in early 2024.
"It was a great restaurant, a great Toronto institution."
Rainforest Café
"That one restaurant at Yorkdale... Rainforest Café?" answered another resident.
Once an unavoidable (both due to the thunderstorm sounds emanating from it and the throngs of children who flocked towards it) landmark in Yorkdale Mall, this rainforest-themed, animatronic-filled restaurant shuttered in 2014 after 15 years.
If you're up for a road trip, the chain still operates a sole Canadian location at Niagara Falls.
Superpoint
"Recently, Superpoint on Ossington shut down, and I really liked their pizza, and now it's gone," said one woman. "Big RIP."
Distinguished as one of Toronto's best pizza joints for nearly a decade, this Ossington institution quietly closed its doors in the fall of 2025, leaving throngs of fans heartbroken, confused and adrift.
Top Gun Burger (Kensington Market)
One Toronto resident specifically mourns the loss of Top Gun Burger's former Kensington Market flagship, which closed its doors in the spring of 2025.
"It was really cheap," she says: "it was like ten bucks for a whole meal."
Luckily, the chain still has a handful of locations in the GTA, including one nearby in the Annex.
Momofuku
"[I] totally wish that Momofuku would come back. It was a great place. They also used to have the Milk Bar. That place had great memories and awesome food," one man answered.
After spending a decade in Toronto's Shangri-La hotel, this noodle bar helmed by celebrity chef David Chang closed its doors in 2022. By 2024, the space had been taken over by global Chinese fine dining chain, Mott 32.
Big Slice
"Back in the day, after, like, a night out, right on Yonge Street, there was a place called Big Slice Pizza," one Toronto resident responded.
"That was our go-to spot when it came to pizza. You know, it's 4 a.m. and I just, you know, I'm studying for an exam, doing an all-nighter, Big Slice was the place to go, and it was so good."
The aptly-named pizza joint, formerly located at the corner of Yonge and Gerrard, was a longstanding institution among TMU students and anyone who prefers their slices the size of their head. So, everyone. It officially closed down in 2016.
Hector Vasquez at Flo's Diner
