Top Toronto Chinese restaurant closes to undergo huge transformation
The new year comes with some major changes for one celebrated Toronto restaurant, as it closes its doors to undergo a major refresh for the first time since it opened.
It's hard to believe that Yorkville staple MIMI Chinese has only been around for four years. In that short time, it's cemented itself as one of the shining stars on Toronto's food scene, earning consecutive spots on the city's Michelin guide and recognition among the best Chinese restaurants in Canada.
The follow-up to Chef David Schwartz's Sunnys Chinese, MIMI is a reliable upscale option for satisfying the city's insatiable appetite for Chinese cuisine, serving the likes of General Tao chicken, Char Siu pork belly, and the ever-popular Four-Foot belt noodles in dimly-lit, rich interiors.
While in more recent years Schwartz has earned equal, if not greater, recognition for Linny's, his Ossington deli-meets-steakhouse concept, that doesn't mean he's not still devoted to his older ventures, which is why MIMI Chinese is about to get a major facelift.
The restaurant suddenly shut its doors after service on Jan. 4, 2026, offering only a vague explanation that the team would soon "step back to prepare for what's to come."
"We'll be returning to a refreshed dining room and new menu," an admittedly somewhat cryptic post on the restaurant's Instagram account reads.
Now, we've finally got the real details on what the next chapter of MIMI Chinese will look like.
The MIMI Chinese team tells blogTO that the restaurant is getting an update to reflect its "evolved point of view; marking the next chapter of a restaurant that first captured the city's attention under the most unexpected circumstances."
"This next move is about that belief that longevity comes from growth, without losing sight of what made people fall in love in the first place," they say.
Die-hard fans of the original MIMI Chinese need not despair at the changes. While there's plenty of newness to get excited about, the core of MIMI Chinese remains unchanged.
The new dining room pays homage to old-school hospitality with the addition of white tablecloths and old-world-inspired elements, while the new menu, continuing to highlight the diversity of Chinese cuisine, will now include an all-Canadian steak selection with Chinese sauces, soups, dumplings, and wontons.
Don't worry, though: plenty of MIMI favourites will stay on the menu.
"This next chapter of Mimi is not about reinvention for its own sake, but about staying power; evolving thoughtfully, honouring the people who built it, and continuing to serve a community that has been there since the beginning," the team says.
The new-and-improved restaurant is slated to reopen with a special ticketed dinner on Feb. 3, before opening to the broader public on Feb. 6.
MIMI Chinese is located at 265 Davenport Rd.
Fareen Karim
