Notable Michelin-starred Ontario restaurant closes and has already been replaced
A Michelin-starred Ontario restaurant regarded as one of the best in the entire country is officially gone for good, and it's already been replaced by something new.
When the boundaries of Toronto's Michelin guide were expanded beyond city limits, the inclusion of Oakville's Hexagon was a no-brainer. In fact, it very well could have been Hexagon's proximity to the city that inspired the jury to open its arms to the GTA and beyond.
Helmed by wunderkind Chef Rafa Covarrubias, the restaurant was nothing short of a powerhouse. Situated in seemingly ordinary environs, the food, in actuality, was anything but. Highlighting global cuisines and Canadian terroir in equal measure, Covarrubias created something entirely singular in Hexagon.
But then, in December of 2025, Covarrubias bid adieu to Oakville and set his sights on the downtown core, taking over the kitchen at the similarly one-starred 20 Victoria. With the chef's departure, Hexagon closed, seemingly temporarily.
The closure would eventually prove permanent, however, when a new restaurant called Centro on the Square would open its doors at the same Lakeshore Road East address that had once housed Hexagon in mid-June.
Though Hexagon's unmistakable honeycomb-shaped chandeliers remain intact, its usurper appears to have taken a decided turn for the traditional with the new concept.
Where once the kitchen turned out dishes like Hokkaido scallops with mole verde, brown butter and caviar, you'll now find a more familiar — though still impressive — lineup.
Taking inspiration from a variety of sources, the menu at Centro on the Square runs the gamut from hearty meat-forward dishes to seafood starters and pastas. It remains to be seen whether the new restaurant will earn the same notability as its predecessor, but, for now, the menu at Centro doesn't seem to be anything to turn one's nose up at.
And, if you find yourself yearning for Chef Covarrubias' celebrated culinary tact, you can find it — for the time being, anyway, — at 20 Victoria.
Hexagon was located at 210 Lakeshore Rd. E. in Oakville.
Hexagon
