Celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black individuals and communities in Canada during Black History Month. Show your support by exploring Toronto’s vibrant Black-owned restaurants.
Here are 5 incredible Black-owned spots to support in Toronto right now.
Rhapsody
Rhapsody, opened in 2024 on Ossington is a unique fusion of music, food and cool vibes. Created by Dan Eyimina, the owner of Mrs. Robinson, Rhapsody brings together an impressive team, including executive chef Elias Salazar (Waska Peruvian Chicken) and lead mixologist Joe Beiglee (Mrs. Robinson, Sunny Chinese). The restaurant’s concept revolves around a sensory experience where music isn’t just background noise but an integral part of the vibe. The eclectic playlist ranges from hip hop to classical to rock, setting the tone for what’s sure to be a fun night. The menu, a blend of Peruvian and Japanese flavours, features standouts like Pulpo Parrillero, Empanada Criolla and a refreshing Ceviche Mixto. The space itself is a visual masterpiece with whimsical design elements, including custom murals and chandeliers resembling trees.
Heartbreak Chef
In Kensington Market, the Heartbreak Chef, Jerome Robinson, serves up decadent comfort foods, including behemoth burgers and sublime sandwiches that steal the show. The Big Ass chicken sandwich might be one of the most popular of the Heartbreak Chef’s dishes. Another fan favourite is the Dutty chicken sandwich, which is a spin on the classic; coating the mass amounts of fried chicken in a house-made jerk sauce, with a jerk mayo layered on for extra flavour.
Miss Likklemore’s
The chic King West restaurant co-founded by Lonie Murdock and Darren Hinds, features an upscale Caribbean-inspired menu, rooted in Jamaican heritage and family recipes. The menu features shareable appetizers, family-style plates and sides, menu highlights include starters such as Sea Bream Crudo with charred pineapple, ponzu, sesame seeds and olive oil, and Likkle Patties with braised oxtail, spicy beef and fermented mango hot sauce. Family Style plates range from Crab XO with Carolina gold rice, snow crab, toasted coconut and cilantro to Miss Edna’s Whole Smoked Jerk Chicken with jerk chicken jus. The entire menu is complemented by Miss Likklemore’s collection of hot sauces made in-house.
Afrobeat Kitchen
Victor Ugwuek’s widely popular recipes range from Nigerian jollof to Buka beef to oxtail pepper soup, each crafted with a fusion twist, which is inspired by his own upbringing in Lagos, Nigeria, where his mother owned restaurants. Afrobeat Kitchen’s cuisine is inspired by part sauce part stew dishes, which are colloquially called soups in Ugeuek’s native Nigeria.
Rasta Pasta
If you head down to Kensington Market and walk by Rasta Pasta, there’s a good chance you’ll see co-owner Magnus Patterson making jerk chicken outside — using a black oil drum barbecue that reminds you of street-side vendors in the Caribbean. Rasta Pasta serves up pasta and jerk chicken in a small but stylish Jamaican-Italian fusion takeout shop. From the pastas to the jerk sauce, everything is made from scratch, daily, in-house.
