Though chef Adam Ryan has turned to southwestern and Mexican flavours for his latest restaurant, Alebrije, he remains focused on using seasonal Canadian ingredients — the same approach he showcases in the Mediterranean tasting menu a his Danforth restaurant Azura.
Located in Harbord Village, Alebrije’s focus is inspired by Ryan’s own passion and nostalgia for the Tex-Mex cuisine that he grew up enjoying.
“It’s a flavour profile and a cuisine that’s always resonated with me,” he says. “It’s a project that I’ve always wanted to do.”
Boasting charcoal brick walls, dark-stained tables and velvet wrap-around seating, Alebrije, like its elevated menu, is not your typical Tex-Mex eatery. Colour pops up through Mexican artwork and hand-painted alebrijes — fantastical creatures from folklore — including winged sharks and jaguars with deer antlers, which also inspired the restaurant’s name.
“The idea was to have an intimate, cozy space that doesn’t scream Mexican when you walk in the doors. It looks like a nice clean, intimate restaurant, a nice dining room, that you could come to any night of the week,” Ryan says. “Then we’ve added the Mexican flair through the art and the finishes in the room.”
Alebrije’s logo — a colourful winged raccoon — blends a quintessentially Toronto image with Mexican folklore, mirroring the menu’s mix of Canadian ingredients and Mexican flavours.
“We’re blending Mexican ingredients and recipes with Canadian meats, produce, and fish,” Ryan says. “Alebrije is all about mixing creatures together, and this felt like the perfect way to bridge the concept with the food.”
On the menu, that idea comes to life with a maple leaf from Toronto trees, deep-fried in corn batter to form the base for a salmon tartare tostada. Atlantic B.C. salmon is piled on top, then finished with morita chiles, serrano peppers, avocado, and tomatillo salsa for a dish that’s as visually striking as it is unique.
Ryan also honours tradition with dishes like red snapper from Veracruz, served with stewed tomatoes, capers, olives, and a crisp potato lining. The menu rounds out with pork cochinita, veggie-forward mains and inventive takes on birria and guacamole.
The bar program, too highlights Mexican and Canadian ingredients, with a full wine list focused on Niagara vintages alongside local craft beer and cider. Margheritas are a given, but Alebrije puts a twist on the classics with flavours like seasonal peach and chipotle or sea buckthorn berry. Can’t choose? Flights let you sample three one-ounce margheritas in one go.
With its convergence of fine-dining and playfulness, Ryan says the goal at Alebrije is to cater to a range of diners.
“We want Alebrije to work as a date night spot for a romantic dinner or a bottle of wine,” Ryan says. “But being in Harbord Village, we also wanted it to be a place people can drop by a few nights a week—bring the family or just grab a flight of margheritas and a snack after work.”
