By Amy Pigeon
With a new culinary team at the helm, Lyla explores the traditions of Italian and French cuisine through seasonal ingredients, unexpected pairings and a distinctly modern perspective.
Tucked away on Sudbury Street, just south of Toronto’s bustling Queen West neighbourhood, Lyla offers a quieter escape from the city’s restaurant scene. Behind its doors, rich burgundy tones, warm lighting and Mediterranean-inspired interiors create an intimate setting for an evening that invites guests to settle in and stay awhile.
Opened in 2024 by hospitality veterans Daniel van Welie and Amen Habtemariam, who first crossed paths while working at Toronto’s beloved Terroni, Lyla has recently entered a new culinary chapter.
In July 2026, Executive Chef Daniel Kim and Sous Chef Seungho Jeon took over the kitchen, introducing a more focused approach to Mediterranean cuisine with Italian and French foundations and subtle Asian influences. Kim’s experience includes Michelin-starred Osteria Giulia, Opus and Sammarco, while Jeon’s career has taken him from Sydney’s acclaimed Bennelong to Toronto’s The Chase.
The resulting menu is ambitious, moving between familiar Mediterranean ingredients and more adventurous combinations.
Our evening began with oysters accompanied by traditional mignonette, horseradish and cocktail sauce, alongside house-baked honey brioche and sourdough served with whipped St. Brigid’s cultured butter. The latter offered an unexpected flavour reminiscent of sweet corn, an simple, yet delightful departure from the usual bread-and-butter introduction.
From there, the menu revealed its more playful side. A radicchio and endive salad paired the vegetables’ natural bitterness with whipped mozzarella di bufala, strawberries, almonds and strawberry vinaigrette, while roasted heirloom carrots and beets arrived with feta, sherry caramel and puffed buckwheat.
Italian influences were particularly evident in the burrata, accompanied by ossetra caviar, peeled tomatoes, tomato water and sourdough. Elsewhere, the steak tartare ventured further from tradition with anchovy oil, pear gel, sous-vide egg yolk and a gochujang-Gouda crisp. Roasted bone marrow with sweet chilli glaze continued the kitchen’s exploration of contrasting flavours.
For the pasta course, we sampled the Paccheri alla Gin, featuring pork cheek, chilli garlic, San Marzano rosé sauce and pecorino Romano, alongside a mushroom risotto with shiitake, black garlic and puffed buckwheat. Both reflected the restaurant’s broader philosophy of taking familiar European preparations and introducing contemporary elements.
Beyond the kitchen, Lyla’s interiors deserve attention of their own. Designed by international architecture firm HOK, the space draws inspiration from the restaurant’s name, which means “night beauty” in Arabic. Deep maroon and navy tones, natural stone, brass accents and sculptural lighting lend the dining room a sense of understated glamour.
The restaurant also offers a seasonal patio and two private dining spaces, including the intimate Grotto and the larger Gold Room.
With its recent culinary transition, Lyla is carving out its own place in Toronto’s competitive dining landscape, where Mediterranean traditions meet unexpected international influences. In many ways, the menu reflects the cultural mosaic of the city itself, bringing together flavours and techniques from different corners of the world while respecting the culinary traditions that inspired them. It’s a fitting approach for a restaurant finding its identity in one of the world’s most multicultural cities.
For diners drawn to contemporary interpretations of Italian and French cuisine, Lyla offers a glimpse into a kitchen still defining its next chapter. – VV
Photography provided by Milestones PR
