#FOOD: TABERNA LX CELEBRATES ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Taberna LX, the Lisbon-inspired restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s Little Portugal, marks its one-year anniversary with a refined culinary direction and updated food and beverage program. First opened in the summer of last year, the restaurant has quickly established itself as a defining voice in Toronto’s modern Portuguese dining landscape.

Over the past year, Taberna LX has evolved into a destination rooted in cultural storytelling and contemporary execution. This next chapter sharpens that identity—bringing greater clarity to its share-style format while deepening its global perspective, informed by the team’s diverse culinary backgrounds and lived experiences. Reservations are available via OpenTable HERE.

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About the Culinary Program
The refreshed menu at Taberna LX continues to centre on modern Portuguese cuisine, designed for flexible, share-style dining across petiscos (snacks) and larger-format plates. For its one-year milestone, the kitchen shifts into a spring/summer direction, moving away from heavier, comfort-driven winter dishes in favour of lighter, more playful expressions of Portuguese flavour. The result is a menu that feels brighter, more seasonal, and distinctly energetic, while maintaining the depth and technique that define the restaurant.

At the core of the program is Chef de Cuisine Jeffrey Yap, whose detail-driven approach brings precision and consistency to the kitchen. Working within the restaurant’s broader culinary vision, Yap executes dishes with technical discipline while layering in subtle global influences, particularly through the integration of Asian pantry elements into Portuguese foundations.

Three hero dishes continue to anchor the menu, offering a throughline between the restaurant’s opening and its current evolution. Highlights include the Café Steak, an elevated take on Lisbon’s classic bitoque, featuring beef tenderloin with a rich, “slurpable” sauce of veal stock, brandy, and cream, topped with a fried egg and served with house-made Russet chips; the Seafood Rice, a standout combining tiger shrimp, cuttlefish, and house-made XO sauce, a nod to the team’s Hong Kong roots; and Salt Cod Fritters, filled with heritage salt cod and prepared using a technique inspired by Chinese dim sum taro puffs.

About the Beverage Program
Wine Program
The wine list remains exclusively Portuguese, with a strong emphasis on regional diversity and small producers. Particular focus is placed on Azorean and volcanic wines, highlighting mineral-driven expressions from regions such as Pico Island. The program is designed to complement the menu’s balance of richness, acidity, and spice, while introducing guests to lesser-known appellations across Portugal.

About the Team
Taberna LX is led by a tight-knit team with extensive backgrounds in both kitchen and front-of-house operations:

Kelly Amaral (Founder) — A lifelong hospitality professional with deep roots in Little Portugal, Taberna LX represents a personal legacy project that reinterprets her family’s history in the neighbourhood through a modern lens.

Jonathan Poon (Co-Founder & Executive Chef) — An influential Toronto restaurateur guiding the restaurant’s culinary direction.

Jeffrey Yap (Chef de Cuisine) — Leading day-to-day kitchen execution with a detail-driven, technique-forward approach shaped by both classical and global training.

Aaron Joseph Bear Robe (General Manager) — A seasoned operator and former chef/owner, bringing a “precision meets casual” approach to front-of-house leadership.

Isabo Leblanc (Bar Manager) — A specialist in sensory-driven mixology, leading a program centred on Portuguese spirits and contemporary cocktail design.

Together, the team operates with a unified vision, balancing technical excellence with a high-energy, hospitality-forward experience.

About the Space

Designed in collaboration with Lisbon-based creative Joana Astolfi of Astolfi Studios and architect, Edward Lee, the space draws directly from contemporary Lisbon while embedding layers of cultural narrative throughout. From hand-painted Viúva Lamego tiles to custom ceramics and a rooftop mural by Madison van Rijn, the environment reflects a modern interpretation of Portuguese craftsmanship and design.

The dual-level layout shifts from a moody, intimate main floor to a lighter, social upper level and rooftop patio, creating a dynamic, evolving experience throughout the space. One year in, Taberna LX has settled into the neighbourhood as both a cultural anchor and a destination restaurant, bridging the heritage of Little Portugal with the energy of Dundas West today.

Taberna LX is located at 1161 Dundas St. W and is open seven days a week for dinner, with additional programming and daytime offerings to follow this spring.

About Taberna LX
Taberna LX is a modern Portuguese restaurant located in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood. Inspired by the energy and cultural depth of Lisbon, the restaurant blends traditional flavours with contemporary technique, offering a vibrant, share-style dining experience rooted in global influence and local context. Since opening, Taberna LX has become a defining voice in the city’s evolving dining scene, recognized for its design, culinary perspective, and dynamic hospitality.