A decade after opening its doors in May 2016, Toronto’s beloved Bar Reyna remains a Yorkville powerhouse.
Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Bar Reyna is helmed by owner Nicki Laborie and has a “personality of its own” in the prestigious midtown neighbourhood. Located at 158 Cumberland St., it is known for its year-round patio, Mediterranean bites and cocktails.
“Bar Reyna has this identity that our followers have loved,” Laborie told Toronto.com. “The most important thing was building a space that was not pretentious. It’s all about femininity and bringing warmth.”
Bar Reyna: Supporting women
The exterior of Bar Reyna in Toronto.
Bar Reyna
When creating Bar Reyna in the mid-2010s, Laborie felt “we were living in a time in Toronto where all restaurants were male dominated.”
With this in mind, she set out to bring the city a spot known for supporting women. This means female managers and chefs, along with charity work aimed at empowering women.
“Wherever I can support females in the industry, I want to, and the same goes towards our guests. I want guests to remember the attention to detail, the feminine touch,” said Laborie.
“And if there was a legacy around that, it would be about Reyna growing into supporting women.”
Bar Reyna: Expansions and renovations
A sign outside of Bar Reyna’s Yorkville location.
Bar Reyna
Aside from its Yorkville location, Bar Reyna previously had a spot on King Street East, which closed after seven years in February. It also crossed the border into the United States to open a New York City location in 2022.
While New York’s Bar Reyna stays true to the brand, it also differs slightly from Toronto’s.
Still garnering a large following of women, Laborie tweaked the New York menu to make the French fries fatter and noticed the restaurant’s baklava is more popular in Toronto.
“It’s little things,” Laborie said.
“I did keep our most famous gems. Our food is very eclectic and it’s a combination of the Mediterranean coast, so I wanted to keep the basis of that.”
Toronto’s Bar Reyna underwent a renovation last August.
“The back patio roof, that would never change but it was really a refresh throughout. I wanted to bring some of New York into it. Also, it’s a very old building so it definitely needs a lot of love,” Laborie said, noting renovations mostly involved updating “wear and tear.”
“It is a way to get a little more elevated,” she added.
The Yorkville location has “Bohemian-chic vibes” with jewel tones and gold accents.
Bar Reyna: The Birthday Party
Lebanese tacos at Bar Reyna.
Bar Reyna
To celebrate its 10-year run in Toronto, Bar Reyna is offering guests 10 per cent off their bill until the end of May.
“We’re giving back 10 per cent based on our 10-year anniversary and it feels good,” Laborie noted.
On May 26, it will also throw a birthday party from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. where it will offer the Reyna Gem Box for $26. Inside, diners will find a Lebanese taco, lamb baklava, a Manchego and cauliflower croquette and falafel.
Its special anniversary cocktail, the “Still Here, Darling,” is also available throughout the month.
Plus, on May 31 it will host a drag brunch featuring Canada’s Drag Race’s Tynomi Banks.
Banks launched Bar Reyna’s drag brunch in 2019 and is now returning to Yorkville to “close out the decade.” Tickets can be purchased online for $17.55.
“I hope that people come out and support and keep supporting,” said Laborie.
“Our mission statement is ‘People bring people back.’ So, it’s about people but for me, it’s also very much about females.”