Chef Didier Leroy opens French Kitchen in the Junction

Chef Didier Leroy is returning to the kitchen after announcing he'd step back from LSL, his swanky nine-seat restaurant with chefs Masaki Saito and Christian Le Squer. Instead of launching an apprenticeship program as planned, he's doing what he does best: cook exceptional French food.

The pivot came after a former LSL client with a passion for French cuisine approached him with a restaurant idea. She'd secured a 20-seat space in the Junction — room to grow — but was missing one crucial ingredient: a chef. "She heard through the culinary grapevine that Didier was a free agent," says Matthieu Arteau, the restaurant's maître d' and a former LSL team member.

French Kitchen officially opens June 25, though the restaurant's full vision will roll out in phases. The menu is a five-course boutique tasting experience priced at $148 per person — not bad given his previous restaurant's $680 price point — with choices available for each course.

The offerings will rotate with the seasons and Leroy's whims, but remain firmly rooted in classic French cooking. Guests can expect dishes like escargot, tartare and quail to make regular appearances.

Plans are already underway to transform the back room into a more casual bar space, where guests can drop in for cocktails and small plates without committing to the full tasting menu experience.

For Toronto's fine-dining scene, this is a significant move: Leroy's precision and restraint — his signature across LSL — will now anchor a more accessible (if still serious) dining experience in a neighborhood that's become a destination for exactly this kind of chef-driven food.