LSL (restaurant)
| LSL | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of LSL | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | May 17, 2024[1] |
| Owner | William Cheng |
| Head chef | Christian Le Squer Masaki Saito |
| Food type | French Japanese |
| Rating | Recommended (Michelin Guide) |
| Location | 2066 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5M 4A6, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°44′11.087″N 79°25′13.333″W / 43.73641306°N 79.42037028°W |
| Seating capacity | 9[2] |
| Website | lslrestaurant |
LSL, officially Leroy, Saito, Le Squer, is a Michelin-recommended French-Japanese restaurant located in the North York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
The restaurant was opened in 2024 by Toronto-based entrepreneur and restaurant investor William Cheng, who also owns local Michelin-starred restaurants Shoushin and Sushi Masaki Saito.[3]
The restaurant was conceived following a series of collaborative dinners hosted by Cheng involving chefs Didier Leroy and Masaki Saito, including a private event in 2022 that helped shape its culinary direction. Leroy was offered the head chef role of the restaurant, while Saito and French chef Christian Le Squer later joined the project as executive chefs. The restaurant's name, LSL, reflects the surnames of all three chefs.[3]
Leroy departed LSL at the end of December 2025, with the restaurant remaining temporarily closed as of February 2026 while it reconfigures its concept.[4]
Concept
LSL is a fine dining omakase-style restaurant centred on French and Japanese cuisine, using high-end Japanese ingredients prepared using French techniques.[3] With three executive chefs named at opening, each was appointed to handle a distinct aspect of the concept. Saito oversaw the sourcing of seasonal Japanese ingredients, Le Squer led menu development, and Leroy managed day-to-day kitchen operations.[3]
Up to nine guests are seated at a counter facing an open kitchen. A single tasting menu is served per evening, with one seating per night.[2][3]
Some of the courses served at the restaurant mirror the signature dishes seen at Le Squer's three Michelin-star restaurant Le Cinq, including its lobster bisque and "jewelry box" pasta in porcini broth.[3]
Recognition
The business received a 'Recommended' designation in the 2025 edition of the Toronto and Region Michelin Guide, with the guide highlighting the "luxury" on display the restaurant.[5] Per the guide, a 'Recommended' selection "is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal" and that the anonymous inspectors had found "the food to be above average, but not quite at [Michelin star] level."[6][7]
In 2025, LSL ranked #9 on Toronto Life magazine's best new restaurants list, singling out the "military precision" in its cooking and service.[8]
Canada's 100 Best Restaurants Ranking
The restaurant debuted at #51 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants in the publication's 2025 edition. It was also ranked the second best new restaurant for that year, behind Montreal's Le Violon.[9]
| LSL[9] | ||
| Year | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | new |
See also
References
- ^ Knight, Phoebe (17 May 2024). "One of the most anticipated Toronto restaurants of the year is now open". BlogTO. ZoomerMedia. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b Hershberg, Erin (15 April 2024). "A first look at LSL, a nine-seat tasting restaurant with three Michelin-star chefs coming soon to North York". Toronto Life. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Pupo, Mark (23 July 2024). "Michelin Men: Inside the making of LSL". The Globe and Mail. St. Joseph Communications. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Aksich, Caroline (8 December 2025). ""I will always be in kitchens—even when I die": Chef Didier Leroy on leaving LSL and what happens next". Toronto Life. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "LSL - Toronto". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "What It Means To Be A Michelin-Recommended Restaurant". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Mannie, Kathryn (19 September 2025). "Toronto's Sushi Masaki Saito demoted to one Michelin star". Toronto Today. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Agrba, Liz (12 May 2025). "Where to Eat Now Our 43rd annual ranking of the city's best new restaurants". Toronto Life. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Canada's 100 Best Restaurants Lists". Canada's 100 Best Restaurants. Canada's 100 Best. Retrieved 8 December 2024.