If you’ve never heard of LSL, you’re in good company. The nine-seat tasting counter tucked into a building on Avenue Road near Wilson wasn’t doing a great deal of marketing. No big sign out front. No splashy launch event. Just two of the world’s most decorated chefs are quietly serving the most expensive dinner in Toronto.
Well, it has a new name now.
What LSL was
LSL stood for Le Squer, Saito, and Leroy: three chefs whose combined résumé would embarrass most restaurants in this country.
Christian Le Squer holds three Michelin stars at Le Cinq inside the Four Seasons George V in Paris. Masaki Saito earned two at his omakase counter at Sushi Masaki Saito Avenue Road, where a seat ran around $600 per person before tax. Didier Leroy brought 50 years of French classical technique to the room.
Christian Le Squer holds three Michelin stars at Le Cinq inside the Four Seasons George V in Paris. Masaki Saito earned two at his omakase counter at Sushi Masaki Saito Avenue Road, where a seat ran around $600 per person before tax. Didier Leroy brought 50 years of French classical technique to the room.
The three master chefs opened a nine-seat counter in North York and started charging around $680 a head. Think, French discipline meets Japanese precision. It made Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list.
The Michelin Guide took notice.
Most Torontonians had no idea it existed.
Why the name changed
Last November, Leroy announced his withdrawal. After 50 years in professional kitchens, he wanted to shift from running a service to mentoring.
With Leroy out, LSL didn’t quite fit anymore. A new name made sense.
Enter Onze
Even Ontarians are aware, from their mandatory grade-school French classes, that onze means eleven in French. The French restaurant’s new name is ostensibly built around the number: 11 Seats (yes, two more than before), 11 Moments and 11 principles. And no, it is not inspired by This Is Spinal Tap. The restaurant describes it this way: “The number 11 represents more than structure — it reflects our pursuit of refinement beyond the expected.”
They go on to say that Onze is “Just past ten, just before twelve: a point of balance when attention deepens and time slows.
Okay, so maybe it IS very loosely based on going beyond 10, but surely not intentional.
They believe true luxury lies in care, restraint, and thoughtful detail, and they explain that this is why “each course is called a ‘moment,’ unfolding one at a time, following our 11 principles.”
And what are their 11 principles, you ask? You can find them here on their Instagram feed:
The format stays omakase-style. No printed menu, no choices. The chefs decide what you eat based on what’s good and one would assume super fresh that day. French discipline, Japanese minimalism, one fewer founding chef, same kitchen.
The farm – From field to counter
The biggest change isn’t the name or the extra two seats. It’s a farm.
Onze has acquired a property in Ontario where it grows its own produce. The menu shifts with the season and the harvest, with no fillers, as they put it. Ingredients go from their field to the counter.
At $680 a head, that’s not a marketing angle. That’s the kitchen deciding it can’t trust anyone else’s supply chain.
Who’s still in the kitchen?
Masaki Saito and Christian Le Squer.
Saito has been running some of the most serious Japanese fine dining establishments in Canada for years. His original Avenue Road omakase drew worldwide attention and a particular kind of regular who plans meals months out. Le Squer is less locally known but holds three Michelin stars in Paris. His name bears real weight in rooms that take this stuff seriously.
The two of them cooking 11 courses for 11 people on a farm-to-counter menu isn’t something you run into often. Toronto has it on Avenue Road, which is still kind of remarkable.
Should you go?
Should you go?
That depends on your budget. Onze hasn’t re-announced pricing since the rebrand, but LSL was around $680 per person. That’s probably not changing.
The rebrand is rolling out in stages, so check reservation availability before making plans. They’re at 2066 Avenue Rd, Toronto.
The name is new. Most everything else that mattered stayed.
Best Korean Restaurants in Toronto | Best Matcha in Toronto | Best Happy Hour in Toronto