No, we’re not sending you to an abandoned building. That, friends, is soon to be one of the hottest patios in the east end. In fact, the first thing you need to know about Rock Lobster East, Matt Dean Pettit’s latest addition to his growing family of outstanding seafood restaurants, is that it’s going to have three patios. Sixty seats on the east side for some sidewalk sunshine, 50 in the back garden for a relaxing meal, and 20 on an alley patio that, because of its closed off nature, will be allowed to operate until 2am.
Lobster Caesars, anyone?
Having only received the keys on May 1st, Pettit and his team are working around the clock to ensure Rock Lobster East will be open by the end of the month. But Pettit doesn’t believe in simply dropping a restaurant into a neighbourhood and hoping it works, which is why he’s doing everything he can to fit Rock Lobster East into its new Leslieville location at 1192 Queen E. For the first time, Rock Lobster will offer a full kids menu as well as provide stroller parking on the patio. The building may have housed The Curzon for several years, but long before that it was also once home to the original Leslieville post office, which is why you’ll soon find a tribute mural on the side of the building – a huge Canadiana-style stamp befitting of Leslieville’s community vibe.
(Left: Bar Manager Aaron Beaudoin, Right: GM Fil Silva)
Inside Rock Lobster East, you’ll find 64 seats, one-of-a-kind artwork, a huge wrap-around bar (including raw bar), and, Pettit promises, all of the signature menu items you’ve come to expect from his other locations.
Sounds to us like Toronto’s east end just became Toronto’s east coast.