Toronto has a long tradition of hidden dining gems, but Eastend Pie & Mash on Gerrard Street might be the most charming one yet. Disguised behind a storefront bearing the deliberately nondescript name “Martian Business System Consulting Inc.,” this tiny Leslieville spot is, in fact, one of the most transportive dining experiences in the entire city.
Behind the unassuming facade is a labour of love from chef Davy Love, a Toronto native with deep roots in the city’s music and cultural scene. A former radio host who founded beloved Britpop nights that became fixtures of Toronto’s nightlife, Love has spent decades sharing his passion for British culture with this city. Now, through shortcrust pastry, he’s doing it in the most delicious way possible.
The interior is extraordinary in its detail, designed to evoke a London home during the Blitz, complete with period wallpaper, photographs of Love’s grandparents’ English pubs, and a model Spitfire airplane suspended from the ceiling. The BBC plays softly in the background. Every element has been considered with a devotion that goes far beyond typical restaurant décor.
The menu is equally thoughtful. Alongside traditional pork pies and classic pie and mash, Love brings creativity to the format with inventions like a Chicken Tikka Masala pie and a Doner Kebab pie, alongside sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, mac and cheese pasties, and Sticky Toffee Pudding butter tarts for dessert.
Eastend Pie & Mash has already become a neighbourhood institution in its short existence. If you haven’t made the trip to Leslieville to find it yet, now is the time. Just look for the consulting firm that definitely isn’t a consulting firm.