Toronto’s dining scene has no shortage of ambition, but genuine hospitality — the kind that makes you feel like a guest rather than a transaction — can be harder to find. Seahorse, the intimate new seafood restaurant at 1226 Yonge Street in Summerhill, has managed to deliver both, and that’s exactly why Toronto Life named it the city’s best new restaurant of 2026.
Behind Seahorse is a team that reads like an all-star roster. Richard Renaud, the veteran front-of-house operator known for Piano Piano and Speducci Mercatto, partners with longtime restaurateur Simon Bower (Lucien, Mercer Street Grill) and Eamon Clark — the son of Toronto’s legendary oyster king Rodney Clark — who has now won the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship an astonishing eleven times. Add to this Chef Federico Garcia, who spent years as a sous-chef inside the Michelin-starred kitchen of Quetzal, and you have a combination that’s almost unfair in its talent density.
The space itself is intimate and warm, anchored by a long white stone bar that evokes the great oyster houses of the eastern seaboard. The menu is refreshingly focused: a rotating raw bar featuring East and West Coast oysters, buttery seafood tartares, charcoal-grilled main courses, and a pasta of the day that changes with whatever Garcia feels inspired by that morning. The kitchen is proudly seasonal, sourcing from local farmers and coastal producers alike.
Standout dishes include silky Atlantic scallops seared golden and served in cilantro oil with a tarragon-flecked béarnaise, and the Seahorse Spritz — a cocktail that blends grape soju and prosecco with a whisper of amaro for something that feels simultaneously celebratory and sophisticated.
The raw bar hour runs from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM daily (Tuesday through Saturday), making it an ideal pre-dinner destination before full service kicks in at 5:00 PM. Bower himself is typically on the floor, chatting with guests and ensuring every table feels taken care of — a level of personal investment that’s rare and genuinely appreciated.
Summerhill is quietly becoming one of Toronto’s most exciting dining destinations, and Seahorse is at the heart of that transformation. Whether you’re a serious seafood devotee or simply looking for one of the best evenings the city has to offer, this is a reservation worth chasing. Book your table at seahorserestaurant.ca before the crowds make it impossible.