When one of approximately 500 Master Chefs in the world announces their next move, the city’s restaurant community stops what it’s doing and pays attention. Chef Didier Leroy — who earned his international reputation through decades of acclaimed work before bringing his talents to Toronto, most recently through the celebrated (and now reimagined) LSL — has confirmed that his next chapter will unfold in the Junction, one of the city’s most characterful and rapidly evolving neighbourhoods.
The forthcoming restaurant, being called The French Kitchen, represents Leroy’s first solo venture in the city — a significant moment for both the chef and for Toronto’s dining landscape. Details remain limited, as befits a project of this calibre in the pre-opening phase, but what’s known is enough to generate substantial anticipation: a French-focused concept from a chef with Leroy’s credentials, in a neighbourhood that has been craving exactly this kind of culinary ambition.
The Junction has evolved significantly in recent years, developing a dining scene that punches well above its neighbourhood status. The arrival of a chef of Leroy’s standing represents both a validation of that evolution and an acceleration of it. Expect the kind of cooking that draws on classical French technique while remaining genuinely interested in the ingredients and context of its Toronto home.
Leroy spent time at LSL developing a Toronto following that remains intensely loyal. Those diners have been waiting for his next move since his departure from the LSL partnership in late 2025, and the Junction announcement has been met with enthusiasm that suggests the opening — whenever it arrives — will be one of the most anticipated restaurant moments of 2026.
Follow Didier Leroy and The French Kitchen on social media now to be among the first to know when reservations open.