dome restaurant toronto

Toronto restaurant now lets you dine inside a private dome

What's the only way to take dome dining at Toronto restaurants to the next level? By offering brunch, of course.

Leslieville restaurant Gare de l'Est should be doing just that this weekend when they open up domes for dining on their patio. They'll be lit, heated, well-ventilated with vents and a big door, and made out of a rigid hard polycarbonate (unlike the soft plastic that many use).

They'll also be using a 100 per cent organic fogging sanitation spray to fog the entire pod with disinfectant, as well as wiping down and changing out everything after every use.

It will be "as strict if not more so than a regular patio," according to Erik Joyal of Gare de l'Est. Each pod will seat up to six members of the same family or social bubble.

There will also be set menus instead of a la carte ordering to minimize the amount of interaction with servers in the self-contained environments, though they will be starting out with just a la carte service for their first seatings.

There might be a seafood tower or stew diners would serve themselves, as well as drinks packages like self-serve cocktails with provided glassware and ice, or self-serve bottles of wine.

The earliest you should be able to get in for brunch service is this weekend, but the domes are reservation only so make sure to book ahead of time.

Lead photo by

Gare de l'Est


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

Thousands of people want to boycott Loblaws stores 'indefinitely'

One of the most anticipated Toronto restaurants of the year is now open

Toronto cafe is closing after 12 years

New food hall in Toronto with over 50 vendors opens this month

Loblaws finally agrees to sign Canada's Grocery Code of Conduct

Toronto restaurant that enforced a no-tipping policy is shutting down

15 restaurants in Toronto that make you feel like you're in Europe

Toronto co-op grocery store says people are flocking to join amid Loblaws boycott