People are flocking to this award-winning restaurant in Ontario from a Toronto chef
Kimberley, Ontario may only have a population of a few hundred, but that number gets a little bigger for a few hours each day when people from across the province travel to visit an acclaimed restaurant there.
The Heart's Tavern is a French and south European-styled restaurant owned and run by the people affiliated with two well-known restaurants in Toronto.
It's known for its fresh and quality meals made with local produce and meat, as well as its scenic location in Grey County and beautifully rustic interiors.
The Tavern opened in 2021 and quickly gained traction, especially after placing sixth in Air Canada enRoute's 2022 list of best new restaurants.
So how did two people from Toronto end up owning and running such a dreamy tavern 80km away from their hometowns?
According to the manager, Annie Bowes, it was just great timing.
In 2016, Tyler Wilson was on a bike ride in Grey County, contemplating whether he should continue working in the restaurant industry. That's when he saw a for sale sign for The Village Inn, which was a popular tavern back in the day.
Wilson saw the literal sign as a figurative sign to start his own restaurant — but not without partnering with his boss and his friend, Teo Paul.
Paul is the owner and chef behind two restaurants, Côte de Bœuf and Union in Toronto and French restaurant Le Tambour in Hamilton. He also has connections to the area because of his family's farm, which he visits frequently.
It took years of deliberating on whether they should purchase the spot and renovating the space during lockdowns before the Hearts Tavern opened in spring 2021.
At the time, dining restrictions were still enforced, so the restaurant tentatively opened as a bottle shop and butchery with takeout meals. It wasn't until later that year that the tavern finally had indoor dining.
While the menu rotates depending on the season and what's available to local producers, Heart's is known for its year-round staples, like the côte de bœuf (a rack of dry-aged beef ribs), moules frites (mussels that are steamed in white wine and butter and paired with fries), and steak tartare.
There are also vegetarian and vegan options available, which includes hearty salads and dishes made with polenta like the polenta gratin.
Now, with a bit more than two years under the restaurant's belt, it's become a go-to spot for people in the area and people in southern Ontario who are eager to try some meals they saw in the enRoute ranking.
According to Bowes, while business is especially busy during ski season (so much so that people sometimes ski to their place when it's snowing) and in the summer, it's also steady during the rest of the year. She attributes the restaurant's success to the uniqueness of their location.
"I think a lot of people are moving to the area and seeing that this is a place that you can live all year round, whereas before people were vacationing in the summertime with their kids or the winter during ski season," she says.
"People are starting to enjoy this different lifestyle, so it's now a four-season place."
And with a charming wine cellar to dine in, complete with views of the endless fields and river to pair with your locally-made meals, what's not to love? Clearly that's what the hundreds of people who check out the place weekly must think.
"I don't think we ever thought it was going to be this successful," Bowes says. "We're very happy."
Hearts Tavern
Latest Videos
Latest Videos
Join the conversation Load comments
