One of Toronto’s top chefs just took over the menu at this King West supper club
But the bottle service remains
Chef, restaurateur and former MasterChef Canada judge Claudio Aprile is a busy bee. Having taken up the mantle as the new culinary director of a slate of restaurants across the GTA, he’s also bringing back Origin (but—sad trombone sound—in Burlington) and juggling new side projects as a writer and podcast host.
His latest task: revamping the menu and vibe at Mademoiselle Raw Bar and Grill, a supper club on King West. It’s the latest chapter in the establishment’s efforts to shed the building’s shadier past (the location was once home to the strip club For Your Eyes Only) in favour of something more refined.
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King West isn’t a neighbourhood traditionally known for its culinary output, but Aprile is hoping to change that. “When I was presented with this incredible opportunity, I was excited to begin something new, something unexpected,” says Aprile. “Mademoiselle is a landmark entertainment venue in the heart of one of the most multicultural cities in the world. I drew inspiration from this when I began the creative process.”
Accordingly, the new menu is wide-ranging and includes Miami short ribs, lobster mac and cheese, and a whole section devoted to sushi and sashimi. The cocktail list still favours splashy top-shelf spirits—like a $75 B10 Belvedere martini—and bottle service.
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The venue’s bold blue and white hues, loud music and occasional clubby flourishes remain, but the vibe is in transition, with warmer tones, richer materials and more controlled lighting being introduced to match the demands of a changing King West crowd.
“King West built its reputation on excess—bottle service and high-energy rooms with food that played second to the scene,” says Mademoiselle’s executive chef, Evan Dickinson. “What we’re seeing now is a younger, more casual, value-conscious crowd reshaping demand. Food now has to stand on its own, not just support nightlife. There is a quiet refinement happening through more intentional, design-driven and culinary-focused approaches. It’s less about showing off and more about confidence over chaos, taste over theatrics, experience over spectacle. It’s the same King West, but refinement is being layered into its DNA.”
Nicola Brown is a freelance writer and editor with 15 years of experience creating travel, food and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, Time Out, Canadian Traveller, Travel Life, Toronto Life, EnRoute, WestJet Magazine, CAA and Cottage Life, among other publications.
