/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Food & Drink

Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap

Copy link
toronto-restaurant-fonda-lola-23-intro
(Image: Caroline Aksich)

Name: Fonda Lola Neighbourhood: Queen West Contact Info: 942 Queen St. W., @FondaLola
Owners: Ernesto Rodriguez, Howard Dubrowsky and pop-up chef Andrés Márquez, who is also involved with the Charlie Burger supper club Chef: Howard Dubrowsky, the former chef and owner of L.A.B. on College

The Food: Traditional Aztec recipes inherited by Márquez from his anthropologist aunt. Mains include grilled steak with mole sauce and Ontario trout marinated in aguachile, a blend of lime juice, macerated jalapeños and cilantro. Taco specials change daily.

The Drinks: Tequila-based cocktails made with unconventional mixers like kombucha (i.e. fermented black tea), coconut water and maple water, which is used instead of simple syrup. Traditionalists might opt for the classic margarita, which blends grapefruit, orange and lime juice. Fonda Lola is the first outfit in Canada to serve kombucha on tap.

The Place: The warm room is crammed with bird cages, painted ceramics and other Mexican tchotchkes, which liven up the DIY aesthetic. Antique wooden tables are topped with cheery woven napkins and blue-and-white patterned crockery imported from Mexico.

The Numbers: • $2000 for a bottle of Clase Ezul, the most expensive tequila on the menu • 1852 hours for Márquez to renovate the space • 150 distinctive blue-and-white Anfora plates shipped in from Mexico • 25 bottles of tequila consumed during construction • 18 inches of water in the basement after last Julys epic flood • 2 culinary fact-finding missions to Mexico • 1 tequila library where customers can store bottles of tequila until their next visit • 1 kombucha tap, the first to be installed in Canada

toronto-restaurant-fonda-lola-23-intro
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap
Introducing: Fonda Lola, a new Queen West cantina that serves kombucha on tap

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

"Success is random—all you can do is keep improving": Max Kerman of Arkells on his new memoir, Try Hard

“Success is random—all you can do is keep improving”: Max Kerman of Arkells on his new memoir, Try Hard

Inside the Latest Issue

Inside the Latest Issue

The April issue of Toronto Life features the anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.