The owner of a sort-of-secret pierogi place has opened a Ukrainian restaurant
Hoyra Gastrobar, a new sit-down spot near High Park, is from the woman behind Heavenly Perogy
Tanya Matkivska started selling homemade pierogies in 2019 from the basement of St. Volodymyr’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, near Kensington Market. The church had played a big role in her life when she moved to Toronto from Ukraine, 15 years before that. Between the pillowy pierogies, the crimson borscht and Matkivska’s warm, welcoming presence at her comfort-food counter, Heavenly Perogy quickly became a word-of-mouth hit. But Matkivska always dreamed of something bigger.
That dream has now come true with Hoyra Gastrobar, a 50-seat restaurant just north of High Park and a short walk from Dundas West station. Just east of Bloor West Village, it’s an area of the city known for its Ukrainian shops and bakeries.
Matkivska is still adding finishing touches, but the room—with chandeliers and traditional vyshyvanka embroidery—is already transporting. “In Ukraine, we have so many beautiful restaurants with gorgeous meals and amazing service,” she says. “I wanted to create an environment here that feels closer to that, where you can relax with nice music and really enjoy yourself.”
The menu balances Ukrainian staples with dishes from the wider eastern European canon. There are pierogies, of course, as well as cabbage rolls, spinach and sorrel soup, whole Cornish hen tabaka, and khachapuri (which is sort of like a Georgian grilled cheese). Salads and soups lean in to traditional flavours while mains reach across borders to Georgia, Poland, Hungary and Crimea. “It has to be absolutely Ukrainian,” Matkivska says, “but I also wanted to add some fusion to show the dishes we share across cultures in the region.”
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She didn’t get here alone. Her sister Olia came to Toronto with her children in 2022 to escape the war between Ukraine and Russia, and she’s been helping out in the kitchen ever since. “She’s a great chef and an amazing person. I had full trust in her,” says Matkivska. “Having her help at Heavenly Perogy gave me more time to focus on what I wanted this restaurant to be.” Today, Hoyra employs a small team, many of them Ukrainian newcomers.
Dinner service launched on August 8, and brunch will roll out this weekend to coincide with Ukrainian Independence Day. A jazz band will play during service, and Matkivska plans to make live music a regular feature. Next up: lunch, a bakery counter and a charity dish to raise funds for Ukraine. “We really wanted to bring some love to this neighbourhood,” says Matkivska.
Liza Agrba has worked as a freelance journalist in Toronto for over a decade and has earned multiple awards. She covers food, business and culture and writes memoir-style pieces. Her work frequently appears in the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, Toronto Life and many other publications
