What’s on the menu at Roywoods, a new Jamaican spot on Ossington with a chef from Allwyn’s Bakery
Name: Roywoods
Contact: 198 Ossington Ave., 416-546-2941, roywoods.ca, @roywoods_ossington
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Owners: Regis Jay and David Isaias
Chef: Donald Simpson (Allwyn’s Bakery)
The food
Regis Jay grew up eating jerk sandwiches from Donald Simpson’s popular North York lunch counter, Allwyn’s Bakery. And even after he moved to King West, Jay would trek to his old neighbourhood just to satisfy his patty cravings. Rather than continue braving the DVP, Jay decided to bring a taste of uptown downtown by opening a shop that would serve his favourite Jamaican eats—made by his favourite Jamaican chef. This is Jay’s second Roywoods location (the original is in CityPlace) but it’s the first to serve booze and brunch.
The drinks
Super-potent tropical cocktails—like the Sugar Pie made with coconut rum, amaretto, butterscotch schnapps and soda—that go down way too easily. On weekends, the kitchen closes at 11:30 p.m., which is when Roywoods becomes more bar than restaurant.
The space
The 26-seat room is decorated with strings of twinkle lights and vintage furniture finds. The walls of the kitchen were even made from parts of an old New Jersey warehouse (Jay refurbished the steel and put in frosted glass). Jay is currently renovating a room in the basement so he can host pop-up shops on a rotating basis.
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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.
