Toronto's most committed farm-to-table restaurant — Actinolite sources exclusively from Ontario farms and foragers, changes the menu daily based on deliveries, and has appeared on Canada's Best Restaurants list for multiple years. Chef Justin Cournoyer built the restaurant around a simple radical idea: serve only what Ontario can produce, and make it exceptional.
Neighbourhood: Annex / Harbord Village · Address: 971 Dovercourt Rd, Toronto, ON M6H 2X8 · Hours: Wed–Sat dinner from 6pm | Sun brunch 11am–2pm
Why Visit
Actinolite is all-in on Ontario: every dish, ingredient, and even the drinks are strictly sourced within the province, making every meal there a deep dive into local flavour and creativity you won't find elsewhere.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike most so-called 'farm-to-table' restaurants, Actinolite refuses to use anything grown or produced outside Ontario—no lemons, no olive oil, no imported flour—forcing genuine creativity. The menu changes daily and chef Justin Cournoyer’s team even forages ingredients themselves, so you’ll eat things you probably won’t see on menus anywhere else in Toronto.
Actinolite is built on a constraint that sounds limiting and turns out to be liberating: the restaurant uses only Ontario-sourced ingredients. No imported citrus, no out-of-province proteins, no winter vegetables from California. What Ontario produces is what the kitchen cooks, and that commitment — maintained seriously since the restaurant opened in 2012 — has forced Chef Justin Cournoyer and his team into a creativity with Canadian produce that has made Actinolite one of the most genuinely distinctive restaurants in the country.
The practical implication of Ontario-only sourcing in Canada's climate is that the kitchen must preserve, ferment, cure, and transform ingredients against the seasons. The summer abundance of Ontario produce is canned, pickled, and cellared for winter use; the cold-season menu draws on root vegetables, stored heritage grains, aged cheeses, and proteins from farms the restaurant has worked with for years. The result is a winter menu that is as interesting as the summer one — different ingredients, different techniques, equally accomplished cooking.
The menu changes daily, built around whatever arrived that morning from farms and foragers in a network the kitchen has developed over more than a decade. It is offered as a fixed prix fixe with limited à la carte options; the full menu is the intended experience. The room is warm and low-key — the Dovercourt Village location in the Annex is residential and quiet, and Actinolite has the neighbourhood restaurant feel of a place that knows its regulars. Canada's 100 Best Restaurants has recognized it consistently; it remains one of Toronto's most serious kitchens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Actinolite restaurant Toronto different?
Actinolite uses only Ontario-sourced ingredients — no imports from outside the province, no matter the season. The menu changes daily based on what arrives from farms and foragers. In winter, the kitchen relies on preserved, fermented, and cellared Ontario produce, creating menus that are as seasonally interesting as summer. This commitment to hyper-local sourcing is unique in Toronto's restaurant landscape.
How much is dinner at Actinolite Toronto?
The prix fixe dinner at Actinolite runs approximately $95–130 per person for food depending on the number of courses selected. Wine pairing adds approximately $60–80. With tax and gratuity, a full dinner for two with wine is typically $350–450. Sunday brunch is more accessible at approximately $45–60 per person.
Does Actinolite take reservations?
Yes — Actinolite takes reservations online and they are strongly recommended for Wednesday through Saturday dinner service. The restaurant has a modest number of seats and fills on weekends. Sunday brunch is somewhat more walk-in friendly. Book at least 1–2 weeks ahead for weekend dinners.
What neighbourhood is Actinolite in?
Actinolite is at 971 Dovercourt Road in the Harbord Village neighbourhood of the Annex — a residential area on the western edge of the Annex, north of Bloor and west of Bathurst. The nearest TTC station is Ossington (Line 2), about an 8-minute walk north. Street parking on Dovercourt is available on evenings.