CLOSURE: Almost 100 year old restaurant closes in Toronto

A fish and chips restaurant that has been serving east-end Torontonians since 1930 has officially closed down for good. 

Reliable Fish and Chips, a long-standing staple at the Queen Street East and Carlaw intersection in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood, has shuttered its doors. The closure caught residents by surprise, as the resto–well over 90 years old–reopened in 2022 under new management following a brief closure. 

A source with knowledge of the permanent closure told YourCityWITHIN.com that while they cannot speak to the reason behind the decision to close the space for good, the owners indicated that running the restaurant had become a significant challenge. 

While there’s no signage on the exterior announcing the closing, the restaurant is currently empty and is marked as permanently closed on Google. 

“We lived just around the corner from this Fish and Chip place,” one Facebook user wrote on Nov. 26. 

“We ate lots of their food back in the 50s. Sad to see it closed!” 

According to the Leslieville BIA, Reliable was one of the longest-running restaurants in the community. The BIA says the eatery was named after the Reliable Toy Company, which opened in 1920 in the UK and eventually made its way to Toronto in 1935. 

Besides traditional fish and chips, Reliable also served fish tacos, onion rings, poutine, burgers, shrimp-based dishes and more.

It’s not yet known who might take over the prime spot on one of the neighbourhood’s busiest streets.