Market Street's Newest Additions

You already know the St. Lawrence Market is popular. (Heck, you may be reading this on your phone as you wander its aisles right now.) So the launch of a block of restaurants across the road on Market Street—from Front Street to The Esplanade—led us to set out on foot to see all the options.

Market Street was the dream of late heritage developer Paul Oberman. His wife, Eve Lewis (head of Woodcliffe Landmark Properties), finished the job following his death in 2011. It includes six restaurants in restored heritage buildings, plus a new glass structure. "The mandate was to find unique, interesting retailers," explains Jane Baldwin, SVP of retail leasing at Lennard Commercial Realty and Bisnow's tour guide, above. "We also had to achieve high rental rates." ($75/SF vs. $50/SF area average, with tenants signing minimum 10-year leases)

We started at 118 The Esplanade, on the southwest corner of Market Street where a new 5,400 SF glass building houses Pastizza, an Italian restaurant with 30-foot-high ceilings. (Fewer popped Prosecco corks will leave dents in the ceiling.) The eatery is the last to open. "We wanted to test everything to make sure we had the recipes locked down," says owner Paulo Paolini, pictured with his epic 600-bottle wine chandelier. (We don't recommend swinging from it.) The corner eatery boasts a wrap-around patio, but a city noise curfew means it's got to be shut down at midnight. "We're not a nightclub!" an exasperated Paolo tells us. "It's just people enjoying a glass of wine or a pizza."

10-12 Market Street was originally the Armory Hotel built in 1858. Mistreated over the years, the building's interior was gutted and its facade fully restored by flipping bricks around to reveal an untarnished side. (Were we just ahead of our time when we did that with couch cushions?) The space houses fish restaurant Market Street Catch, Balzac's Coffee Roasters, Indian eatery Bindia, and artisanal olive oil shop Olive & Olives. The final restaurant to sign on was Evolution Food Co, started by Ian Paech, an ex-downtown office-tower denizen who longed for quick-meal options that were healthier and tastier than typical Financial District food court fare. "PATH might be vast," he says, referring to the downtown underground retail warren, "but it's a repetition of the same fast food."

At Market Street Catch, owner Tom Antonarakis explains how the patios have brought the street to life. "You walk down the street you think you're in Greece!" (Tom's favourite fish, btw: halibut.) Market Street’s redevelopment also involved streetscape improvements, including a pedestrian-friendly curbless sidewalk and patios that convert to parking stalls in winter. 

Bindia was the first restaurant to open on Market Street last year, right before the polar vortex brought life to a standstill. "With summer here, more people are exploring the street," says co-owner and executive chef Vik Mohan (pictured). At the north end of Market Street is the last restaurant on the block, Barsa, a 3,000 SF Spanish tapas joint tucked into the lower level of 87 Front St. E, in a cool cave-like space with stone walls from the 1800s. "We've put together an interesting mix of tenants here," Baldwin says as she bids adieu. "We wanted everyone to be strong and not cannibalize each other."