In the restaurant world, “temporary closure” can sound like a kiss of death. For Bar Reyna, though, its six-month hiatus was a glow-up, not a shutdown. “[The] Yorkville [restaurant] is coming up to 10 years,” says Nicki Laborie, owner of Reyna Hospitality Group. “It’s an old building, and it needs regular updates. Otherwise, it looks like you don’t care.
And I do!”
This insistence on innovation has carried Laborie through almost three decades in the restaurant industry — and across borders. Since opening Bar Reyna Yorkville in 2016, she’s created a mini restaurant empire: Reyna on King, which opened as a daytime café in Corktown before pivoting to cocktails and small plates; and a U.S. debut in New York City in 2021. Each opening has built on the last, but her Yorkville spot continues to anchor it all. “Every time I came back to Toronto, I’d look at that space with fresh eyes,” she says. “The design in New York was so modern and fresh. I wanted to bring a touch of that to Bar Reyna, because that’s my first baby — the OG.”
Laborie seems like a natural — the consummate host presiding over Mediterranean-inspired plates and cocktails underneath Reyna’s crown logo. But her path wasn’t linear. “I started my career in New York in 1996 and put myself through school by bartending. I was an event promoter. I did everything in this industry; I washed dishes.” A pivot to fashion PR briefly drew her away, until a restaurant account with acclaimed chef Charlie Palmer pulled her back in. “My trajectory just kept bringing me back to food.”
Nicki Laborie, owner of Reyna Hospitality Group
In a family where food was always the centrepiece, it’s not a complete surprise. “I was kind of born into it,” she admits. “I grew up in France for half the year, eating foie gras. I was baptized in champagne, if you can believe it,” laughs Laborie.
Still, it took an injury — and a persuasive best friend — to push her into ownership. “I broke my leg, and my best friend Halla [Rafati, founder and president at Halo & Co.] told me that Karen’s [in Yorkville] was for sale. I was in the hospital, and she said, ‘Maybe this is the time.’” By 2016, Bar Reyna was born, filling a gap on Cumberland Street in a neighbourhood full of high-end French, Italian and Japanese restaurants. “You had the Hemingways and the Dimmis [Bar & Trattoria],” says Laborie. “There was no Mediterranean, no cocktail bar with that vibe — that’s what I created.”
Reyna has since grown into more than a restaurant. It’s a brand built on community and, in particular, women. “At the time, I felt the industry was very male-dominated — not just in ownership, but in design and comfort. So I created Reyna with women in mind,” says Laborie. Earlier this year, she even spoke at the UN about female empowerment in hospitality. “It’s hard in this industry for females, so I really try to groom them, make them want to stay and grow,” she says.
Growth hasn’t come without its challenges. “We’re figuring it out,” she says, unfazed. “If something’s not selling, you take it off the menu and put something else on. I believe in change, but you also have to balance that with what your audience expects.”
That ability to listen and adapt has been a theme in her career. “Back in the day, I felt that Toronto was a copycat city. People would start one thing, and then you’d see 12 more open within three months,” says Laborie. “Now, we’re seeing more creativity, more cultures represented. The food is so exciting here.”
Nearly a decade in, Laborie is still tinkering. One of the dishes she’s most excited about isn’t a long-time staple but a newcomer: a boneless chicken wing stuffed with a chicken nugget, finished with labneh and caviar. Inspired by New York’s fried chicken-and-caviar craze, it’s her cheeky take on indulgence. “It’s just such a good bite,” she says. “Crispy outside, juicy inside, a little cream, a little salt — I’m trying to make it the new lamb baklava.”
Almost 10 years after opening her first restaurant, Laborie is still evolving and shaping how Toronto dines, one delicious bite at a time.
Bar Reyna's most iconic dishes
Lebanese Taco
Carmen Cheung
“I don’t want to be known for tacos, but these are really good. I think it’s a combination of flavour, from the barbecue sauce that we create with the chicken and then the mix of the Turkish salsa, which is tomatoes and fresh herbs. You have the garlic aioli for the creaminess, then the pickled onions, which give it that acidity — it balances really well. And then the crunchy onions, so you have the texture, and then you have cilantro. I can’t explain why that combo works, but it really does. I have wanted to remove them from the menu for so long, but no matter what, everybody comes in asking about the Lebanese tacos.”
Manchego Croquettes
Carmen Cheung
“This was by a chef in 2018, when we opened [at] Assembly Chef’s Hall. At that point, we were doing a lot of events and he was doing some menu updates. He had me taste this manchego and cauliflower croquette — it’s just delicious. Golden, fried croquettes filled with a creamy blend of cauliflower and rich manchego cheese, served with a Spanish aioli. It’s crunchy on the outside, soft and melty on the inside. You really can’t go wrong. In New York, it sells like crazy. That has become one of our gems that everybody loves.”
Lamb Baklava
Carmen Cheung
“It was my original chef [Omar Ma] who was only with me for one year — very talented, very young, very creative. I always push chefs to think outside the box, stay on brand, but don’t copy anybody else.
About two months after we opened Bar Reyna Yorkville, he came to me and said, ‘I have a baklava for you.’ Of course, like everyone else, I expected dessert. He put this in front of me, and I was like, ‘What the hell is that?’ I took a bite ... and said, ‘I don’t know what this is or how you made it, but it’s definitely going on the menu.’ The funny thing ... is that nobody wanted to order it [at first].
It’s a lamb shank braised overnight in spices ... individually wrapped in kataifi ... baked, pan-fried, then finished with burnt honey saffron aioli and crushed pistachios ... The labour-intensive part is rolling each piece. It’s a flavour combination of the pastry, combined with the lamb and the sweet-savoury sauce. It’s the perfect bite.”
Reyna Frites
Carmen Cheung
“I love fries — champagne and fries. I’m French and I like shoestring fries. I wanted to take each country and go on a tour of the Mediterranean with our fry menu. We do Italian, Spanish, but the number one sellers are Arabic and Greek. The date ketchup was made by the original chef. It’s just za’atar — I’d love to sell it as a stand-alone product, it’s so good. The Spanish fries are really interesting — a bit heavier, with chorizo, manchego and spicy aioli. Everybody loves the Greek fries, sprinkled with feta and served with a feta-lemon dip. Funny story: In New York, nobody liked my skinny fries, so I had to make them fatter.”
Falafel Bites
Carmen Cheung
“Aren’t they good? The falafels are from the original chef, and he’s Lebanese. I am not Lebanese, but I firmly believe that we have one of the best falafels in Toronto … Herb-infused chickpea falafel, perfectly spiced and lightly crisped, served on Reyna tzatziki and topped with pickled onions. It’s bright green; it’s full of flavour. It’s got softness, crunchiness. Our clientele is vegetarian-heavy, hence our menu having a lot of vegetarian options, and the falafel is a top seller.”
