Looking southeast along St Thomas St, between Bloor St W and Sultan St, in the Bay-Cloverhill neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo shows Le Provencal Restaurant and Café once located at 23 St Thomas St. The restaurant opened in 1963 and featured fine French cuisine and wines. A large fireplace made the dining rooms glow, a well softly splashed water and the warm woods created a charming ambiance. Le Provencal closed in 1988, and today, the site is home to a mixed-use building.
SOURCE
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 26, 1963, pg 15 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Mar 23, 1963, pg 19 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 21, 1989, pg C4 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
I would love to have a picture of the original La Provencal Restaurant for my keepsake box. Back in 1970 I was taken there on my first date for dinner by my future husband, Paul who made me feel like a princess. Sadly, my husband Paul passed away this past February and so I have started a little memory box for myself. I was so excited to find a picture of this enchanting Restaurant and am very sad so see that it no longer exists. 54 years ago it was the place I fell in love with the love of my life and I miss him terribly every day. So to add a picture to my memory box of our first date would be something I would treasure. Is there any way I could get one even if its only via email?
Hi Jean,
I’m so sorry to hear about your husband, Paul. It sounds like you have some lovely memories together. I have a few photos that I downloaded from the City of Toronto Archives, and I will email them to you. Perhaps you can print them out as paper copies.
Kind Regards,
Denise Marie
Ooh my gosh, thank you ever so much. This is wonderful and brings back memories of that special night. I will have my son print them off for me and add them to my memory box. Bless you.
Jean
Hello! I have a matchbook from Le Provençal. Would be more than happy to mail it to you for your memory box if you would be comfortable with that. Let me know!
That’s nice of you.
I had the pleasure of dining there a couple of times in the seventies and early ’80s. As I recall when you order the pheasant they brought it out on a large tray under glass with an actual taxidermied pheasant on it the tray. As I recall my girlfriend was impressed. I was a young guy and was not used to being treated so politely and professionally by the staff.
Hi David, Thank you for sharing your memories of dining at Le Provencal, especially with the unique/interesting presentation of the pheasant.