One of Toronto’s most recognizable restaurant names is making a comeback this June, just not in the city where it first built its following. Chef Claudio Aprile is set to open Bar Origin in Burlington, reviving the Origin name with a new restaurant that looks back on one of the most influential concepts of his career.
OG diners will likely remember that Origin helped define a certain era of going out in Toronto. Aprile launched the open-kitchen restaurant in 2010, and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon, becoming synonymous with shareable plates and a more interactive style of dining that brought chefs and guests closer together.
The original Origin closed in 2017, and the new Bar Origin will revolve around the same kind of menu that made the original such a draw.
“For me, Bar Origin encapsulates my entire career,” Aprile said. “It’s a diary of my culinary experiences, my travels, and my appreciation for bringing people together at the table. This is the right moment to bring it back — not just for those who remember it, but for a new generation to experience it.”
Diners can expect a shareable plate-driven spot showcasing 20 to 25 dishes and four desserts, alongside classic cocktails and an elevated, globally diverse wine program. Some longtime fans will likely head straight for returning faves, like the crispy calamari with caramelized peanut sauce, duck pancakes with sesame brittle and pickled cucumber, burrata with spice-poached pear and truffle honey and Origin’s spicy Japanese hand rolls.
And there will also be new creations inspired by Aprile’s culinary evolution.
“When Origin first opened, it introduced something entirely new,” he said. “Everything was handmade, the menu was highly creative and the atmosphere was electric. That spirit is still at the heart of Bar Origin, but it’s grown, just as I have.”
The Burlington space will have room for 80 guests indoors, along with a 20-seat cocktail lounge and a 30-seat patio. For Aprile, it also marks another local chapter in a career that has made him one of Canada’s best-known chefs. He was born in Uruguay and raised in Toronto, and throughout his 30 plus year career, he has worked in some of the world’s most renowned kitchens, earning early international acclaim during his time at Bali Sugar in London, England.
When he returned to Toronto, he built his reputation at Sen5es before opening his groundbreaking restaurant Colborne Lane, which was celebrated globally for its modern cuisine, helping cement Aprile’s status as one of the most innovative chefs in the country.
Bar Origin opens this June at 399 Elizabeth St in Burlington. Visit barorigin.ca or follow the restaurant on Instagram at @baroriginCA.
