Pop icon Nelly Furtado is putting her star power behind Toronto’s newest culinary destination, giving fans a taste of her heritage while teasing a major local hot spot for the upcoming World Cup matches.
In a recent video posted to her Instagram, the Canadian singer-songwriter shared a clip of herself enjoying a traditional São Jorge cheese patty at Taberna Lx, a highly anticipated Lisbon-inspired restaurant that officially opened its doors in Little Portugal in July 2025.
Furtado used the post to spotlight the restaurant’s cultural roots and its plans for the upcoming soccer tournament, writing:
“@taberna_lx_to in Toronto will be playing all the @portugal games for #worldcup 🧀 #queijosaojorge”
For those following the city’s competitive food scene, Furtado’s public support is no surprise. The singer has a long-standing connection to the project, which was born out of a deep personal bond and shared heritage.
Located at 1161 Dundas Street West — the original home of neighbourhood favourite Paris Paris — Taberna Lx is a massive labor of love for co-owner Kelly Amaral. The modern Portuguese restaurant, opened alongside partners Gani Shquier and acclaimed executive chef Jonathan Poon, was nearly 15 years in the making.
The location represents a profound full-circle moment for Amaral. The restaurant sits in the exact neighborhood where her parents first settled after immigrating from Portugal in the 1950s. By the 1960s, they had established the area’s very first Portuguese grocery store, an anchor business that helped shape the vibrant community now known as Little Portugal.
Because Amaral and Furtado are close family friends who both trace their roots back to the Azores archipelago, Furtado had the inside scoop on the restaurant long before it materialized.
“She’s known about this project for a long time,” Amaral said of Furtado. “We’ve talked about it a lot and I’ve bounced a lot of ideas off of her. Both our families are from the Azores, so that was very much a bonding point for us when we first met years ago.”
With excitement building across the city, it still remains to be seen whether Furtado herself will be at the restaurant cheering on her beloved Portugal squad. Given her tight-knit bond with the owners, local fans will certainly be keeping their eyes peeled on match day.
