Iconic Caribbean restaurant just transformed into a brand new spot in Toronto

One of the most popular top Caribbean restaurants in Toronto has just made a quiet and subtle transformation with a brand new name that they’re now operating under.

If you’ve been a big fan of Rasta Pasta in Toronto and you try to go looking for it in Kensington Market, you can actually no longer find the Caribbean restaurant operating in that neighbourhood under that name.

Rasta Pasta has now transformed into Kensington Jerk & Pasta, but according to staff the name is the most significant change that the restaurant has made. The restaurant is still being operated by the same exact team and is serving a very similar menu.

That means you should be able to get all your same Rasta-Pasta-style fusion favourites from Kensington Jerk & Pasta, such as their Irie Fettucine with alfredo sauce and boneless chicken, scampi linguine with coconut milk curry sauce, and their signature Rasta Pasta with gnocchi, ackee and saltfish. They also offer typical Italian pasta dishes that include classic meat lasagna and pesto penne with fresh diced tomatoes.

They even serve a jerk chicken “panini” they call The Vatican that’s basically like a jerk chicken sandwich on coco bread with house coleslaw.

They also still serve classic Jamaican traditional dishes such as jerk chicken, curry chicken, oxtail and escovitch fish. They also offer roti with options including jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry shrimp and bone-in curry goat.

Kensington Jerk & Pasta also operates as a rum bar serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with signature cocktails on the menu including a sorrel rum punch, a Kingston Hurricane and a Reggae Martini.

“Kensington Jerk & Pasta was created from a passion for bold Caribbean flavours and classic Italian cooking,” reads the official website for Kensington Jerk & Pasta. “Our fusion kitchen brings the heat of jerk spice into fresh pasta dishes, blending island ingredients with timeless Italian techniques.”

The most important thing to note is that Rasta Pasta is still operating under the original Rasta Pasta name, just not in the original Rasta Pasta location in Kensington Market any longer. The restaurant recently opened up a Rasta Pasta location at Waterworks Food Hall, so they can still be found operating under that name in that spot at 50 Brant St.

Kensington Jerk & Pasta is now operating at the same address as the old Rasta Pasta at 61 Kensington Ave., and is still being run by the same people.