line drawing of an antique fork, knife and plate

An all-day dining destination for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch in Toronto

Housed within the walls of the historic C.H. Gooderham House, and rooted in the vibrant history of St. James Town, Maison Selby celebrates timeless French cooking with a modern accent. Boasting an impressive list of hand-crafted cocktails, our bar program is second-to-none.

Largely inspired by the bistro and café genre, our menus showcase many dishes that creatively integrate traditional European techniques. Our breakfast and weekend brunch feature a thoughtfully curated selection of pastries and savoury dishes, while our lunch and dinner menus offer sensible yet delicious bistro fare with familiar French favourites like Tuna Niçoise Salad and Coq au Vin.

Tucked away downstairs, guests will discover Sous Sol, an underground speakeasy and cocktail bar featuring a carefully crafted list of original cocktails.

A recognized heritage property, Maison Selby is rooted in the vibrant history of St. James Town.

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Executive Chef

John Horne

As District Executive Chef at Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality, John Horne not only leads the culinary vision for Auberge du Pommier, La Plume, Maison Selby, and Biff’s Bistro but also plays a pivotal role in overseeing O&B’s corporate culinary operations on a national scale. His cuisine is marked by refined flavours, a focus on seasonal ingredients, and striking presentation.

After completing the Niagara College Culinary Management program, John honed his skills in London, England, working alongside Chef Ian Wood at Almeida. His time at Michelin-starred restaurants such as L’Escargot, The Square, and The Orrery sharpened his classic French techniques. He later spent seven years as Senior Sous Chef at Auberge du Pommier, under the mentorship of Chef Jason Bangerter, where he further developed his expertise in French cuisine. John then returned to Europe, expanding his culinary knowledge at Crillon le Brave.

In 2010, John took on the role of Chef de Cuisine at Canoe, where he embraced the bounty of Canadian ingredients. Inspired by his international experience, he embarked on a mission to elevate Canadian cuisine, showcasing local heritage through its rich array of ingredients.

John’s passion for wild game and foraged ingredients is deeply rooted in his upbringing. As an avid outdoorsman, he grew up hunting and foraging with his family, a tradition that continues to inspire his approach to Canadian food. John has appeared in an episode of In The Weeds, which followed his family farm’s foraging adventures, as well as the food and farming documentary Before The Plate, which traced 10 Ontario ingredients back to their source.

Under John’s exceptional leadership, Oliver & Bonacini continues to flourish, setting new standards of culinary excellence and hospitality. His innovative approach to cuisine, coupled with his unwavering dedication to quality and creativity, has propelled O&B’s restaurants to the forefront of the culinary scene. Outside of the kitchen, John finds solace and joy in spending time with his wife and two children, cherishing moments of togetherness amidst his busy schedule.

Chef de Cuisine

Marten Dominiczak

After spending more than a decade in the Canadian Rockies, Chef Marten returns to his Ontario roots, bringing Western Canadian flair to French-inspired cuisine in one of Toronto’s most historic landmarks. Guided by a strong desire to support local, his menu of elevated bistro classics marries Canadian product with French techniques to deliver dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious.

Growing up in a busy household in Mississauga, hosting guests and family gatherings were core memories for Chef Marten. Drawn to the art of hospitality, he quickly fell in love with entertaining and the joy it brought those around him. Throughout university, he pursued marketing, often finding time to cook for friends when he wasn’t busy studying — a role he happily took on.

Soon after graduating, he would venture west to Banff, taking a year’s sabbatical from his early career in marketing to snowboard the Rocky Mountains. To support his cold-weather pastime, he got a job as a cook — a step that would forever change the course of his future. Encouraged by colleagues, he returned to Ontario to study culinary arts, attending Stratford Chefs School before making his way back to British Columbia where he spent some time at The Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino.

An adventure seeker at heart, his next stint took him to the other side of the world, landing him in Australia where he continued to pursue his newfound passion. At Attica, Ben Shewry’s world-renowned Melbourne restaurant, he would discover a new appreciation for fine dining, enamoured with the exacting precision required to deliver culinary magic on a plate.

He broadened his gastronomic horizons in Southeast Asia before returning to Canada and joining the team at Oliver & Bonacini’s downtown Calgary steakhouse, The Guild. Impressed by O&B’s portfolio of long-admired restaurants like Auberge du Pommier and Canoe, he spent time with Chefs Ryan O’Flynn, John Horne and Anthony Walsh during The Guild’s debut. Eager to continue exploring Alberta’s restaurant scene, he departed in 2018, taking on roles including Senior Chef de Partie at Ten Foot Henry, Sous Chef at Una Pizza + Wine and Senior Sous Chef at The Ranchmen’s Club over several years.

After 10+ years, he excitedly returns to Ontario, where his menu of timeless French classics takes on a modern twist with local Canadian ingredients at the forefront.

As a certified professional fishing guide, it’s no surprise Chef Marten loves spending time outdoors when he’s not busy in the kitchen. Since 2017, he’s been touring groups at a remote fly fishing lodge in the Northwest Territories, wowing visitors by both reeling in and cooking up the day’s catch fresh on the shoreline. In the colder months, he still snowboards and enjoys camping and ice fishing up north.

Chef de Cuisine

Patrick Forest

Growing up north of Timmins, Ontario, Patrick Forest was often the designated cook for his French Canadian family. After many home-cooked meals of classic tourtière and baked beans, Patrick left home to attend Carleton University in Ottawa, where he studied political science with the goal of becoming a lawyer.

By his third year of school, Patrick decided to switch gears and enroll in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. After completing his program, he found a job cooking at Ottawa’s Arc The Hotel, where he spent over three years honing his skills. In 2009, Chef Patrick and his wife made the move to her native Toronto. He broke into the city’s restaurant scene while working under Chef David Lee at the newly opened Nota Bene on Queen West.

In 2010, he was hired as a Chef de Partie at Canoe, Oliver & Bonacini’s iconic fine dining restaurant. Finding a mentor in Chef de Cuisine John Horne, Chef Patrick spent two years rotating through each station while pushing to keep up with the restaurant’s extraordinarily busy pace and high expectations. In 2012, Patrick was promoted to Sous Chef of Biff’s Bistro, an O&B sister restaurant. Working alongside Chef de Cuisine Amanda Ray, Patrick quickly found his groove as a leader, crafting classic French dishes with aplomb, managing his team during busy show nights, and taking over the kitchen’s in-house charcuterie program.

In 2014, Chef Patrick joined the culinary team at The Oxley, one of Toronto’s most popular British pubs, where he worked his way up from Sous Chef to Executive Chef. Fate would eventually bring him back to O&B, when he learned the newly opened Maison Selby was in need of an experienced Chef de Cuisine. Now, Chef Patrick is thrilled to be cooking alongside Chef John once again, executing Maison Selby’s timeless French menu with modern flourishes, and beautiful yet unfussy plating. Not satisfied with anything less, Chef Patrick is driven to give his guests the absolute best iteration of each dish ㅡ whether it’s a decadent, full-flavoured French onion soup or a simple, lightly fried sole Meunière.

When he’s not at Maison Selby, Patrick enjoys curling weekly, indulging in charcuterie, and spending quality time with his wife and young son, Henri ㅡ whose name will forever remind him of his French Canadian roots.

A History of St. James Town’s Cultural Centrepiece

1883

The mansion was designed by acclaimed architect David Roberts Jr., who had extensive connections to Toronto’s prominent Gooderham family (the cofounders of Gooderham and Worts Distillery, now known as the Distillery District). Roberts Jr. was also responsible for designing Toronto’s Flatiron Building.

1885

Henry Folwell Gooderham sold the house to his youngest brother, Charles Horace Gooderham, who resided there until his death in 1904.

1910–1912

The prestigious girls’ private school Branksome Hall—founded in 1903—relocated from its original home on Bloor Street East to the Charles Horace Gooderham House.

Margaret Eaton, of the Eaton family, attended the school at this location. She went on to become Commanding Officer of the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Corp. and the highest-ranking female officer during World War II.

1912–1913

The C.H. Gooderham House became home to the Selby Hotel, originally founded as a private “hostel” that catered to elderly female clientele (when it wasn’t hosting Canadian and British officers during WWII), and was viewed as one of Toronto’s cultural focal points. The Selby became a public hotel in 1920.

1923

Internationally renowned author Ernest Hemingway was one of many creative heavyweights who stayed at the Selby Hotel. During his brief career as a foreign correspondent at the Toronto Star, he occupied two adjoining rooms: room 301 and the “Gooderham Suite.”

40’s-50’s

The Selby grew in popularity among sports fans and athletes—including hockey players Turk Broda and Rocket Richard, wrestler Bulldog Brower, and boxer Whipper Billy Watson.

1950’s

The Men’s Beverage Room was introduced and frequented by notable personalities including (at some point) William Shatner.

The Selby also operated a licensed bar named the Skyway Lounge.

Aug 1976

The C.H. Gooderham House was listed on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.

1981

After their lease ended at the original Charles St. address—and only half a year after the bathhouse raids by Toronto police in February 1981—Boots, one of Toronto’s most esteemed gay dance clubs, re-opened in the lower level of 592 Sherbourne St.

Boots was one of many Toronto bars that represented social change and a safe space to foster connections within the gay community.

The expansiveness of the lower level allowed the owners to open a lounge space named Bud’s, with more pub-like seating, inside what used to be a men’s draft hall.

May 1989

The mansion was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

1990’s

The Selby reportedly underwent over $500,000 of repairs. The owners replaced the damaged rooftop with slate, built an imposing front desk, and reconstructed the wrought-iron fencing in front of the building to match the original.

1994–1995

Boots and Bud’s underwent a substantial transformation into Boots Warehouse, Toronto’s largest gay dance club in the day, and the Kurbash, a sleaze bar with a maze and a shower.

1997

The mansion was purchased by new owners who turned the Selby into a Howard Johnson.

2000

Although the new owners continued to run Boots Warehouse for a few years following the purchase, the beloved club bid farewell just before Pride. Boots remains in Toronto’s memory as a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind relic of LGBTQ liberation.