Yorkville restaurant dinged by Toronto health inspectors for multiple infractions

Yahoo

12-05-2025

Two restaurants, including an Italian eatery in the heart of Yorkville, were served multiple infractions by Toronto health inspectors last week.
Vaticano Ristorante, located at 25 Bellair St., received a conditional pass notice after getting hit with nine infractions — one crucial and eight significant violations — on Thursday, according to Toronto Public Health.
The restaurant, which offers traditional Italian cuisine and has been described on TripAdvisor as a 'hidden gem,' remains open to the public.
Vaticano's lone crucial violation was failing to protect food from contamination or adulteration.
Most of its eight significant infractions were equipment-related such as the food equipment was not of sound and tight construction, the equipment used was not free from cracks in contact with food, failing to provide a thermometer in refrigeration equipment, and the mechanical equipment was not maintained to provide sufficient chemical solution rinse.
Vaticano's utensils were 'not of readily cleanable form,' the hand-washing stations were not maintained with soap and paper towels, while the station was used for something 'other than for (the) hand-washing of employees.'
The restaurant also failed to protect against the harbouring of pests.
Meanwhile, Salma Café & Restaurant at 4 John St. in York, was slammed with a whopping 15 infractions on Wednesday — three crucial, seven significant, four minor and one 'other.'
Like Vaticano, Salma, which serves African comfort food, also received a conditional pass notice and remains open to the public, according to Toronto Public Health.
Its three crucial infractions were maintaining and storing potentially hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4C and 60C, and failing to protect food from contamination or adulteration.
Its seven significant violations were failing to maintain hand-washing stations with hot and cold water, as well as soap and paper towels, and not equipping the sanitary facility with paper towels or a dryer.
Salma also failed to provide a thermometer in refrigeration equipment, did not sanitize multi-service articles after use, failed to protect against the harbouring of pests, and did not maintain records of pest control measures taken.
The establishment's four minor infractions were not protecting against the entry of pests, failing to ensure equipment surface were sanitized as necessary, not maintaining the food-handling room in sanitary condition, and keeping the food-handling room free from equipment not regularly used.
As for its 'other' violation, Salma failed to ensure a food-handler or supervisor was present during all hours of operation.
A detailed list of infractions at Toronto restaurants can be found on DineSafe.
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