About
DOVA, located at 229 Carlton Street, is a Sicilian and Mediterranean restaurant by Chef Roberto Marotta and partners. (Our sister establishment, ARDO, has become a mainstay in Corktown.) We pay homage to Sicily’s exciting terroir and culinary traditions—though we traverse other regions in the Mediterranean basin. Handmade artisanal pastas, fresh-caught fish and ethically sourced meats are the tipping point for our cuisine.
Our restaurant features an intimate private cellar, a lush main floor dining space and a hidden patio oasis. We can accommodate any style of celebration—intimate dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings—and offer event design services for seamless execution.
DOVA [dohva] — is a portmanteau for Don Vale — the 19th century village that grew up to become modern-day Cabbagetown. We hope to become as much a part of the area’s history as the original hamlet on which it stands.
Our chef & creative director
Chef Roberto Marotta met Jacqueline Nicosia in his hometown of Milazzo, a port city on the northeast coast of Sicily. He was a chef at his family’s restaurant. She was enjoying the volcanic island while visiting family. They came back to Canada to start a family and their own business.
Their first restaurant, ARDO, was named after their son—who had a particularly difficult time pronouncing his full name, Leonardo. After the birth of their daughter Vivienne, they launched Vivi Imports to bring the finest ingredients from Sicily’s shores to Canada. And now, they evolve their hospitality group with DOVA.
Roberto
Chef Roberto Marotta grew up seeing his mother prepare classic Sicilian dishes for family and friends—creating in him a deep connection to food and cooking. He’s become seasoned in kitchens from the Mediterranean to North America, having opened his first restaurant in his hometown of Milazzo before moving to Toronto and running the kitchens of some of the city’s finest Italian establishments. And now, his trademark cooking style and reverence for the art of Sicilian cuisine adds vibrancy to Toronto’s restaurant scene at ARDO and DOVA.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline has spent the better part of the past decade designing events and enhancing experiences for corporate and personal clients—both as a private consultant and as partner at ARDO and Vivi. Jacqueline uses her years of experience cultivating atmospheres and experiences to create occasions that resonate with guests. Now, her aesthetic finesse and inherent love of hospitality continue to impress patrons at both ARDO and DOVA.