LIVE is proud to offer an array of gourmet, gluten and sugar free, vegan dishes to invigorate and cleanse your body, mind, and soul!

LIVE's cuisine is influenced by the flavors we remember from our mother’s kitchen. Many different cultural foods and ingredients are combined in our hand made organic dishes. Each dish is prepared and served by our experienced staff all guided by our founders, Internationally known Raw Chef and restaurateur; Jennifer Italiano and her financial partner and brother, restaurateur Chris Italiano. With their deep love of food and service they ensure a life changing culinary experience.

“We believe that the only way food should be processed, is by the human body. We believe that quality and flavor come first and that vegan foods are a healthy and satisfying choice with which to create a gourmet dining experience”.

You needn't be Vegan, or Raw to dine here. Open mindedness, adventure, love of food and oneself is all that’s needed. Our light, clean gourmet foods leave you satisfied and well nourished.

Sit back, relax, have fun and Live it up!!!

Live’s Social and Environmental Commitments

*We are committed to the essential stewardship of our earth through the support of sustainable organic food production and local farmers.

*Working with LivClean, an internationally ranked carbon offset company, Live dedicated themselves to reducing their carbon footprint in 2009.

*Live furthers their Green Earth support by only utilizing biodegradable take out products and employment of reuse and recycling.

*Committed to creating fair and fun working conditions Live has a progressive employment policy stressing all staff's value and input in the daily working of our restaurant and factory.  Everyone shares in all chores and all voices are heard.

Our History

In 2002 Live, Toronto 's first Gourmet Raw and Vegan Food restaurant was born on the ground floor of the Yellow Brick Wellness Center. Chris Italiano and his former partner had transformed the space into an organic focused café and juice bar. A few months later Jennifer Italiano, his sister, came in daily and experimented with preparing different Living Raw Foods and Vegan dishes. Soon after its inception “Live food seemed to be everywhere, everyone we came in contact with at the time seemed to be on the same wave length”; Raw foodists visiting from New York, local Torontonians interested in the lifestyle, visiting speakers and experts. Yet even though the energy and interest was strong, there was nowhere to eat Raw food.  Having always been a 'foodie' Jennifer quickly realized that she had found her niche.  Recognizing the need for a Raw Food Restaurant Jennifer left the fashion business forever. Together they created the fist Raw, gourmet restaurant in Toronto, one of the first in Canada.

Cooking is always a process of discovery and Live's foundation is based strongly on endless trial and error. In the basement of the kitchen in our old space, bumping into low hanging water pumps and craving sunlight, Jennifer admits that "to this day making mistakes have probably led to my best creations".

In January 2003 our business partner decided to pursue different interests. Flying solo in the busy kitchen, with help from her mother, Jennifer began to make Live her own.  I look back and to tell you the truth I don't know how I did it" she says. "I use to think, hey, I'll give it all I can, I have nothing else I’d rather do." Within a short period of time, with great success, Jennifer started to hire and train staff to assist her.  Jennifer is now an internationally known Raw Food Chef and Restaurateur.  Together they have made Live a highly regarded restaurant throughout the Gourmet and Health Food Industries.

And as they say, the rest is history.