Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant
Encyclopedia
Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant is a noted restaurant and banquet hall in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located in the MS Jadran a former Adriatic passenger ship now permanently docked at Yonge Street
and Queen's Quay
on Toronto's waterfront
. The restaurant is open each day of the year, including all major holidays such as Christmas
and New Year's Day
.
The restaurant is owned and operated by John Letnik who came to Canada as a refugee from Yugoslavia
in 1957. He opened the restaurant aboard the in 1970. The Normac had served several years with the Detroit Fire Department
and then as a ferry that travelled between Tobermory
and Manitoulin Island
. In 1975 Letnik bought the larger Jadran from the Yugoslav government. The Jadran was one of three luxury cruise ships built in Split
for the Jadranska Linijska Plovidba company. For several years it operated as a luxury cruise ship in the Adriatic
and Aegean
. Letnik purchased the ship in 1975 for a million dollars, and it became a second location for his restaurant.
The ship is one of many attractions in the area known as Harbourfront
.
In 1981 the Normac was struck by then Metro Toronto Parks
-operated ferry Trillium
and sunk. No one was hurt, but the restaurant was destroyed. This set off a long legal battle between Letnik and the city. Letnik was eventually awarded damages, but reportedly not enough to compensate for the destruction. The Normac was raised and refurbished and served as a floating restaurant
in other communities with the Jadran being the sole home of Captain John's since then.
Despite poor reviews by local papers, the restaurant boasts signs that proclaim to eat at Captain John's is to eat "the best seafood in town!" Reviews by patrons are decidedly mixed. The restaurant's clientele is primarily tourists and many bus tours stop at Captain John's.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located in the MS Jadran a former Adriatic passenger ship now permanently docked at Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
and Queen's Quay
Queen's Quay (Toronto)
Queen's Quay is a prominent street in the Harbourfront neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street was originally commercial in nature due to the many working piers along the waterfront...
on Toronto's waterfront
Toronto waterfront
The Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East. The entire lakeshore has been significantly altered from its natural glaciated state prior to...
. The restaurant is open each day of the year, including all major holidays such as Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
.
The restaurant is owned and operated by John Letnik who came to Canada as a refugee from Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1957. He opened the restaurant aboard the in 1970. The Normac had served several years with the Detroit Fire Department
Detroit Fire Department
The Detroit Fire Department is the professional fire department that provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The DFD currently operates 120 fire companies out of 47 Fire Stations, located throughout the city, with a total sworn...
and then as a ferry that travelled between Tobermory
Tobermory, Ontario
Tobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It is 300 km northwest of Toronto...
and Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
. In 1975 Letnik bought the larger Jadran from the Yugoslav government. The Jadran was one of three luxury cruise ships built in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
for the Jadranska Linijska Plovidba company. For several years it operated as a luxury cruise ship in the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. Letnik purchased the ship in 1975 for a million dollars, and it became a second location for his restaurant.
The ship is one of many attractions in the area known as Harbourfront
Harbourfront
Harbourfront is a neighbourhood on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within the downtown core of the city of Toronto, Canada. Part of the Toronto Waterfront, Harbourfront extends west from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street along Queen's Quay. East of Yonge to Parliament St...
.
In 1981 the Normac was struck by then Metro Toronto Parks
Metro Toronto Parks and Culture
Metro Toronto Parks and Culture was a department within the former Regional Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto .The department was responsible for maintaining major parks and cultural sites around Metro Toronto, Canada....
-operated ferry Trillium
Toronto Island Ferry Services
The Toronto Island Ferry connects the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario to the mainland of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The ferry provides access to the islands for recreational visitors, access to the mainland for island residents, and access to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which is located at...
and sunk. No one was hurt, but the restaurant was destroyed. This set off a long legal battle between Letnik and the city. Letnik was eventually awarded damages, but reportedly not enough to compensate for the destruction. The Normac was raised and refurbished and served as a floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
in other communities with the Jadran being the sole home of Captain John's since then.
Despite poor reviews by local papers, the restaurant boasts signs that proclaim to eat at Captain John's is to eat "the best seafood in town!" Reviews by patrons are decidedly mixed. The restaurant's clientele is primarily tourists and many bus tours stop at Captain John's.