Sauble has always been more about sand and sunscreen than cocktails and charcuterie. This is, after all, the place you come for hot sun, food truck tacos, spiraled soft serve, and French fries eaten straight from the cardboard tray while impatient seagulls circle overhead. But with the opening of Gigi’s Italian, a smart new Italian-inspired restaurant that manages to be both beach-casual and old-world sophisticated, Sauble is putting a new pin in Grey Bruce’s culinary map.
From the outside, Gigi’s Italian is understated — a cedar-and-glass façade that would look equally at home in Prince Edward County’s wine country. The design cues are clear: coastal modernism, clean lines, and a front patio that could be alongside any European promenade. Walk through the doors and the vibe shifts to something that toes the line between big city sophistication and small-town warmth.
Inside is all driftwood tones, matte black accents, and soft white globe lights that create a welcoming beach house atmosphere. There’s a well-stocked modern bar that actually looks like it belongs in the 21st century (Sauble’s nightlife has otherwise maintained a famously retro, time capsule reputation), and a dining room designed to make you want to linger over dessert and a digestivo.
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Tyler Cunningham, whose résumé includes time in some of Ontario’s most forward-thinking kitchens. Cunningham has a knack for marrying classical technique with unfussy presentation — a skill perfectly suited to Sauble, where modern diners crave urban quality without the baggage of pretension.
Cunningham was brought on by the Amabel Hospitality Group, the team behind local hits like Heydays, The Dunes, and Bar Tiki. Their formula is simple but effective: bring style and purpose to a market that’s been quietly waiting for more. Gigi’s Italian is perhaps their most ambitious project yet.
The bar program deserves its own applause. The cocktail list is concise but creative, leaning toward citrus and herb-driven refreshers that fit the lakeside setting. Classic bellinis are shaken with peach purée and sweet liqueur, then topped with Prosecco. A complex Bianca Negroni arrives over clear spherical ice, mixing French Lillet with quinine-forward Cocchi Americano. The buzzworthy lemon-basil spritz features Sicilian lemonade made effervescent with sparkling wine and a fragrant full leaf garnish. Mouthwatering stuff. There’s also an expertly curated wine list, but if — after a parched day of sandcastle-building — it’s a beer that will slake your thirst, a specially crafted Gigi’s Pale Ale from Three Sheets Brewing down the coast comes cold and in a 500ml retro stubby custom bottle.
The menu at Gigi’s Italian is pure relaxed Italian taverna. Fried calamari recalls Calabria with crispy flat-leaf parsley, fiery chilies, and a bright lemon aioli. Their wildly popular mozza stick (I saw one ordered at nearly every table) is hefty and golden, topped with curls of shaved pecorino and served in a pool of tangy tomato sugo. Grilled broccolini offers greenery spiked with capers, zesty gremolata, and bright red pepperoncini. You can tell they’ve done their research.
Salads are light and flavourful. A colourful citrus salata is distinctly Sicilian with orange slices, fennel, endives, golden raisins, and toasted pine nuts. The deceptively simple rocket salad is a pillow of peppery arugula dressed with lemon juice, floral extra-virgin olive oil, and parmigiano reggiano. No need to complicate perfection.
Mains focus on the comfort of pasta and pizza. On my visit, Megan, our attentive server, strongly recommends the cavatelli al funghi, and I’m thankful she does. The toothsome house-made noodles come swimming in rich garlic butter with meaty oyster mushrooms offset by the pleasant bitterness of sautéed rapini. The Lasagna Gigi is a densely packed, perfectly broiled explosion of bolognese, ricotta, and Genovese basil.
And then there are the pizzas. We start with a Margherita, of course – the benchmark for any good pizzeria – and boy, does it deliver. The thin crust, exactingly made from imported Mulino Bruno “00″ flour and fermented in-house for 48 hours, has just the right chew and char. Tomatoes are imported Bianco di Napoli for the sugo and pizza sauce, known for being the best tomatoes in the world. Try the sauce and see why.
The summery pomodoro is dotted with creamy mozzarella di bufala, torn basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Beautiful. Next up is the Diavola, loaded with spicy salami, pickled chilies, briny green olives, and roasted peppers – a devilish combination and one hell of a pie.
Desserts are decadent and, again, classically Italian. A boozy tiramisu wafts dizzying roasted espresso aromas across the table. A light coconut panna cotta comes topped with compote and slivers of dried strawberry. But it’s the lemon gelato that most wins me over – made by Thornbury’s Pom Pom Treat Hut, its tart, creamy chill instantly transports me to the bustling streets of Catania. An exceptional way to end an already impressive meal.
Gigi’s Italian is exactly what Sauble Beach didn’t know it needed: a progressive restaurant that treats food with respect, design with care, and its culinary responsibility with just enough seriousness. With Chef Tyler Cunningham at the helm, Gigi’s Italian feels like a turning point in this community’s storied history of hospitality. It’s a place where you can raise a glass and toast not just to a sun-soaked day and a good meal, but to the possibility that Sauble is growing up a little — without losing the sand between its toes.
Written by Joel Loughead
Photos by Frances Beatty
