bare oaks resort

The head chef at a naturist park near Toronto cooks in the nude

Did you know there's a year-round naturist park right near Toronto? And better yet, did you know the head chef there cooks in the nude?

Pretty much everything is done without clothes at Bare Oaks in East Gwillimbury, including activities like yoga and eating at the resort's restaurant. The staff at Bare Oaks are committed to the naturist lifestyle, so much so that the restaurant's head chef likes to cook naked.

Kim Lariviere independently operates The Bare Bistro at Bare Oaks, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, is fully licensed, and also operates an espresso bar. Of course, you can also dine there in the nude.

Lariviere describes herself as a "60s baby" that was raised in a very free environment where nudity was totally common.

She joined Bare Oaks 15 years ago with her wife back when it was known as New Forest. Living in Richmond Hill, they spent every weekend there.

"We fell in love with Bare Oaks," Lariviere tells blogTO. "After 13 years' work, I was a product of downsizing."

That was when she was asked to work in the office at Bare Oaks, and eventually started helping out the cook.

"When the Bistro position became available Stephane offered it to me. I was like, ummm, okay," says Lariviere, referring to park owner Stephane Deschenes.

"My only experience with cooking was cooking for friends and family. I have never had formal training. My nickname became 'the naked chef.'" (Move over, Jamie Oliver.)

She now cooks all kinds of comfort food at The Bare Bistro at Bare Oaks, and does it all without an apron, as she feels it's "cumbersome" and loves "the freedom of nudity."

Her menu consists of homestyle items like salads, soups, sandwiches, fries, steaks and chicken parm, but she says bacon and burgers are the most inconvenient items to cook nude (though she does it anyway).

"My breasts take the brunt of the burns," says Lariviere. Still, she's nowhere close to considering quitting her dream job to save her skin.

"I plan on sticking to naked cooking at Bare Oaks indefinitely," says Lariviere. 

"I love my job and have an opportunity to share my food with like-minded people."

If you've ever felt like the only thing missing from a good old visit to Hanlan's Point was a bite to eat, you might want to check out Bare Oaks and Bare Bistro for a fun and freeing trip this summer.

Lead photo by

Kim Lariviere


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