Sana Is Toronto’s Newest Bathhouse to Add to Your Wellness Routine
The modern banya experience but with a social twist.
Who knew that sauerkraut, martinis, and a schvitz is what we needed in our self-care routine?
Over the past decade or so, Geary Avenue in Toronto has been establishing itself as a hub for food, culture, and art, starting with fresh pasta purveyor Famiglia Baldassare setting up shop and, more recently, Jen Agg’s latest hit, General Public. But the buzzy strip’s newest opening, Sana, is drawing people into a little escape of a different variety.
Sana, a modern banya (a Slavic traditional bathhouse), is meant to be more than just a space where you can go for contrast therapy. “Sana is just as much about how you feel while you’re there,” says co-founder Jamie Webster. “It’s social, it’s sensory, it’s about connection—with yourself and with others. You can come solo and reset, or come with friends and make a whole afternoon or evening out of it.”
They chose the location on Geary for the street’s creative energy, he adds. That it’s not right downtown or on a busy strip was part of the appeal, in addition to its strong sense of community and independence. “It feels like a place where something special can quietly exist without shouting for attention,” he says.
Rather than the bathhouse being a meditative quiet zone like some sauna and cold plunge spots, at Sana guests are welcome to chat and be social during their visit, and even pause to share a cocktail or two and a bite if that’s what they’re in the mood for.
Notably modern in its design—with neutral stone and natural woods creating a soothing palette–the two-level minimalist space features an infrared sauna on the first level, and on the second level, a cedar sauna and steam room (where Sana uses custom blends from Sssoaps and Lohn in water and ice) and also two cold plunge pools (one maintained at 3°C and the second at a more moderate 7° to 10°). Cycling through the thermal rituals is primarily self-guided, allowing guests to explore and seek out what they need for their wellness and self-care during their visit—although, for first-timers visiting during prime weekend hours, there are facilitators to lean on for breathwork or mindfulness support.
When in need of a little break from the thermal circuit, guests are welcome to help themselves to a selection of Canadian hand-blended Pluck premium tea and take a seat in the lounge on a streamlined banquette. Music plays in the background, with mixes created to resonate with the shifting mood of the space throughout the day, and in the air, subtle, soothing aromas. Sana’s three founders, Jamie Webster, Malcolm Levy, and wellness advisor Rebecca Nicholson, worked with one fragrance expert on how to infuse the banya with subtle evolving fragrance.
At the bar, head chef Mikey Wyspianski has created an Eastern European-inspired menu featuring dishes such as pillowy handmade perogies, steak tartare, and pork cabbage rolls, and the beverage program includes both health-conscious options such as kombucha and juice but also cocktails (including a signature Eastern Martini featuring sauerkraut), wine, and beer. It’s all to be savoured on the contemporary all-season patio (heated through the winter, with blankets on hand for extra coziness), where the relaxed dress code is slides, bather, and Sana robe.
