Barba is an intimate restaurant and wine bar from the workforce behind Simit & Chai and widespread brunch spot Pasaj.
Situated within the coronary heart of Toronto’s Leisure District, Barba is a Mediterranean night affair, taking inspiration from the Aegean Coast of Turkey. The menu showcases a number of high quality cocktails and shareable mezes with all the pieces from a conventional lentil ball to beer-battered fried mussels.
The 23-seat restaurant shares the area of one of many Simit & Chai bakeries on Duncan Avenue. The heritage constructing has considerably of a grand entrance that makes the small spot really feel not fairly so small.
Inside is darkish and moody, with an exquisite uncovered brick wall and a powerful bar displaying their bottles of wine.
For drinks, I like a French 75 ($15). The refreshing and citrusy gin cocktail was made with pomegranate.
One other bubbly possibility is the Hugo Spritz ($16). It is made with St. Germain, Prosecco, soda, and recent mint.
Staying true to their roots, the Bosphorus Martini ($15) is crafted with a wealthy and flavorful Turkish espresso.
And naturally, you may’t go mistaken with a traditional Previous Original ($16).
No matter you select to sip, creating a comfy spot to take action is what Barba is all about.
“In locations like Istanbul, ingesting tradition is all the time very intimate. Everybody’s chatting and speaking to one another. It is an excellent and heat vibe. We wished to create that.” shared John Ulgen, co-owner of the institution.
John and his accomplice Dee Ulgen, co-owner and chef, began within the hospitality business 9 years in the past with their different ventures however all the time had the thought of opening a night spot.
They wished to create a spot the place their household would wish to eat, however extra importantly the place everybody feels taken care of.
“The title refers to that one one that makes certain the meals is popping out appropriately, the drinks are poured proper, that everybody is checked on and spoken to. That is a barba,” mentioned John.
For the meals, we sampled and shared a little bit little bit of all the pieces.
The Bread and Butter ($10) is an effective way to start out the night time. The selfmade sourdough comes with Urfa chilli and thyme butter.
The Olive Subject ($12) is a marinated olive tapenade with olives from Turkey. It is creamy and salty and goes nice with the crunchy cinnamon bites baked recent from Simit & Chai.
The Feta and Cantaloupe ($14) dish is brilliant and refreshing. The feta is brined in Raki, the nationwide drink of Turkey. It has the slight style of licorice and goes nicely with the sweetness of the recent melon.
Subsequent up, the Cyprus Rocket ($14), a plate of grilled halloumi with recent tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, and bee pollen crunch. It is topped with a shishito pepper. You might have a few 1 in 10 likelihood of getting a spicy one!
Borek ($16) is a pastry made with skinny, flaky dough. Made recent per order it is gentle and ethereal, and stuffed with the traditional savoury mixture of spinach and feta. It comes on a mattress of creamy honey yogurt and is served with roasted chestnuts.
One of many standout objects on the menu is the Fava ($16) — and no, my fondness for it is not simply because it shares my final title. This widespread dip combines fava beans, marinated garlic, and pink peppers, and options anchovies from the black sea. These tremendous salty fish fillets have a distinctly robust style, so if fish is not your factor, this is perhaps one to skip.
The Lentil Ball ($16) is a conventional dish, impressed by Dee’s mom, whose lentil balls had been a beloved staple at vacation gatherings. The lentil ball was tender and flavorful with a crispy exterior.
In case you love fish and chips, strive the Fried Mussels ($18). The bite-sized mussels are performed in a beer batter that makes them crispy and lightweight. They’re served on high of a brilliant and briny tartar sauce made with walnuts and yogurt.
There’s additionally Charcuterie ($22) on the menu. This jam-packed board comes with dried and cured meats akin to sucuk (spicy sausage), in addition to, a bitter cherry jam, kasar (laborious cheese), and home pickles. The board itself is created from an exquisite olive wooden from Turkey.
One other nice choice to share is the Tartare ($22). Made with a bavette steak, it is a traditional rendition with shallots, pickles, and mustard. On high is a fragile quail egg, simply ready to be lower into.
For one thing extra substantial, you may’t go mistaken with the Burger ($22). Impressed by the duo’s favorite diner burger from The Apple Pan in Los Angeles, that is your all-American chuck patty with lettuce, pickles, and cheese. It comes with some irresistibly good herb-tossed fries.
Lastly, the Rack of Lamb ($26) is to not be missed. These chops get tenderized in a marinade of milk and beer for 36 hours. It comes with bulgur and a smoky, candy pink pepper and walnut muhammara sauce.
Barba is situated at 19 Duncan Avenue.
(doc, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
window.fbAsyncInit = operate () {
FB.init({
appId: “100616073343311”,
xfbml: true,
model: “v2.5”
});
resolve();
}
});
