Bar Raval is a Spanish tapas restaurant and cocktail bar in the Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto's West End.
| Bar Raval | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | February 13, 2015[1] |
| Owner(s) | Grant van Gameren |
| Food type | Spanish |
| Rating | Bib Gourmand (Michelin Guide) |
| Street address | 505 College Street |
| City | Toronto, Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Seating capacity | 40[2] |
| Website | www |
The restaurant is owned by Toronto restauranteur Grant Van Gameren,[3] who is also the owner and former head chef of Toronto Michelin-starred restaurant Quetzal.
Design
editBar Raval is well known for its interior, designed by local Toronto-based architectural firm Partisans.[1] Van Gameren cited wanting the restaurant to be "as much an art piece as a restaurant."[2] The bar is built in Spanish Art Nouveau style, with wooden curved accents and South African mahogany woodwork wrapping above, around, and on the entire bar.[1][4][3]
The restaurant only offers a limited seating area, encouraging its patrons to instead stand or lean against the bar.[5] In the evenings, the restaurant is standing-room only.[2]
Food and drink
editBar Raval seeks to emulate a Barcelona-style tapas bar, offering a small food menu of Spanish bar snacks such as conservas (canned fish and seafood) and pinxtos (food served on toothpicks).[3][5]
The restaurant offers Spanish wines, as well as a large selection of sherry and vermouth.[6] The signature cocktail at the bar is the Tinto Fino, which consists of dry sherry and lime juice.[4]
Recognition
editThe business was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant by the Michelin Guide at Toronto's 2022 Michelin Guide ceremony, and retained this recognition in 2023 and 2024.[3] A Bib Gourmand recognition is awarded to restaurants who offer "exceptionally good food at moderate prices." Notable dishes Michelin cited in their review include Bar Raval's Boquerones en vinagre and shrimp a la planxa.[3]
Bar Raval was ranked #1 on Canada's 50 Best Bars inaugural list in 2018, and retained its spot at the top of the list in 2019 and 2020.[7][4] It has remained on the list every year following, most recently ranking at #25 in the 2024 edition.[8]
It has also received global recognition, ranking #99 on the World's Best Bars list in 2020.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c Bozikovic, Alex (20 February 2015). "Bar Raval: A chef's ambitious new venture, built to last". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Nuttall-Smith, Chris (3 April 2015). "Bar Raval: Why can't going out for drinks and snacks always be this sublime?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Bar Raval - Toronto". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "No. 1 - Bar Raval". Canada's 50 Best Bars - 2018. Canada's 100 Best. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Review: Bar Raval, Grant van Gameren's College Street tapas bar, is another standout". Toronto Life. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ Fernando, AJ. "Bar Raval: A big-time chef's ode to Barcelona". Bon Appetit. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "Bar Raval's Dressed to Suppress". Canada's 100 Best Restaurants. Canada's 100 Best. July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "No. 25 - Bar Raval". Canada's 50 Best Bars - 2024. Canada's 100 Best. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ Doradea, Karen (5 November 2020). "Canadian bar named one of the best in the world". Daily Hive Vancouver. Daily Hive. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
