Introducing: Ardor Bistro, a new Peruvian restaurant on Ossington from the owners of Celestin
(Image: TJ Tindale)
Name: Ardor Bistro
Neighbourhood: Ossington
Contact Info: 59 Ossington Ave., 647-351-5100
Owners: Brothers Ivan Tarazona and James Bailey (Celestin)
Chef: Ivan Tarazona
The Food: A modern take on traditional Latin American food. Dishes include fish ceviche, grilled octopus salad and Peruvian riffs on classic bistro mains, like steak frites with chimichurri, duck confit with quinoa and sous-vide chicken with yellow pepper sauce. There’s also a six-course tasting menu for $45.
The Drinks: Cocktails are mixed with pisco, a Peruvian spirit similar to brandy, and house-made bitters, like key lime, orange-cranberry and charred tea. A handful of South American wines and bottles of Dos Equis and Negra Modelo beer are available (Peruvian brews are in the works).
The Place: A decidedly unfussy interior with dark wood, exposed brick and black marble-slab tabletops salvaged from the yard behind the restaurant. Jugs of Bailey’s house-made bitters sit in recessed shelves above the bar.
The Numbers:
• 22 seats (plus 10 more once the chef’s table is installed up front)
• 14 varieties of pisco (once they clear customs)
• 30 days to steep the charred tea bitters, which are infused with hickory, oak and bergamot
• 7 years chef Tarazona lived in his native Peru before emigrating to Canada
• 2 chunky wooden benches inherited from Charles Khabouth’s bistro-bar Spice Route
213710 Dark wood, exposed brick and black marble-slab tabletops salvaged from the yard behind the restaurant (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-01.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-01/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-01 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213711 The room currently seats 22, but 10 more spots will be added when the Chef's table is installed (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-02.jpg 832 1248 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-02/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-02 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213712 Traditional Peruvian fish ceviche with sweet potatoes, flash-fried dried corn (“cancha”) and yellow chili (“aji amarillo”) ($14). The custom is to pour the leftover marinade into a shot glass for an intensely acidic final mouthful (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-03.jpg 832 1248 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-03/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-03 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213713 Grilled octopus salad with Peruvian red pepper (“aji panca”), radish, rocket and mustard greens ($16) (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-04.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-04/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-04 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213714 Lightly seared smelt with picado from a tasting menu (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-05.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-05/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-05 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213716 The El Guapo: a Latino take on the old-fashioned. Dark rum, Cointreau, raw sugar, orange-chocolate bitters, cloves and burnt orange garnish ($11) (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-07.jpg 832 1248 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-07/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-07 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213715 The Cuba Moderno: Cuban rum, raw sugar, homemade Coca-Cola concentrate, lime juice and key-lime bitters ($12) (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-06.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-06/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-06 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213717 A flight of pisco sours: classic (left), cherrywood and hickory, (middle), mint julep (right) (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-08.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-08/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-08 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
213718 Chef Ivan Tarazona (left) and his brother barman James Bailey (right) (Image: TJ Tindale) Ardor Bistro Ardor Bistro https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/introducing-anduvar-toronto-09.jpg 1248 832 [] https://torontolife.com/food/ardor-bistro-toronto-restaurant/slide/introducing-anduvar-toronto-09/ introducing-anduvar-toronto-09 0 0
(Image: TJ Tindale)
Dos Equis and Negra Modelo are not from South America, they’re from Mexico. Now go look at a map.
Read the article more carefully. It didn’t say the beer was from South America & they said Peruvian brews are “in the works.”
A handful of South American wines and bottles of Dos Equis and Negra
Modelo beer are available (Peruvian brews are in the works).
Sounds alright. I’m actually more excited about the different kinds of Pisco waiting at customs!
Can’t wait to try this place out . I am glad to finally see some foods from my culture represented.
Chef Ivan if you ever need a hand I’d be more than glad to come on board
Tried the restaurant last week.Great food and service.every dish we ordered was exceptional.
I hope they get Cusqueño!.