Introducing: Bar Buca, the King West trattoria’s all-day Italian snack bar

| January 30, 2014

Name: Bar Buca Contact Info: 75 Portland St., 416-599-2822, barbuca.com, @barbucatoronto
Neighbourhood: Fashion District Owners: Rob Gentile, Gus Giazitzidis and Peter Tsebelis Executive Chef: Buca chef Rob Gentile Sommelier: Buca sommelier Giuiseppe Marchesini

The Food: Bar Buca is an all-day, European-style snack bar—the kind of place where you can grab a morning cappuccino, a casual lunch or a post-work aperitivo. The savoury menu includes 30 shareable plates, including Venetian cicchetti (snack-sized bites), spiedini (skewers) and schiacciata (stuffed focaccia sandwiches). For Saturday and Sunday brunch, scrambled eggs are blended with gooey burrata and garnished with shaved black truffles.

The Drinks: Cocktails are blended with Italian liqueurs like Cynar, a bittersweet apéritif made with artichokes, and espresso-based beverages come spiked with things like buffalo milk and dulce de leche. Thirty wines are available by the glass.

The Place: With sleek marble bar tops and sky-high ceilings, the lofty space has the same industrial-chic polish as the King West original. A grab-and-go coffee bar caters to busy commuters.

The Numbers: • 38 seats • 25 coffees taste-tested before deciding on Italian producer Manuel Caffe • 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. • 2-plus years in the making • 0 reservations