Introducing: Black Rabbit, a new family-friendly café in Bloor West Village
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Name: Black Rabbit Fresh Food Café
Neighbourhood: Bloor West Village
Contact info: 2312 Bloor St. W., 416-762-2016, blackrabbitcafe.ca, @BlackRabbitCa
Owners: Brothers Peter and Alex Kiriakapoulos, whose family has been in the café business for 50 years (they own the Java Joe’s chain).
Chef: Adam Wisniewski, previously of Lucien (and brother-in-law to the Kiriakapouloses).
The food: Local, organic café fare geared to the area’s young families, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. Inside the display case are daily sandwiches like the HAC ($8.25), with ham, gruyere and arugula, along with salads ($5.25 and up) and soups ($4.75 and up), like chicken corn chowder and vegan chili. There’s also a kids menu, with organic baby food ($2) and mac-and-cheese ($3.95).
The drinks: Coffee, organic teas, fresh juices and smoothies ($6.95) by Joyous Health.
The place: The front of the café is sleek and modern, while the back feels like a country kitchen, complete with rustic wooden tables and fresh flowers. The two rows of tables are cannily laid out with ample room for strollers to manoeuvre between them.
By the numbers:
• 40 seats
• 25 years, the tenancy of the space’s previous occupant, The Sweet Gallery
• 3 soups, 3 salads, 3 kids menu items and 3 baby menu items
• 2 p.m., the time at which they stop serving their breakfast sandwiches
189270 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-03/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-03 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189271 Housemade granola with yogurt ($4.95) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-04/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-04 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189272 Many of the baked goods come from Circles and Squares Bakery (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-05/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-05 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189269 The HAC sandwich ($8.25): organic black forest ham, gruyere, apple butter and arugula (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-02/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-02 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189280 The daily sandwich spread ($5.25 and up) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-01/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-01 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189273 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-06/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-06 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189277 Brothers Peter and Alex Kiriakapoulos, the café’s owners (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-intro/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-intro 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
189274 The view from Bloor Street West (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: Black Rabbit Introducing: Black Rabbit https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/black-rabbit-cafe/slide/feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-07/ feb13-black-rabbit-cafe-07 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Looks great, can’t wait to visit, thanks for the info.
Great news! It’s nice to see more restaurant variety in BWV. Will definitely give it a try.
Many bugs to iron out (service, mainly), but still promising. Hopefully they’ll start baking in-house soon. Nearly $4 for a Circles and Squares croissant seems excessive.
Service had improved daily and croissants are 2.95.