Introducing: Barque Butcher Bar, a butcher shop by day and bar by night on Roncesvalles
Introducing: Barque Butcher Bar, a butcher shop by day and bar by night on Roncesvalles
Name: Barque Butcher Bar
Neighbourhood: Roncesvalles
Contact: 287 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-532-7700, barque.ca/butcherbar
Owner: David Neinstein, Jonathan Persofsky
Chefs: David Neinstein, Jo Castrinos
Bar Manager: Gerardo Diaz
The Food: Both prepared and cooked meats (chicken, ribs, brisket, sausages, bacon, burgers—all treated the way they are at Barque), salads and side dishes to-go, and various raw veggies from 100km Foods Inc. are sold both day and night. After 6 p.m. however, the focus is on snacks and small plates: chorizo ribs, smoked venison tartare, jerk-fried cornish hen and a poutine waffle, to name a few. “It’s a little more playful and aggressive in flavour than we can do at the restaurant. It’s less kid-friendly and more internationally-influenced,” says Neinstein.
The Drinks: VQA wine, beer, cider and sake, all on tap; and 10 cocktails, the most popular right now being the Smoke ‘n’ Choke. Playing cards do double-duty as coasters, but full decks are also available upon request if it’s a rousing game of Crazy Eights you’re after.
The Space: Previously kid-centric crafting café Smock, the space is now a butcher shop by day and a snack bar by night. (The butcher counter actually flips open to create a wider bar.) Instead of a glitter and paint corner, the spot has its own DIY centre where customers can buy pre-portioned spice baggies (all $1 each), and with some guidance, make their own rubs right there. “We want to teach people to smoke—that’s our little tagline,” says Neinstein.
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- From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the space operates as a butcher shop (but customers can still order up a drink and sip while they shop).
- (Image: Gabby Frank)
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- The barbecue centre, complete with rubs, sauces, cookbooks and tools. This is also the work station for anyone who wants to try their hand at making their own rubs—those drawers are full of different spices. Tools, charcoal and wood chips are also available for any last-minute barbecue needs.
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- Prosciutto with pickled and smoked grapes ($8).
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- Chorizo-flavoured baby back ribs with pickled veggies ($12).
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- Smoked venison tartare with cured egg, freshly grated horseradish and crostini ($13).
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- Black cod with crispy rice and lime foam ($10).
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- Asparagus salad with hearts of palm, arugula, sunflower seeds, beets and herbed yogurt ($9).
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- The Smoke 'n' Choke: smoked Maker's Mark, maple, cynar, orange zest ($12).
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- Two Against the World: rose gin, st-germaine, cucumber, pepper ($15).
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- After 6 p.m., the counter turns into a bar with comfy barstools. "We tried to find the most butt-conscious chairs as possible," says Neinstein. Despite the furniture, customers are still able to shop from the freezers below the bar.
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- "We have a minimum 45-centimetre rule: every person must be 45 centimetres away from a stranger. A study in the UK surveyed a few thousand people to determine what private space really was, and they determined it was 45 centimetres," says Neinstein.
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-barque-butcher-bar-butcher-shop-day-bar-night-roncesvalles/&title=Introducing: Barque Butcher Bar, a butcher shop by day and bar by night on Roncesvalles&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/toronto-restaurants-barque-butcher-bar-lead.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_315856" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Name: Barque Butcher Bar
Neighbourhood: Roncesvalles
Contact: 287 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-532-7700, barque.ca/butcherbar
Owner: David Neinstein, Jonathan Persofsky
Chefs: David Neinstein, Jo Castrinos
Bar Manager: Gerardo Diaz
The Food: Both prepared and cooked meats (chicken, ribs, brisket, sausages, bacon, burgers—all treated the way they are at Barque), salads and side dishes to-go, and various raw veggies from 100km Foods Inc. are sold both day and night. After 6 p.m. however, the focus is on snacks and small plates: chorizo ribs, smoked venison tartare, jerk-fried cornish hen and a poutine waffle, to name a few. "It's a little more playful and aggressive in flavour than we can do at the restaurant. It's less kid-friendly and more internationally-influenced," says Neinstein.
The Drinks: VQA wine, beer, cider and sake, all on tap; and 10 cocktails, the most popular right now being the Smoke 'n' Choke. Playing cards do double-duty as coasters, but full decks are also available upon request if it's a rousing game of Crazy Eights you're after.
The Space: Previously kid-centric crafting café Smock, the space is now a butcher shop by day and a snack bar by night. (The butcher counter actually flips open to create a wider bar.) Instead of a glitter and paint corner, the spot has its own DIY centre where customers can buy pre-portioned spice baggies (all $1 each), and with some guidance, make their own rubs right there. "We want to teach people to smoke—that's our little tagline," says Neinstein.
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West: 96
East: 6
wow, another article on a roncesvalles business. i live in parkdale and even i find tl is way too focused on the area.
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