Introducing: Ufficio, an Italian kitchen for vegetarians and pescetarians in Little Portugal

Name: Ufficio
Neighbourhood: Little Portugal
Contact: 1214 Dundas St. W., 416-535-8888, ufficiorestaurant.com, @ufficiotoronto
Previously: The Grove
Owners: Greg and Danielle Bryk, Jenny Coburn, Marlo Onilla and Nathaniel Garcia
Chef: Jeff Lapointe (Splendido)
Consulting chef: Craig Harding (Campagnolo)

The food

Unfussy pescatarian Italian plates that Harding describes as “satisfying, but light.” Lapointe’s menu incorporates seasonal vegetables with responsibly harvested seafood (sourced from Honest Weight, Jim Giggie, Société-Orignal) and Mediterranean flavours, punched up with the hits of coriander, saffron and smoke. The restaurant also offers a vegetarian dinner menu.

Cozze e fagioli: B.C. Saltspring mussels, romesco sauce, chickpea fritter. $10.

Capesante: diver scallop, Granny Smith apple, fennel, buttermilk. $14.

For the spaghetti “carbonara,” cured Spanish mackerel is smoked for six hours and rendered down like pancetta. $18.

Zuppa di pesce: rotating seafood, saffron, tomato and fennel. Served with house-made bread and available by the half order or whole (shown here). $MP.

The drinks

Bottled and draught beer, a mostly Italian wine list selected by sommelier Carolyn Balogh (Stem Wine Group) and the bar’s specialty, Amaro flights. Bar manager Rob Granicolo’s (The Minister Group) cocktail list features mainly clear spirits enhanced with house-made infusions and syrups.

The Craft: Bombay Sapphire, Strega (an Italian herbal liqueur), clementine and Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters. $14.

The Rosmarino (front) made with rosemary-infused vodka, fresh lemon and fennel ($14) and the Picante Pasini (back), with Cazadores tequila, Aperol, chili, grapefruit and fresh lime. ($14).

The Rosmarino again (left) and the Il Creatore (right): bourbon, Carpano Classico, Amaro Nonino and Peychaud’s Bitters. $16.

The space

Commute Design was responsible for the bright, 30-seat dining room with an open kitchen, and Onilla’s company, Biography Design, was behind the branding.

Chef Jeff Lapointe (left) with consulting chef Craig Harding (right).