Food & Drink

Introducing: Rakia Bar, a new outpost of the Slavic restaurant occupying the old Hrvati space

Introducing: Rakia Bar, a new outpost of the Slavic restaurant occupying the old Hrvati space

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Introducing: Rakia Bar, a new outpost of the Slavic restaurant occupying the old Hrvati space

Name: Rakia Bar
Contact Info: 690 Euclid Ave., rakiabar.com, @RakiaBarTO, 647-350-4227
Neighbourhood: The Annex
Owner: Dušan Varga, owner of the Leslieville Rakia Bar outpost
Chef: Dustin Peck (The Auld Spot, Politica)

The Food: Traditional Balkan fare like ćevapi (“ché-vap-ee”), grilled mixed meat kebabs, and sarma—that’s sauerkraut leaves stuffed with a pork-beef mix (imagine a Polish cabbage roll, but tangier). Baka might not approve of the Canadian spins of Slavic fare like a rabbit goulash poutine, but vegetarians will be thankful for the hearty veg-friendly options like a meatless stuffed bell pepper.

The Drinks: Unlike the Leslieville outpost, the west-end Rakia Bar offers an extensive selection of central European beers, mostly in tall cans. A well-curated selection of rakias (fruit brandies distilled from pear, quince, apricot and other fruit) is also on offer. First-time firewater sippers might opt to temper the Balkan brandy burn with a rakia-based cocktail like the Andrić (plum brandy, ginger-honey syrup, Galliano, egg white).

The Place: The cozy room (it seats 40) is done up with wine barrels, vintage photos and a wooden communal table, and it more than echoes Hrvati bar. “Croatia’s history is our [Serbian] history, so why change it?” says Varga, who has opted to keep much of Brenda Lee’s room intact. Splashes of Rakia Bar’s signature fucsia electrify the space.

The Numbers:
• 60-person patio that will get a big facelift for spring 2014
• $35 for a shot of 30-year-aged rakia (the oldest distilled spirit on the menu)
• 30 different rakias
• 6 Rakia Bars established, two in Toronto, four in Serbia.
• 5-7 p.m., the daily happy hour that brings $4 quaffs of rakia and $5 nibbles

Topics: Dušan Varga Dustin Peck introducing Openings Rakia Bar The Annex vegetarian

2 thoughts on “Introducing: Rakia Bar, a new outpost of the Slavic restaurant occupying the old Hrvati space”

  2. We came down from Queen Margherita Pizza couple of weeks ago. The place was packed and it had live music with super cool Spanish, Italian and Gypsy sounds. Even though we ate upstairs, we decided to order chevapi after a couple of drinks and these little guys were amazing. If Annex location is anything like the one we were at, it will be a great addition to the neighborhood. Quite the unique dining experience in Toronto. Not sure how they do during the week, but it would not surprise me if they are slower in the Beach/Leslieville area, as anything that seems to be able to sustain itself there is pubs and Italian.

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