Review: Patria, King West’s clubby new Spanish restaurant
This clubby restaurant is the second King West collaboration of Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth, veterans of the city’s dining and nightlife industries who are also behind Weslodge, the neighbouring socialite hothouse. They’ve gone the distance to make Patria authentically Spanish, importing ingredients like jamón ibérico de bellota—the flavourfully fatty cured ham from black pigs that roam the forest feeding on acorns ($30 as an appetizer). The dark, moody room is decorated in an ersatz Latin chic, with vaguely religious portraits of a cloaked woman, a two-storey embroidered wall covering and chandeliers that look like torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition. The bumbling complement of servers, dressed like the partying clientele in deep-V Ts and tight jeans, unintentionally enact an Almódovar comedy, clattering cutlery and banging into one another as they race between tables. The kitchen is on more solid footing, sending out an ambitious range of plates (tapas as well as full-on mains) that far exceed what typically passes for Spanish food in Toronto. A short-cut pasta called fideos is cooked in a spicy tomato broth—like the love child of angel hair pasta and paella—and tossed with a surfeit of clams and deep red chorizo coins. An extra dab of lemony aïoli shoots it up the complexity scale. Secreto, the flank steak of an ibérico pig, already succulent and delicious on its own, comes smeared with a sweet-spicy piquillo pepper jam. For dessert, airy, sugary churros and a thick pool of dulce de leche.
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Patria
478 King St. W., 416-367-0505
patriatoronto.com
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This clubby restaurant is the second King West collaboration of Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth, veterans of the city’s dining and nightlife industries who are also behind Weslodge, the neighbouring socialite hothouse. They’ve gone the distance to make Patria authentically Spanish, importing ingredients like jamón ibérico de bellota—the flavourfully fatty cured ham from black pigs that roam the forest feeding on acorns ($30 as an appetizer). The dark, moody room is decorated in an ersatz Latin chic, with vaguely religious portraits of a cloaked woman, a two-storey embroidered wall covering and chandeliers that look like torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition. The bumbling complement of servers, dressed like the partying clientele in deep-V Ts and tight jeans, unintentionally enact an Almódovar comedy, clattering cutlery and banging into one another as they race between tables. The kitchen is on more solid footing, sending out an ambitious range of plates (tapas as well as full-on mains) that far exceed what typically passes for Spanish food in Toronto. A short-cut pasta called fideos is cooked in a spicy tomato broth—like the love child of angel hair pasta and paella—and tossed with a surfeit of clams and deep red chorizo coins. An extra dab of lemony aïoli shoots it up the complexity scale. Secreto, the flank steak of an ibérico pig, already succulent and delicious on its own, comes smeared with a sweet-spicy piquillo pepper jam. For dessert, airy, sugary churros and a thick pool of dulce de leche.){kind=link}
last time i checked dulce de leche was a Uruguayan/Argentinian dessert.
no sweetheart, its not.
Was here last weekend. The octopus and dates were excellent dishes. The salad recommended by our server was good but not legendary like he described.
The iberico ham was not on the same level as what you can get in Spain, although I think that may be due to import regulations here. Not worth it for $30.
The meat and cheese board, with the shoulder, however, was fantastic.
Sit at the bar if you want an interactive dining experience–the chefs are quite talkative and knowledgeable. Enjoy!
Was OK… the Ham is not worth no where like $30 for an appetizer.. no way in hell. Been all over spain and no matter how much u gonna tell me about import duties, GTFOH thats your business not mine and its not all that great. Maybe sitting in some warehouse, reminds me of the bad ham in Madrid from Museo de Jamon. Otherwise, its OK and deserving of 2 stars out of 4….
I would say the dulce is more south American than Spanish.
And Patria is more aspartame than anything else.
Need to point out the Socretto is not from the flank – It is from the neck of the pig.
Plates that far exceed what typically passes for Spanish food in toronto?? Ahhhh….have you been to Cava?
If you are a Spanish tapas puritan, than this place, and non in Toronto for that matter, will offer what one is accustomed to tasting when travelling through Spain. As for the origins of dulce de leche, some may think its Argentinian\Uruguayan but the same thing is served in Mexico and they’ve called it “cajeta” for that past 500 years, so its irrelevant where in Latin America you think it is actually originally from. It is not served or commonly found in Spain to my knowledge. This is Toronto so diners better get used to the fusion thing – its just Toronto – you are never going to get the original Spanish tastes on this side of the Atlantic. This is not meant to discourage diners from trying Patria’s over priced fusion menu.
Staff not trained properly, food overpriced and average.
Went to Patria saturday Nov 17th. Very nice atmosphere although poor signage (if any).
The wait staff were almost too intrusive, we must have had our water and wine glasses topped up 15 times over the course of 2 hours.
Food is delicious although portions are extremely small. example,Bruchetta – 2 little slices of bread with a tomatoe paste sause $4? they should have at least 4 pieces for that price. Peppers stuffed with Oxtail again delicious but 2 small peppers (size of a medium pickle) for $13? Again 4 would be about right. Had a botle of wine and 4 tapas dishes, left feeling hungry and out $155.00 Won’t be going back there anytime soon.
I went for a client lunch last week. The staff was attentive, maybe a little overly so, but pleasant and knowledgeable. I was with a pescetarian (gasp – how annoying) but I did sample many of the fish and meat-free items – the octopus on potatoes and white anchovy flatbread were great. Everything was well-priced and yummy. Do yourself a favour & have the chocolate pudding that looks like poo for dessert – it’s served with salt & olive oil. It’s not pretty to look at, but we were fighting over the last spoonful. I’ll def go back to eat meat. Yum. Meat.
Jamon Iberico de Bellota does not come from “black pigs,” but from black-hooved pigs.
Pata Negra? I am sure this place sucks. Won’t try it, it’s one of those places were the people pretend to know food and talk about their travels backpacking across Europe or some shifty story.
OMG. When did we become such a bunch of nitpicky, self important, self professed authorities on all things food , drink, and service. Like a pack of jackals snapping at the heels of any new comer. Itching to find fault. Do we really care if dulce de leche is Spanish or South American? It’s delicious and we all love it. Have a glass of bile with J.Kates. I hear she is free these days
OMG some people actually are. Another stupid thought just maybe some people know about food and service. I would like to try out this place see what their take on Spanish food is.
Why do you keep calling it “dulce de leche”?; the dish is “leche frita” which is totally different; dulce de leche is made with condensed milk and leche frita es regular milk cooked with flour and sugar until thicken, let cool and cut in squares, smeared in egg and fried (more or less).
And it is a common Spanish dessert.
I must apologize someone made the above commenters on my computer. I would never write something like that of a comment.