What’s on the menu at Ceci Bar, O&B’s colourful new cantina

Name: Ceci Bar Contact: 33 Yonge St., unit 101, cecibar.com, @cecibar.to
Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence Previously: O&B’s Café Grill Owner: Oliver & Bonacini Chefs: District executive chef Andrew Piccinin, chef de cuisine Juan Alvarez (Rosalinda) Accessibility: Fully accessible

Oliver and Bonacini has transformed what was once O&B’s Café Grill into a vibrant, colourful cantina serving pan-Latin dishes. Named after corporate executive chef Anthony Walsh’s first daughter, Cecilia, Ceci Bar is a more youthful take on Leña, the restaurant brand’s more formal South American spot up the street. Where Leña is an invitation for a quiet sit-down dinner at Abuela’s house, Ceci Bar caters to a younger, livelier and louder crowd.

The Food

The menu is centred around inventive pan-Latin snacks, small plates and family-style mains, like a 36-ounce rib-eye parrilla or a whole Peruvian-style chicken. Despite those two dishes, much of the menu is vegetarian and can even be made vegan with a modification or two. Piccinin understands that being in the hospitality business means inviting everyone to the table. “One thing we’re good at is managing allergies as best as possible,” he says. “A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed as celiac and stopped going out to restaurants because of bad interactions with the food. But they were able to come here for dinner.” As former head chef at plant-based Mexican restaurant Rosalinda, Alvarez brings his knowledge, and together they cook up some beautiful, complex vegetarian dishes. Itziar Hernandez, Alvarez’s wife, develops the desserts at Ceci’s and is also the pastry chef for neighbouring Biff’s Bistro.

Related: What’s on the menu at Biff’s Bistro, the second coming of O&B’s long-running French restaurant

The Drinks

Whenever dishes migrate to a new region, the way they’re made changes subtly to adapt to different tastes and available ingredients. For Ceci’s cocktails, GM Isabel Garcia Roig endeavours to avoid that. “I wanted to make classic drinks the way you would enjoy them in their country of origin,” she says. Where most people shake up simple syrup and mint in mojitos, Roig says they were originally made with granulated sugar and spearmint, then stirred. And the bar doesn’t use any fruit juice in sangria. “You actually use a bunch of different liquors, wine and some sort of soda. Personally, I like orange Fanta,” she says. Guests can always ask to have their drink made the way they like, but Roig wanted to make sure they at least have the option to try it in its original form. Plenty of no- and low-alcohol options are also available.

Related: Toronto bars are giving sangria—the ultimate summer sipper—a glow-up

The Space

Solid Design Creative combined design elements from Central and South America to create a punchy tropical vibe. Lampshades handcrafted by Colombian artists using recycled bottles dangle above the main dining area. In another room, a swooping Peruvian textile is the focal point. Behind the bar is a colourful mosaic of broken tile and vintage ceramics, and other walls are adorned with hand-painted murals depicting flowers and plants native to Latin America. The covered street-side patio seats a whopping 136 guests and serves as a cheerful space for after-work drinks, rain or shine.