What’s on the menu at Paradise Grapevine’s new patio on Geary
Including mezcal Jell-O shots, wine slushies and upscale picnic snacks
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Name: Paradise Grapevine Contact: 218 Geary Ave., paradisegrapevine.com, @paradisegrapevine Owners: Christian Davis, Dave Everitt Chef: Adrian DiLena Accessibility: Fully accessible
Paradise Grapevine, one of Toronto’s favourite wine bars, opened up its second location on the ever-buzzy Geary Avenue in 2022. But the space, which houses its own winemaking facility, just underwent a significant summer glow-up. Gone are the table service and Swiss Chalet–style rotisserie chicken of spring—they’ve been replaced by a beachier (read: more casual) but equally well-executed vision. “We want to be the opposite of a stuffy wine bar, even if we have the same level of quality and care as any fancy spot,” says co-owner Christian Davis. “Wine and food should be fun, otherwise what’s the point?”
In order to achieve the perfect level of unfussiness, Davis and his business partner, Dave Everitt, ditched reservations in favour of a grab-a-seat system where everything is on order at the bar. They also built an intentionally DIY-feeling patio, complete with found furniture and hand-painted accents. In the kitchen, they brought on chef Adrian DiLena. His dedication to fermentation and farm-fresh ingredients inspired a brand new menu of elevated but unpretentious picnic classics—in other words, the ideal patio fare.
The food
DiLena’s menu is earthy, seasonal and pickle-forward. On offer is a list of snack plates that pair well with wine but don’t require it. Standouts include the Butterball Potato Salad, which swaps out mayonnaise for a creamy charred-eggplant baba ghanouj, and DiLena’s take on mushroom toast: a nutty blend of roasted mushrooms, house sauerkraut and chilies on top of Robinson’s sourdough.
The drinks
While the focus of the bar is still wine, the team has implemented a brand new cocktail menu. “The whole point of our spot is to help people enjoy themselves,” says Gibbs. “If they prefer to do that with a cocktail instead of a glass of wine, who are we to stop them?” The raison d’être of the “not wine” card is therefore unadulterated good times, as facilitated by rosé slushies, mezcal Jell-O shots and olive-wielding vermouth spritzes.
The space
While the interior remains unchanged, the patio has been completely transformed. Davis and Everitt crafted the new outdoor space themselves. It has rendered cement walls, wine barrels, hand-laid tiles, picnic tables, plants, a stone water fountain (a Facebook Marketplace find) and a salvaged aquamarine shipping container that they’ve converted into a DJ booth. It fits in perfectly with the trendy but somewhat ramshackle spirit of Geary Avenue.
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Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
