Gilda
Anchovy, olive, guindilla on a stick. The one-bite argument for the whole place.
Spanish · Little Italy
Bar Raval
A standing-room pintxos bar with the most beautiful interior in the city
SpanishLittle Italy, Toronto$$Details being confirmed
The review
Bar Raval's interior — all carved, curving mahogany — is the most photographed room in the city and, unusually, the food inside it is not an afterthought. It is a Basque pintxos bar run properly: you stand, you order a few things, you drink vermouth, you leave.
Start with a gilda, which is anchovy, olive and pickled pepper on a stick and is the entire philosophy in one bite. The tortilla is loose in the centre, which is correct and which people still send back. Conservas — good tinned seafood opened in front of you — are not a shortcut here, they are the point.
Honest notes: there is almost nowhere to sit, plates add up faster than you notice, and it does not work for a group of six. Two people, standing, mid-afternoon is the best version of this place.
What to order
Tortilla
Loose in the middle, exactly as it should be.
Conservas
Tinned seafood, opened at the bar, eaten with bread. Not a compromise.
What works
- The most striking room in Toronto, no argument
- Open from breakfast to 2am
- Standing means you can always get in
What doesn’t
- Almost nowhere to sit
- Small plates add up quickly
- Not workable with a large group
Verdict
Gilda, tortilla, a tin of something, vermouth. Standing, two people, afternoon.