Ratafia
Wine bar · District de Saint-Édouard ·
Dessert & wine bar with high-concept treats and tasting menus
Dessert & wine bar with high-concept treats and tasting menus
"This elegant Little Italy spot started as a wine and dessert bar before expanding to include beautifully constructed (and very tasty) savory dishes. The decor has a hint of Art Deco: think rounded banquettes, hidden corners for sweet talk, and long counters around and behind the bar. There’s a six-course tasting menu that includes vegan options, and on a recent trip, we couldn’t stop dipping their brioche with brown butter into sauces left behind by the shrimp cocktail with tomato concasse. If a full meal isn’t in the cards, Ratafia works great for drinks, a late afternoon snack, or for a nightcap after dinner. Whenever you go, the dessert they call the Crunchy—a Tunisian-style saffron and honey brik pastry with orange blossom ice cream—is a must-order." - ivy lerner frank
"This elegant Little Italy spot started as a wine and dessert bar before expanding to include beautifully constructed (and very tasty) savory dishes. The decor has a hint of Art Deco: think rounded banquettes, hidden corners for sweet talk, and long counters around and behind the bar. There’s a six-course tasting menu that includes vegan options, and on a recent trip, we couldn’t stop dipping their brioche with brown butter into sauces left behind by the shrimp cocktail with tomato concasse. If a full meal isn’t in the cards, Ratafia works great for drinks, a late afternoon snack, or for a nightcap after dinner. Whenever you go, the dessert they call the Crunchy—a Tunisian-style saffron and honey brik pastry with orange blossom ice cream—is a must-order. photo credit: Two Food Photographers" - Ivy Lerner-Frank
"This elegant-but-relaxed Little Italy spot is both a wine and dessert bar that works great for drinks, a late afternoon snack, or for a nightcap after dinner. The decor has a hint of Art Deco: think rounded banquettes, hidden corners for sweet talk, and long counters around and behind the bar. The menu is always changing, with the recent introduction of a six-course tasting menu that includes vegan options. We love their arctic char pasta with tarragon pesto and pistachio crumble, and the dessert they call the Crunchy, a saffron and honey brik pastry with orange blossom ice cream. Choose whatever inspires you from late afternoon to late night, starting with savory and ending with sweets (or the other way around). " - ivy lerner frank, team infatuation
"The pairing of natural wine and dessert is the concept here — and it does not disappoint. The kitchen at this Little Italy destination is run by four pastry chefs who rotate in the preparation of both savoury and sweet dishes, from duck tacos to a wide variety of cakes and confections. No reservations (except for groups of 6 or more)." - Daniel Bromberg
"Operating in Little Italy as a dessert and wine bar, Ratafia's co-owner Sandra Forcier laid out a detailed reopening to-do list on Instagram — 'devise a new menu,' 'test dishes,' 're-test them' — to show how much work is required to flip from takeout back to indoor dining, and she ultimately judged a Feb. 8 opening more realistic than the government's proposed Jan. 31. Forcier says she is glad to be reopening for her own livelihood and that of her staff but frustrated that the government still hasn't grasped the magnitude of these reversals for small, seasonally driven restaurants; Ratafia, which opened in July 2019, has been able to collect a few loans and subsidies (including a sizeable amount from Quebec’s PAUPME program) but hasn't received anything during the latest wave. Even at 50 percent capacity it can seat about 40, so she calls the half-capacity allowance 'better than nothing.'" - Valerie Silva