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Time – during the holidays, especially – is a precious commodity. Instead of holding an elaborate dinner party or fancy cocktail soiree, consider the apero as a less stressful option.
We asked four restaurants – two in Montreal and two in Toronto – to contribute their unique take on the apero.
The recipes are guidelines. Feel free to add your own adjustments (such as more spice, less salt). You can prep all the ingredients in advance, save for plating – no one wants to fuss over a hot stove when guests arrive. Drink recipes range from easy to advanced for seasoned at-home mixologists, and non-alcoholic options are included too.
Mastering the art of the aperitivo
Sabayon, Montreal
A little more than a year after closing their beloved pastry shop, Patrice Pâtissier, chef Patrice Demers and his wife, sommelier Marie-Josée Beaudoin, opened a new 14-seat restaurant in late 2023 called Sabayon. Within weeks, it had a fan following among discerning diners in Montreal. Word spread about some of its most popular dishes, including grilled oyster mushrooms on potato purée, capped with a swirl of its namesake sabayon sauce. Last month, the tiny eatery on Pointe-Saint-Charles clinched the No. 1 spot on Air Canada’s top 10 new restaurants for 2024.
Cocktails
Parapluie, Montreal
Chef Robin Filteau Boucher long dreamed of opening a place of his own that serves French-inspired dishes with seasonal ingredients. Earlier this year, he and his business partner/sommelier Karelle Voyer found the perfect spot: a 32-seat restaurant on rue Beaubien with an open kitchen, so the chef can chat with his regular customers while he cooks. Filteau Boucher and Voyer, who both live nearby, worked hard to refurbish the space, which sat empty for years. The result is a cozy neighbourhood restaurant known for serving great cocktails and uncomplicated, delicious dishes. “Our whole concept revolves around making people feel at home, like they belong,” says Voyer.
Cocktail
Madrina Bar y Tapas, Toronto
In a century-old Victorian building in the heart of Toronto’s Distillery District, Catalan chef Ramon Simarro works away in a stone-walled kitchen where he is constantly coming up with new techniques to serve classic Spanish tapas with a modern twist. After plying his trade at some of Spain’s top kitchens (many Michelin-starred, such as Via Veneto and Alkimia, both in Barcelona), Simarro found a new home in this historic space where he draws inspiration from dishes that his mother and grandmother used to make. The result is an eclectic menu of tapas and pintxos (small snacks) that are ideally suited for apero (anchovies matrimonio, say, or tortilla de patatas) and pair well with general manager Jake Malone’s whimsical cocktails.
Cocktail
Occhiolino, Toronto
It translates to ‘wink’ in Italian, and it is the perfect name for this bright, airy space that officially opened in early December in what was formerly a century-old carriage house in Little Italy. The Nonna-inspired menu, whose star attraction is an assortment of fresh, homemade pasta, is courtesy of Luke Donato and Nick Manzone, both old hands in the Toronto culinary scene. Donato ran his own restaurant, Bacchanal, before working as personal chef to Drake for several years. Manzone has worked at three-Michelin-star Piazza Duomo in Italy as well as Buca in Toronto. The pair first met 15 years ago (at the now defunct Campagnola). Now they have combined their talents to come up with a classic but fun menu that is rounded out by piattini (small plates) such as spiedini di mortadella and carne cruda al’albese (a kind of Italian take on steak tartare) – perfect with their sparkling Italian wines and aperitivo-inspired cocktails. “The aperitivo is a beautiful ritual that brings people together,” says executive chef Manzone. “For me, it’s the perfect way to pause the day and share good conversation. It’s a moment of connection, where food and drink set the stage for something much deeper – community, laughter and the Italian spirit of enjoying the present.”
