David Rocco Bar Aperitivo — Restaurant in Toronto

Before going to David Rocco’s Bar Aperitivo, I prepared myself for a casual restaurant that’s meant for a quick bite, so I didn’t expect any posh seating or an extensive menu. As anticipated, their tables were set-up largely as communal shared space with a less than ideal table-to-chair height. In the end, we felt it was best to forgo any dishes requiring a fork and knife that could potentially make a mess.

Instead, we stuck to a hand-held sandwich with salad – easy peasy eats to munch on while we enjoyed a bottle of prosecco. Little did I know that for a restaurant who dedicates half of their menu to sandwiches and salad, the dishes would be executed so poorly. After biting into both, I started comparing the experience to the Druxy lunches that was catered through work and marvelled how they could have been interchangeable.

In the next menu update, I highly recommend Bar Aperitivo clarify that their paninis are cold. Unless you’re deeply steeped in the Italian culture, most people may not realize that panini simply means “bread roll” since the North American interpretation is generally a sandwich that’s been pressed, grilled, and served hot.

Hence, when the frittata panini ($13) arrived cold it was a disappointment – does anyone like cold frittatas? Perhaps the temperature could have been overlooked if the frittata was really good and incorporated more flavours than the sprinkling of herbs or if their house-made brioche bun was uber fresh rather than hard and cold. At least the salsa verde was tasty and the caramelized onions were nicely stewed and sweet. In hindsight, I should have gone with a crostino, while it seemed like it’d be messier to eat, they looked tastier than the cold egg sandwich we received.

For a dish that's been so overdone, there are over a dozen that David Rocco could have gained inspiration from, Bar Aperitivo’s kale salad ($16) was one of the worst I’ve ever eaten. The kale was simply ripped into large pieces and tossed with a very lightly applied mint pesto and lemon juice dressing so the almost metallic flavour of the kale leaches through, unless you can mask it with one of the orange segments, apples, cranberry, or almonds that’s tossed with everything. Nor were the greens massaged with the dressing, so it made for a fibrous salad.

The crocchette di cavolfiore ($7) was also cold and not made to order. Temperature aside, the dish could really use some textural contrast as the cauliflower and potato mash is soft and the fine bread crumb coating wasn’t crispy either. Perhaps adding some panko to the coating or some micro-diced vegetables into the mixture would have allowed for some extra colours and crunch.

At least Bar Aperitivo’s gelato was tasty. With about half a dozen flavours to choose from, the tried-and-true hazelnut was calling my name. The gelato was served really cold, so it resisted melting, and the texture was silky and creamy. The hazelnut flavours were pronounced and the sweetness a nice balance. Yet, for $13 for a cup, it really commands a premium over the many other wonderful ice cream shops in Yorkville. While Bar Aperitivo’s gelato was good, I still find Summer’s Ice Cream...

Contrary to a popular misconception I see on here...this is neither a full-blown restaurant nor is it just a "bar". It's a before and after or a local place you go for the great food, some drinks / wine and the atmosphere. They treat you like family!

The food is Italian and comes in smaller portions. Like appetizers, small dishes, trays of many things to try. Stuff like that. Also, "aperitivo" is like a pre-meal drink 'to open the stomach'... Taken from the Latin "aperire" - to open. While this place CAN be treated as a "before and after" (you go to some other restaurant)... It can also be a self-contained night out to really enjoy all of the food and wine they have on offer.

The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the food is amazing. The Gelato for 'dessert' or a treat is spectacular here! They even have some dairy-free options. Like sorbet. In summer, they have the gelato station outside on the corner for easy access! The Gelato is hand-made... So sometimes you get quite a few little bits of fig, or cherry, or raspberry, or whatever your selection contains, and sometimes not nearly as many. Of course!

The washroom access is, unfortunately, down the hallway of an internal strip mall of niche shops such as a jewellery store. The staff go out there a lot because they have 2 kitchens across the hall. [Not at all like another reviewer said - 'the food must be catered and brought in'... Nope! It's made fresh and with awesome Italian ingredients. Delicious ingredients imported from Italy, if my memory serves me correctly.] You can feel safe out there on your journey to the washroom because there is a fantastic security guard, and after-hours the doors are locked anyway. The washrooms are private, not public. You need the key.

Overall amazing place. I would bring a date here and have seen people do the same. In the summer they have a great patio setup too!

Almost forgot, David runs this place himself...so there's a good chance you will actually meet the famous David Rocco...

July 2022 update and edit: surprisingly, consistently good food even though the menu has changed and prices have increased since they first opened. Friendly service. I enjoyed the $15 combo (small glass of Prosecco and choice of 1 crostino) and the $25 beef tenderloin tonnato on arugula salad. They now also offer non-alcoholic drinks such as chinotto, mandarino and non alcoholic Peroni.

2021 opening day: Excellent food and service. Authentic, fun, friendly vibe. Good value for a light lunch and half glass of wine ($20 includes a sandwich and wine). No non-alcoholic beverages. However, my server happily accommodated me. Great side street shady location. Hopefully they give Eataly some stiff competition!

Edit: I have been to Italy several times and this cicchetti bar matches my experience there!

Cicchetti are small snacks or side dishes, typically served in traditional "bàcari" (cicchetti bars or osterie) in Venice, Italy. Common cicchetti include tiny sandwiches, plates of olives or other vegetables, halved hard boiled eggs, small servings of a combination of one or more of seafood, meat and vegetable ingredients laid on top of a slice of bread or polenta, and very small servings of typical full-course plates. Like Spanish tapas, one can also make a meal of cicchetti by ordering multiple plates. Normally not a part of home cooking, the cicchetti’s importance lies not just in the food itself, but also in how, when and where they are eaten: with fingers and toothpicks, usually standing up, hanging around the counter where they are displayed in numerous bars, osterie and bacari that offer them virtually all day long. Venice's many cicchetti bars are quite active during the day, as Venetians (and tourists) typically eat cicchetti in the late morning, for lunch, or as afternoon snacks. Cicchetti are usually accompanied by a small glass of local white wine, which the locals refer to as an...