Fishbar

Fishbar 217 Ossington Ave 647 340 0227

Ossington Ave is the hottest street in town. Fishbar is the new kid on the block and so exciting and fresh. William Tavares is a creative genius. He is not formally trained and yet he has the street smarts and the creativity to make Fishbar a big success.
It is appealing the minute you enter the premise. The brick exposed walls at the front give a warmth and blend with the wooden floors. The walls at the back are a deep grey color. One wall has 8 convex circular mirrors suspended on the wall. The seating along one wall features wooden church pews. The bare Edison light bulbs are an example of Tavares’s ingenuity.
The menu suggests you dine tapas style and encourages sharing. The portions are not large so you can freely enjoy several items from the menu. The main thing is the food is ocean wise. In chatting with Tavares I was so impressed with his business integrity and philosophy of serving food. Working along with Tavares is a well seasoned staff that hails from some of the top restaurants in the city. Even the business card is creative. The skeleton of a fish graces the card. I am guessing we are to presume that some happy client enjoyed the total flesh of the fish. Local seasonal food dominates the menu.
Oysters are a specialty. The featured oysters of the evening are listed on a blackboard. A Seasonal Platter offers oysters, cocktail crab claws, peel n’ eat shrimp, fresh horseradish, cocktail sauce and fresh lemon.($22.00 per person). You might choose to begin with Steelhead Trout Fille Rillette with house made pickles and crostini.($8.00) Blueberry Smoked Salmon is served with a chevre mousse and wild blueberries.($8.00) Cold appetizers also balance the menu. Baby Arugula is offered with botarga pickled mushrooms and ramp vinaigrette.($9.00) Wild Caught Shrimp Cocktail is a favorite with the Mississippi bottom horseradish cocktail sauce.(15.00))
I saw Swordfish ($!7.00) on the menu and went into ecstacy. This fish is not often offered. The grilled swordfish is harpoon caught and served with sautéed peppers. The fish literally melted in my mouth. It was perfectly delicious.
I ordered a side of Ontario Green Beans.($6.00) Imagine getting excited with green beans. They were crisp and perfectly cooked. The butter tarragon sauce with slivered almonds made this a delicious choice. My dining companion was elated with the Grilled Sardine. ($10.00) I didn’t know a sardine could be so large. It was served with salsa verde and fresh baby arugula. She also chose the Pan Seared Arctic Char with grilled potato and basil.($17.00)
The food is beautifully plated. All the senses come to play with this creative gourmet food.