Bar Raval

Bar Raval opened on College Street in 2015 under Grant van Gameren and holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide Canada, which marks it out as a place where the food is taken as seriously as the drinks.

The interior is the first thing most people notice. Curved South African mahogany covers the walls and surfaces, creating a warm, enclosed room that the Michelin Guide likens to a cocoon.

The food is a short menu of conservas and pintxos in the Spanish style. Highlights noted by the Michelin Guide include jamón croquetas, house-smoked mackerel, and chorizo verde with crispy calamari and fried jalapeños. These small plates are designed for sharing over a few drinks rather than for a full sit-down meal, though ordering several makes a satisfying dinner.

The drinks list focuses on sherry, highballs and cocktails made by experienced bartenders. The highballs are a lighter option for a long evening, and there is also an outdoor area, where pets are allowed.

The bar's own website lists it as open from 1pm to 1am, seven days a week, so it works for a late-afternoon drink as well as a night out. It takes no reservations, so simply turn up; arriving in the afternoon or early evening is the easiest way to get a spot at the bar. The full menu goes well beyond a few snacks. Classics include tomato bread, marinated olives, boquerones, fried eggplant with honey and rosemary, shishito peppers and 24-month Cebo de Campo jamón. Larger tapas run from hamachi crudo and patatas bravas to squid a la plancha with fideo noodles, clams with morcilla, grilled octopus and lamb ribs. Pintxos come two pieces to a plate, with toppings such as smoked sardine and egg or grilled beef tongue, and the one dessert is a Basque cheesecake. Because the menu is grouped into classics, tapas, pintxos and dessert, it is easy to build a meal by picking a few dishes from each section.

Bar Raval suits couples, small groups of friends and anyone who enjoys Spanish food and wine. The long opening hours make it as useful for an afternoon sherry as for a late drink. It is at 505 College Street.