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Ceci Bar
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Ceci Bar — with its vibrant décor, invigorating soundtrack, Pan-Latin plates and summery vibe — is a spicy Financial District newcomer. A member of the ever-expanding Oliver & Bonacini restaurant empire, it’s a place for tacos and margaritas, and much, much more.
“It’s not not a taco place,” says Oliver & Bonacini district chef, Andrew Piccinin, when asked to describe Ceci Bar. “If folks come and don’t order anything else, they’re going to have an amazing time. …Tacos, we do extremely well.”
Considering their provenance — Mexican-born chef de cuisine, Juan Alvarez, presides over Ceci Bar’s kitchen — that comes as no surprise. “Chef Juan has a pretty encyclopedic knowledge of regional Mexican cuisine,” explains Piccinin, adding that the restaurant’s carnitas recipe “is Juan’s family recipe, with the oranges, the Coca Cola. It’s super classic, with pork shoulder.”
There are also Mushroom Birria Tacos, complete with gnarled, golden cheese skirts and sidecars of heady mushroom consommé. It’s a dish that hearkens back to Alvarez’s time heading Rosalinda, a now-shuttered Mexican spot specializing in vegan cuisine. As Piccinin explains, “he has a good palate for creating amazing, tasty, inventive vegetarian and vegan dishes.”
Glance at Ceci Bar’s menu, though, and it’s abundantly clear that tacos are just part of the equation. Among its Bocadillos and Ensaladas, Platos Pequeños and Postres, it visits Mexico and Argentina, Peru, Brazil, the American Southwest and even Spain, in dishes as varied as Cassava Chicharrón, Cauliflower Chaufa Fried Rice and Chorizo + Malbec Rigatoni.
The unifying theme? “The conviviality of the family table,” says Piccinin. “All the food here is deigned to be shareable, designed to be punchy, colourful, spicy, crunchy, with interesting textures and flavours.”
Named for O&B executive corporate chef Anthony Walsh’s eldest daughter, Ceci Bar “is deeply connected to chef’s family table,” explains Piccinin. It’s a place for talking excitedly over one another, for over-crowding the table, and dividing time between passing plates and sampling bites, sharing stories and melting into riotous fits of laughter.
Tucked beside Biff’s Bistro, with a sprawling patio that can accommodate over 100 guests, Ceci Bar is simultaneously intimate and resort-adjacent. Its walls are alive with hand-painted murals and kaleidoscopic mosaics, each illuminated by woven pendant lamps sourced from Latin America.
Dive into the party atmosphere with general manager, Isabel Garcia Roig’s considerable drink card. Like the food menu, it mirrors a number of traditional recipes, from a collection of sunny spots. “How I see Ceci Bar is that it’s a blend of cultures,” she explains. “I want to educate people about authentic drinks. … If you are going to that country, this is how it’s made. It’s a little different, keep in mind that it’s a little different to how you’re used to,” she adds.
Here, the Mojito Cubano is made with sugar, not simple syrup; the Paloma Auténtica, is made with grapefruit soda, not juice; and sangria is made from Spanish-born Garcia Roig’s own recipe.
The list also satisfies those looking for a buzz as deftly as it does teetotalers, with low- and no-ABV options making up a good portion of the menu.
A drink she describes as “sweet, light and very glamorous,” the Fina Rosa combines Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, Dillon’s Strawberry Gin and sparkling wine with bitters, guava and strawberry rose syrup. “I would have it as an aperitif while I’m waiting for somebody,” says Garcia Roig.
Mixed to accentuate its coconutty characteristics, Piña Colada is a rummy, tropical escape served over pebble ice. Also from the Latin Classics corner of the menu, the Blackberry Daiquiri is slushy and bright, and dangerously easy to sip.
With mole bitters, cinnamon and orange oil, the signature Ceci Espresso Martini is an unexpectedly Mexican take on the irrepressibly popular cocktail.
Designed for groups, big or small, crowd-pleasing Ceci Nachos are a fun and flavourful DIY situation. In a paella pan, the team piles just-fried chips, then dresses them with lime aioli, crema, pickled onions, jalapeños and cilantro. The toppings, including crema and guacamole, queso cheese sauce, carnitas or mushroom birria, arrive on the side.
“If they’re built in the classic way, there’s a big ticking clock on the quality of those nachos,” says Piccinin. “It’s a real thing. If you don’t get to those nachos within 10 minutes, the cheese congeals, you wind up with this, almost like, terrine of nacho.”
Molten and supremely cheesy, with a subtle kick of spice, the sauce here is the ticket to nachos that can be enjoyed at a luxuriously leisurely pace.
A dish Piccinin calls, “our answer to chicken wings, to a certain extent,” Ancho-Glazed Pork Belly Bites begin with cured and sous-vide cooked pork belly that’s fried until crisp. Each is then skewered with a guindilla pepper, a green olive and a white pickled anchovy, à la Spanish pincho. “Pick it up, in one bite you’ve got everything you need — spicy, crunchy, salty, rich, acidic,” he adds.
With its cheeky dash of cinnamon and spicy, citrusy, aji pepper-spiked leche de tigre base, Mahi Mahi Ceviche is bold, light, and as sunny as an afternoon in Peru’s coastal capital.
From among a tidy list of house-made desserts, Mayan Chocolate Molten Torta is a minimalist cutie plopped atop a pool of dulce de leche and garnished with satiny ice cream. More plush and rich than its outward appearance would suggest, its fiercely chocolatey with a spice level Piccinin describes as, “amusingly present.”
Easygoing and welcoming, Ceci Bar is an O&B endeavour where there is, as Piccinin puts it, “Canoe or Auberge de Pommier attention to detail.” What does that mean? A breezy escape for guests, backed by the substance and skill of a profoundly experienced team. And if that doesn’t sound like a good time, we don’t know what does.
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