Martine's Wine Bar | TasteToronto

Little Italy

Martine's Wine Bar

Written By

Erica Commisso

Photographs By

Carbelle Djossa

Stepping into Martine's Wine Bar is like a choose-your-own European dining experience: There's a bar area with high-tops to enjoy the (obviously) extensive wine list and stirred, rotating cocktails, there's a chef's table section that allows guests to watch as farm-to-table creations are prepared, and there's a second-floor traditional dining space adorned with wood-panelled walls and antique accents. Scents straight from owner Grant van Gameren's farm waft through the intimate space, woven with a chill, inviting playlist to create a cozy feel. Everything invites guests to feel instantly at ease, like they are welcome to enjoy whatever experience they enjoy - as long as they are having a good time.

Like all of van Gameren's ventures, thoughtful, high-quality offerings are aplenty across the menus. From the wine menu curated with blends from around the world - think Croatia, Spain and Australia as well as Italy, France and Niagara - and pasta that's made fresh daily and adornbed with seasonal ingredients, there's something unique or comforting on the menu for everyone, depending on what a guest is looking for. There are approachable price points as well as higher-priced options perfect for a connoisseur or someone looking to celebrate a special event. Whatever you want to be, essentially, Martine's wants to do it with you - and make it great.

"The food is all very simple. It's easy to make," says Chef Luke Haines, who came over from another van Gameren venture, Bar Raval. "It's easy to make simple food when you have high-quality ingredients like we're using. Most of our stuff comes from Grant's farm in Picton." The tomato salad, for example, is crafted with seasonal currants - which Chef Haines may rotate - and uses heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers from the farm, mixed with a black vinegar to add umami and topped with herbs, garlic and shallots. The secret ingredient? Spoon tomatoes that are charred to remove the toughness of their skin.

"For the clam ceviche, we're using cherry stone clams. They're really big. We're shuck them all and basically just marinate them in a pretty normal ceviche, like lime, lemon, shallots, red onions, and cilantro," Chef Haines says. "We're also adding some red currants in there, and some lacto-fermented tomato water. I was thinking that a lot of ceviches have mango or pineapple in them but, again, I wanted it to be something local."

"Fazzoletti is just a big square sheet. It's very comfort food kind of textures," Chef Haines explains. "The sauce is roasted zucchini that we roast in the wood oven with onions and garlic. We puree it and then some smoked burrata and lemon juice. And then we put it in the bowl as a garnish." The dish is served room temperature for a fresh, summery vibe.

The lobster gnochetti's noodles are hand-rolled at Martine's daily, served with a half portion of PEI lobster and a sauce reminiscent of lobster bisque. It's served with a healthy heaping of chives and, as Chef Haines puts it, intended to be the menu's "baller" option.

The cocktail program, designed by Hailey Burke, gets just as much thought and care, presenting a list of approachable, made-well favourites. The limoncello spritz, specifically, was designed for summer, with bright notes and offering a different option to a classic Aperol version.

Pre-prepared using fresh apples and clarified in-house, Burke's Appletini is a nod to an earlier decade. "I think those 90s cocktails are really coming back. I feel like creative cocktails are really cool, and it's always fun to go try something with weird ingredients and stuff like that. But sometimes, at the end of the day, you just want something familiar and nostalgic."

The old-fashioned cements its place on the Martine's menu because of its status as a tried-and-true classic. "We really wanted to make this a comfortable restaurant for people to enjoy - for all ages," Burke explains. "People can come here that are young and have seen it on TikTok, but also my parents come here, and people from the neighbourhood come here, and I think the menu works for that. Nothing is outrageous or unapproachable, but everything's thoughtful and carefully considered."

From the extensive wine list, assistant general manager Anders Gudmundsson taps an Olivier Leflaive. "As far as Burgundies go, the price is very reasonable on this bottle because it's just outside of a region where it would qualify to be a Grand Cru," he says. "It has those similar notes, but you don't have to pay for it as much. So, as far as Chardonnays go, it's very good. It works really well with our food, especially with the chicken, and the chicken's definitely a fan favorite here. So you can pair these two together and you'll have a good night." And of course, having a good night is what's central to the ethos at Martine's Wine Bar - the most important ingredient.