vinvinvin

vinvinvin is a wine bar on Rue Beaubien Est in La Petite-Patrie, opened in 2019 in the former Brutus space by three industry hands, which explains the triple name: sommelier Nikolas Da Fonseca, formerly of Le Mousso, chef Marina De Figueiredo of Candide, and Antonin Laporte of Isle de Garde. Ménard Dworkind designed the colourful room around a central bar, and Tastet found it just as suited to groups and dates as to a solo glass late in the evening.

The list sticks to cool-climate organic and biodynamic wines, much of it from Central Europe, including Czech, Austrian, German and Slovak bottles, plus producers from Quebec and Ontario, sorted into playful categories such as mineral, emotional, punk, gourmand and soif. Local beer and cider and a few house cocktails round it out. De Figueiredo's snacks follow an eat well, eat local line: Tastet singled out fried oyster mushrooms with sour cream, mackerel on romesco with cipollini, and Brussels sprouts with garlic chips, and called the bar a home run. It placed #25 on Canada's 50 Best Bars in 2022.