DINING AT LIBERTÉ TAPAS
Beers and tapas here would make a nice after work experience
When my dining companion and I approached Liberté Tapas for dinner, I was surprised at how small the restaurant appeared.
From outside, it looked like a cottage. The restaurant goes back though, railroad apartment style, with three distinct sections. In the front room, light yellow sheer curtains waved gently in the air stirred by ceiling fans. Think of an indoor porch in the Deep South.
The middle room had more of a formal feel with tables a little more secluded, away from the windows.
The back room was essentially a bar. Raised tables and comfortable stools plus the actual bar, a small wooden affair with wine glasses hanging from the top. The original art on the walls was a little more modern than elsewhere in the restaurant.
We asked to sit in the bar section. Our server, cousin to the chef, was surprised but she gladly led us through and gave us our choice of tables. It was a weekday night, summertime in Dundas, so the place wasn’t overly full.
A foursome with two kids was leaving as we arrived; I heard the server comment to the chef through the saloon-style doors to the kitchen that the kids ate just as much as the adults.
The reason? The tapas menu has something for everyone: around 20 selections, many of which would appeal to a child, especially if they like seafood.
We perused the menu after having decided on drinks from the cocktail menu.
Our server returned with our orders after a small muddling session at the bar. My companion’s St. Germaine Sparkle, a concoction of vodka, apple, elderflower and soda, tasted a little too much like straight apple juice, with the elderflower barely perceptible in the finish.
My Blueberry Tonic was refreshing and fizzy. If you don’t mind chunks of blueberry while you are sipping, it’s quite nice.
The menu included burgers and burritos, but we stuck with tapas. We ordered six half raciones (or portions — everything can be ordered half or full), which left just enough room for dessert.
The first two to arrive were lobster and chorizo arancini and a lentil salad. The smoked paprika beurre blanc (butter sauce) on the arancini added a light coat of rich spiciness that piqued the tastebuds. The fine bread crumb coating was light but the rice inside was overcooked.
The lentil salad was lovely. It was more of a green salad, the lentils joined with arugula and the Mediterranean flavours of goat cheese, roasted red pepper, red onion and parsley. The lemon in the vinaigrette could have been more assertive but it was tasty even so.
Next up: a mushroom tostada and a chicken-chorizo slider. Toasted lightly, the sourdough bread for the tostada was an excellent base for the mushrooms, which in turn brought together the sweetness of the onion jam and grassy flavour of the onion seed sprouts on top.
I loved the combination of the chicken and chorizo in the slider. Meaty and spicy, with a red pepper aioli, and balanced with the bitterness from arugula, this was delicious. My companion remarked that so many sliders come with buns that are either too high or too wide, but this homemade sourdough version was just right.
Being in a restaurant so influenced by Spain (flamenco music played throughout the night in the background), I had to try the salt cod croquettes, salt cod being a staple there. The croquettes did not hit the mark in the same way as the dishes described above. They were simply too salty; I’m sure they could be improved, though, with an additional soak and rinse of the cod.
The corn fritters, on the other hand, were seasoned nicely. Full of fresh corn, with a thick and crispy batter. They paired well with the refreshing and spicy guajillo yogurt served on the side.
Since our server informed us that desserts don’t always make it onto the menu, we felt lucky to come on a night when there was an offering: blueberry and raspberry sorbet.
It was more of a mix between a sorbet and a granita, not quite smooth and not quite crunchy, but it was tart and refreshing. The server informed us that only a little sugar was used to enhance the berries’ flavour.
While we ate, the chef walked quickly through the room to head downstairs. He was young, as was our server, who informed us that they were looking for a new location, with more walk-by traffic. I agree that it feels like this is a restaurant waiting to be discovered in a bigger way.
Before it is, though, I will look forward to going back for dinner again, or for happy hour. Beers and tapas here would be a terrific after work treat.