656 College St
Phone: 416-536-3132

On my quest to find vegetarian, low carb, low fat, low sugar, and high fibre food, I must admit that it was a difficult task when my friend Daniel and I set out to eat dinner in Little Italy last Friday night. I could only think of two dishes we would encounter : pasta or pizza. I was hoping that there would be some nice place that would serve something different. We started at College and Palmerston and browsed the menus outside of each and every restaurant along the Little Italy stretch (I am referring to the Little Italy along College Street between Bathurst and Ossington, not the Little Italy along St. Clair west.

When we approached Crawford, we gave up (we were hungry and desperate) and walked into Il Gatto Nero, a cool, funky cafe/bar/bistro with an awesome 20 table outdoor patio. Inside the decor was gorgeous, cathedral ceilings, deep burgendy walls with hints of beige and nice art on the walls. It looked like a modern Italian bistro or Trattoria as Daniel said, very chiche, cool, and funky. The decor looked like an old style Italian bistro with prints you only see in Bistros.

Dimly lit, the atmosphere was really nice. Some people were very dressy, while others dressed down. Althought it felt trendy, it did not feel pretentious

Laid in hardwood floors, wood tables and chairs, a spectacular, large bar with a beautiful array of beers, wines, and liquors can be seen from the entrance. The place was crowded with hoards of people at the bar, almost resembling a casino. The only cheesy thing were the two big television screens and one large movie screen at the middle of the restaurant adjacent to the bar.

Mostly comprising wooden tables, Il Gatto Nero also had some extra high tables with bar stools. The ambiance was not calm and relaxing, but loud and chaotic, with a small non-smoking section (it was a bar afterall)

We quickly ordered our meals. The menu did not give me many vegetarian options. I saw one pasta dish and one spinelli (will explain later) and one pizza dish. I decided to order the vegetariano spinelli, a thin wrap filled with yucky goat cheese, grilled zucchini, tomatoes, organic greens, and grilled peppers ($9). Daniel ordered a sausage spinelli with an assortment of roasted vegetables($12). I have to admit that I was disappointed with the menu. There were not
enough vegetarian selections (only 1 of 2 pasta dishes and 1 pizza and 1 spinelli) but staff claim that any item on the menu can be made vegetarian

Staff were extra friendly, patient, and attentive. It is always good news to hear that they accept Interac, and VISA