Madrina Bar y Tapas

The story

Madrina Bar y Tapas: Toronto's Michelin-Recommended Spanish Tapas

The Artichoke Artist

At Madrina Bar y Tapas, the kitchen is led by Chef Ramon Simarro – known on Instagram as “the Artichoke Artist.” His cooking is rooted in the flavours of Spain, but the ingredient list is unmistakably local. On a recent tasting menu, he paired wild BC spot prawns with a squid ink aioli, and grilled Ontario green asparagus with saffron hollandaise and Iberico ham shavings. Shrimp croquetas came with a kimchi aioli, a nod to the city’s cross-cultural pantry.

Seasonal Spanish with a Canadian Pulse

The menu changes regularly, but the spirit is consistent: bright, seafood-forward, and grounded in technique. A past pre-fixe menu featured cherry gazpacho with black olives, a blood orange and ricotta salad, and a paella of BC spot prawns. The restaurant’s website describes “glorious gambas” and calls seafood a staple of Spanish cuisine. Those who order the tasting menu can also add wine pairings – a detail the team recommends.

A Setting in the Distillery District

Madrina Bar y Tapas sits at 2 Trinity Street in Toronto’s historic Distillery District, a cobblestone neighbourhood of Victorian industrial buildings now home to galleries, shops, and restaurants. The space is part of the same family of venues that includes Cluny Bistro and El Catrin. The restaurant offers air conditioning, outdoor seating, and a bar with an interesting wine list and cocktails. It serves lunch and dinner, and is open for takeaway and private parties.

Michelin Recognition

In 2026, Madrina Bar y Tapas earned a Michelin Recommended distinction – a mark of the kitchen’s consistency and the quality of its Spanish cooking. For diners in Toronto, it’s a place to experience the cooking of a chef who works artichokes with the same care he gives to a plate of spot prawns.