The latest hot spot for all your food and bevy needs recently opened on a corner spot on Ossington. The charming café, grocery store and restaurant is the newest endeavour by the founders of Grand Electric, Parkdale’s hippest spot for tacos and marghs.
Manita’s opening was first announced on the Grand Electric Instagram page in August, described as “a neighbourhood cafe, grocery and bar” and “a place to grab a coffee in the morning, a mid-day meal, some groceries after work, or dinner and a drink at night.”
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Along with coffee, fresh produce, wine and a small food menu, Manita will also be offering flowers for sale — a warm touch that adds to the friendly vibe of this new neighbourhood hub. As the Instagram post explains, owners Ian and Colin have been working on this concept for five years and in 2019 finally found the right partner and space to make it happen.
It may be compact but Manita’s menu is just right, featuring items like beautiful French-inspired sandwiches, falafel, salads and scrumptious desserts like butter tarts and carrot cake. The falafel sandwich featuring pickled vegetables on Blackbird Baking Co. bread is the perfect combo of satisfying carbs and mouth-watering flavour. Focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients, the food menu will change up regularly.
With a chic marble bar countertop, gold accent details, stellar modern art and plenty of plant life, Manita has its relaxed ambiance down pat. From the sign on the door hand-painted by the Traditional Sign Painting Company to the vintage bistro chairs outside, Manita looks like something out of a Parisian novel. Plus, the bright red cups and saucers used for serving lattes make for the perfect Instagram snap (if you’re into that kind of thing).
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Manita is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and closed Sundays and Mondays. They accept dinner reservations if you DM them on Instagram to book, but they also have room for walk-ins.