Blender bender

Cocktail Antabli takes fruit to the final frontier

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

There's something terribly tropical going on in the bottom of one of those depressing highrises near Guy metro. The first hint is two straw parasols blowing bravely in the wind, as though they've lost their way from a beach resort. Then there's a flash of bright pink that leads to the windows of Cocktail Antabli, a relatively new and resolutely cheerful alcohol-free drink and crêpe emporium.

Inside, the cheap sitcom-chic décor features salmon-coloured walls, a faux-stone counter, exotic patio furniture and a fake parrot--all part of a garish attention to detail that would be heartbreaking if it wasn't so ridiculous. Chrissy, Janet and Jack would fit right in having one of their hilarious misunderstandings at the next table. The staff sports bright turquoise Hawaiian shirts, particularly incongruous when paired with Middle Eastern headware. The background music is equally contradictory: somewhere between a classical soundtrack and a solo album by Ohura.

On my first visit, I tried the Kamikaz, or avocado shake, which is not only thick, smooth and filling, but also a pleasant green colour. It makes a great base for mixing with the many other ingredients on offer: strawberries, pineapple, almonds, guava, banana, coconut milk, licorice and pineapple, to name a few. Or you can dose up on Vitamin C with a more straightforward combo, like freshly squeezed orange juice and mango (drinks are $2-5).

When it comes to solids ($4-7), the Saint Marguerita crêpe is huge and heavy. Cooked on a circular grill, it's spread with a generous daub of Nutella and filled with chunks of papaya, avocado and banana. It's then folded and topped with a generous helping of achta (a white, fluffy Lebanese cheese), honey and chopped pistachios.

The equally inexplicably named Mexicana crêpe contains tender slices of apple, cinnamon and some icing sugar thrown in for good measure. Yummy and satisfying, but a little too sweet for my tastes. Since they make it there in front of you, you can always temper the use of ingredients or create your own custom crêpe.

For drinks to accompany the meal, we tried the Sahara, a mild and frothy concoction made of milk, honey and banana (add an egg and it becomes the Lambada). The two-tiered Laguna is made of avocado shake on the bottom and pink Hawaiian juice (frappéd strawberry, banana, milk) on the top. Then a dollop of achta is thrown in, along with pistachios and honey--making it more like a dessert than a beverage. All the flavours are great, but I suggest that you go for either a crêpe or a drink, as both can be too much for one sitting.

Be prepared to spend some time deciphering the menu, which consists of at least forty confusing photos of fruits and nuts in various stages of preparation. The names are no help either--Nuits de Liban, Malibu, Cancun--since they don't really relate to the ingredients (although they do seem to hint at some sort of rapprochement between Lebanon, Florida and Mexico).

Most of the dishes are on the sweet side, including breakfast fare like malted crêpes and waffles. If you can bear to utter the word before noon, the Tequila will get you an egg and maple syrup crêpe for $4.25. A little saltier are the Costa Rica, which consists of sausage, bacon, eggs and a small crêpe containing strawberries and mango ($6.50), and the Sirène, made with shrimp and crab with a white sauce.

Cocktail Antabli is open into the wee hours on weekends. It appears there will be a terrasse full of straw-topped tables in the summer, a little oasis looking out onto scenic de Maisonneuve.

Cocktail Antabli

Address: 1645 de Maisonneuve W. (near Guy)

Phone: 933-8887

Hours: 9-1am; Fri 9:30-2am; Sat 9:30-4am

Best features: too-tropical décor, healthy fresh fruit

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Alcohol: no

Credit cards: no

Price: $2-8 per person, all included

Rating: HH out of HHHH