by SARAH MUSGRAVE

If you haven’t already noticed, Montreal is in the midst of the second wave of the tapas trend, with a bunch of new places offering these less-than-meal, more-than-a-nibble menus. It’s an appealing formula, after all: for those with a fear of culinary commitment, you can eat to your heart’s content without being married to a single dish. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of food decisions to be made at Crescent street’s new Bar à Tapas, which boasts a considerable selection of these tasty snacks to pair with liquor.

Some of the tapas on offer at this sleek resto-bar are more authentically Spanish or Portuguese, while others seem to have dipped into California cuisine for inspiration. On the traditional side, I’d recommend the cod croquettes ($4), deep-fried to create a crispy exterior. The inside was tasty, fluffy and tender, and barely required the creamy tartar sauce that came with them. Anyway, it felt like a last chance to enjoy cod for a while, thanks to over-fishing and the latest oil spill off the coast of Spain and Portugal.

Another Spanish staple, the serrano ham ($3), was served simply in thin strips along with grilled bread, a sun-dried tomato and green olives. The grilled shrimp skewers presented on wooden sticks were also a highlight, which they should be for $10. They came atop a mix of slivered zucchini, teeny broccoli florets and tomatoes, along with a good-sized chunk of cooked zucchini. A little bowl of diablo sauce, a spicy and fresh tomato salsa, came on the side.

Next up was guacamole with plantain chips ($3). We could’ve used a little more of the extremely fresh avocado dip, as the slightly sweet and salty banana-like strips of plantain tasted a little too health-foodish on their own.

While I was initially dubious about ordering anything from the “wraps” section, my friend made a good choice with the rolled tortilla containing chicken, chorizo and avocado ($5). The ingredients played off each other nicely in this sandwich, one of the better deals. Also in the wraps department, though a looser definition, were the cheese, prune and bacon rolls ($4), sizzled up so they fused together the saltiness with the sweet fruit. Yummy.

The citrus-marinated salad ($8), which translated into “nights of Cartagena,” was unquestionably fresh. We thought it would be more like a lime-infused ceviche, but the sauce was actually very mild rather than sour or tangy. The plate was filled with large, butterflied shrimp, pieces of squid, and an octopus limb that was artfully entwined around a celery tree. Slices of grapefruit topped off the elements, and somehow the overall effect reminded me of Boca Raton.

We rounded out the selections with a bowl of olives ($3), one of the things I’ve finally acquired a taste for in adulthood. Deep black and slightly shrivelled, they looked liked the marinated infornata variety but tasted more like prunes with incredibly mushy flesh. Someone needs to do more acquiring on those olives and I don’t think it’s me.

Though I can’t claim to have my finger on the pulse of the Crescent strip, by all indications Bar à Tapas should do well with the downtown crowd. The atmosphere is pleasant and fairly cozy, featuring exposed brick walls lined with wine racks, caramel-coloured wooden surfaces and soft lighting. We could’ve lived without the live jazzy scatty catty vocals and plonking guitar, but the food was definitely appealing. Plus, in true tapas style, there’s a selection of port and wine (some by the glass) if you want to give your Christmas shopping that extra holiday haze. :

Bar à Tapas
Address: 1468 Crescent (@ de Maisonneuve)
Phone: 281-9560
Hours: 11:30am–11pm
Best features: Cozy, mix-’em-up menu
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian friendly: Yes
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: No
Price: $16/person including tax, without drinks & tip
Rating: **1/2 out of ****