BarBara Vin: A Delicious Spot with Italian Flair in Saint-Henri

At BarBara, every hour of the day is a good excuse to pull up a chair. Coffee flows from dawn and wine into the wee hours, seven days a week. Born in the middle of the pandemic, this Italian-accented wine bar has become a gathering place in Saint-Henri. The mood shifts as the hours go by, carried by a versatile offering where you can eat and drink well without breaking the bank. For all these reasons, it’s one of our favourite spots for a spur-of-the-moment night out.

From the First Pastry to the Last Glass

Wine is still its first calling, but BarBara runs on the rhythm of a full day. In the morning, we stop by the pastry counter and grab a coffee. We recommend the pistachio latte if you’re in the mood for something extra indulgent. The breakfast menu is served in the morning, and at lunch, sandwiches on their famous focaccia, house-made fresh pasta and salads join the lineup.

Late afternoon brings aperitivo hour, our favourite time to walk through the door. Anchovies, charcuterie, pickles, burrata and focaccia get passed from hand to hand, alongside negronis, spritzes or the ciao ciao fizz, a house classic with notes of maraschino cherry and grapefruit. Come dinnertime, the best way to go about it is to share a spread of dishes with friends or family. Tiramisu and chocolate mousse gently close out the meal, or open it, because who said you have to eat in order?

Cacio e Pepe, Casarecce Style

A few dishes have already earned classic status. Made with casarecce, a short pasta, the cacio e pepe ranks among the most acclaimed versions of this Roman dish in the city, and it’s easy to see why. At aperitivo time, we snack on fried olives, served with a blue cheese cream and pickled peppers, or the ricotta and honey focaccia. On the way out, a stop at the dispensa, near the entrance, lets you leave with an affordable private-import bottle.

Easygoing, With Its Heart in the Right Place

BarBara also fosters a sense of community you can feel. Its most visible gesture comes in February, during the Marche pour la santé mentale. For the whole month, the team hands out thousands of coffees and servings of cacio e pepe to people who walk or run a certain number of kilometres to get to the restaurant.

The project grew out of the initiative of chef David Pellizari and Catherine Draws, whom we got to know back in the Lili Co. days, along with Nicolas Urli, Flore-Anne Ducharme and Jean-François Gervais. Catherine Draws and Cloé Champagne, also a partner, now co-direct the restaurant, while Gervais continues to evolve the decor.

Three people now make sure bellies and glasses stay full. Executive chef William Cody (Maïs and Parasol, both now closed) runs the kitchen, pastry chef Eve Burelle, formerly of Lecavalier Petrone, handles the sweet counter, and Dominic Marazzani puts together the wine list.

Catherine Draws sums up the atmosphere in one sentence. “Here, the music is lively, it’s loud, it’s easygoing, and our heart is in the right place,” she says. Kids are welcome at all times, too. “We have to train tomorrow’s customers somehow,” the co-director jokes.

First Come, First Served

BarBara is open every day from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. and doesn’t take reservations, but tables usually turn over fairly quickly. In summer, outdoor benches let you wait for a spot with a glass of wine in hand, and a large terrace adds extra seating that makes the wait shorter. The rest of the year, you wait it out in the dispensa, raising a glass with friends.

The terrace also appears in our guide to Montreal’s most beautiful terraces and among our picks for nice, delicious and affordable restaurants. From the first pastry to the last glass, BarBara stays the course: good wine, good food and a whole neighbourhood gathered around the table.

Written by Marie-Ève Godin
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on October 26, 2026

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