Umarell: The New Wine Bar from the Mano Cornuto Team

In Bologna slang, an umarell is the kind of retiree who stops in front of construction sites, hands clasped behind his back, to comment on how the work is going. It’s a wink that resonates especially well in Montreal, and a fitting name for the new wine bar from the crew behind Mano Cornuto and Mano Figa.

A New Family Member

At the helm are Mano Cornuto’s four original partners: Vito Ciocca, James Baran, Tyler Maher and Alex Ragoussis. Daniel Sacco, who has worked his way up within the group over the past two years, takes on the role of general manager and becomes the fifth owner for this project, his very first restaurant. In the kitchen, executive chef Brett Davis, an alum of the late Bremner, where he crossed paths with James Baran, signs the menu. Several members of the team also cut their teeth at that same school of Bremner and Garde-Manger.

The Mediterranean in Small Plates

The roots remain Italian, but the menu travels to Spain, Portugal, Greece and France. The format is small plates for sharing, divided into snacks, crudos, pasta, mains and pizzas, and the prices are very reasonable: most dishes cost under $20. Since portions are small, you’ll want to order several, ideally one plate from each section.

Our favourite is the gnocchetti sardi with white bolognese: a take on the classic bolognese, simple and rich, that clings to every small ridged shell. Our other favourite: the scallops, almost melt-in-your-mouth, served in a pil-pil sauce, a Basque emulsion of olive oil, garlic and chili.

As for the pizza, the dough is shaped lengthwise and lends itself well to being folded, somewhat like a pizza portafoglio. It’s designed to be passed around the centre of the table. Daniel Sacco recommends the mushroom one.

A Negroni Made with Real Red Peppers

Behind the bar, Anthony Pecoraro, another Bremner alum, creates all the house cocktails. His red pepper negroni is our favourite creation from the list. The bar chef roasts five or six red peppers, then lets them infuse for 24 hours in the full negroni, built with a generous pour of vermouth (Cinzano and Cocchi Americano), Campari and Tanqueray gin. The result is fragrant with roasted pepper from the first sniff and gains depth with every sip.

Toward Wider Horizons

Unlike the group’s other spots, where Italian wines dominate, Umarell’s list opens up to all of Europe. It’s put together by Rob Clarke, Mano Cornuto’s sommelier, with support on site from Antoine, an assistant sommelier who comes from Vin Papillon. You’ll find bottles from Serbia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal.

The space is also much larger than the group’s other locations: the dining room seats about 85, with around thirty more seats on the terrace. For parties of 8 to 10 or more, the team offers a group menu, and the venue can be booked privately for about a hundred guests.

Umarell manages to keep Mano Cornuto’s warm, convivial spirit while opening up the menu, on the plate as much as in the glass. Come as a pair or with a crew and order several dishes to taste a bit of everything, without breaking the bank.

Written by Marie-Ève Godin
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on September 17, 2026

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