Making aperitivo culture a part of day-to-day life
In the spring of 2024, Daniel Costa opened an aperitivo bar in the Ice District. The cozy space, aglow in warm light and sienna tones, adjoins Henry Singer’s menswear—hence the name, Bar Henry.
“Aperitivo” stems from aprire, an Italian word that means “to open” and the aperitivo hour (or hours) is the time spent before dinner for people to enjoy food and drink that stimulates the appetite.
In Italy, standing and snacking is commonplace, and staying true to custom and form, Costa designed the space with two areas to stand and mingle—one right in front of the bar, and another in a spot that becomes an alcove once the door to Henry Singer closes at the end of their business day. Those who’d rather sit must contend themselves with cushy, leather banquettes and velvet-upholstered chairs, some of which are authentic, mid-century Italian (look for the chrome); the others, deep and delicious, body-hugging tubs.
By all means, come for the gorgeous interior—the burled wood wall panelling, the Calacatta Viola marble-topped tables, and the framed copies of celebrated works by Italian photographer Slim Aaron—but you’re going to absolutely want to stay for what’s on the menu. Like Costa’s other restaurants, Bar Bricco, Va!, and Olia (and Corso 32 and Uccelino, back in the day), it’s the expert execution of culinary offerings that has kept him and his team at the forefront of the local food scene for the past 14 years. Ditto for the staff; the team at Bar Henry is a capable bunch, consistent in their delivery not only on food and service, but on the history and pronunciation of Italian regions, wine varietals, and names of dishes and cocktails.
If you struggle to keep up with Italian grape varieties outside the well-known sangiovese, barolo, pinot grigio et al., lean on Bar Henry’s staff for a recommendation because listening to them name the varieties—timorassa, nosiola, pelaverga, uva rara—and the regions from where they hail is a love language all its own.
“We go through a training period of pronunciation and dive into the history of each dish and region,” Costa explains, adding that knowledge and confidence help ensure a good customer experience. The servers not only sound the part, but dressed in the traditional white coats sported by employees in Italy’s aperitivo bars, they look the part, too.
If you’re going only for a drink and a snack, you’d do well to order the Venetian spritz and the potato chips. Deceptively simplistic, both are created from quality ingredients: original Select Aperitivo for the bittersweet component of the spritz (as opposed to Aperol), and in the case of the crisps, precisely sliced potatoes cooked and dusted with fennel pollen, rosemary, sea salt and a hint of sugar. Costa admits it’s a zero ROI type of dish, but one that would have customers storming the gates should it disappear from the menu.
Bar Henry’s menu offers small to midsize dishes suitable for vegetarians and omnivores alike, including olives, crackers, panini (little sandwiches), a variety of cheeses and an assortment of hot and cold plates. One of the heartier dishes is cotechino, a slow cooked sausage made of various cuts of fatty pork and pork rind, sliced, pan-fried and served with sweet and acidic condiments.
If you want to abide by tradition, stop in after work for a negroni and some pistachios, or a glass of wine and the carne cruda crostini—this version made of minced wagyu mixed with smoky pancetta, aioli, and capers.
While Costa knows that Albertans love their full meal deals, he’s confident that the aperitivo culture will find its fans. “We want to really dive into the aperitivo culture. The space is small, yes, but the culture is a very specific thing—you’d lose it in a bigger space. People are always standing at the bar. It’s intimate but there’s a lot of action. People come in after shopping, dressed in suits, or some stop in off the street as they’re walking by. It doesn’t have to be an occasion. It can just be a day-to-day thing.”
I can say this about my aperitivo culture experience so far at Bar Henry: I’ve never managed to stop at just having my appetite simply whetted. The food and drink are just too good.
Find Bar Henry on the west side of Henry Singer in the Ice District, 10220 – 103 Avenue, Edmonton.
Places To Be
See this month's local flavours, products, and services.
