Jill Wherrett
Oat Couture on Bank Street has a new alter ego, Night Oat, transforming the casual daytime oatmeal bowl and coffee shop into a wine and cocktail bar by night.
This isn’t the first time Oat Couture has donned a different identity. Following the café’s opening in April 2018, owner Brian Montgomery launched Montgomery Scotch Lounge in early 2019, converting the space into a scotch bar in the evenings. Not long after, pandemic restrictions required its closure. When Montgomery expanded to a second Oat Couture location on Gladstone Street in 2021, he relocated the scotch lounge there, leaving the Bank Street space idle after dark.
The Bad Blood cocktail of gin, blood orange and foamy egg white featured a sweet citrus flavour and a hint of bitterness. Photo by Jill Wherrett
With no wine bar or late night café in the neighbourhood, Montgomery spotted an opportunity for a new night-time venue at his Bank Street location. “We were kicking people out of the café at 5 pm,” he quipped. Montgomery envisioned a relaxed space where patrons could enjoy bar snacks, predinner drinks or nightcaps – a place where “the community can have great wines” and “you never know who you’ll meet.”
In line with this vision, Night Oat, which opened on May 1, offers a concise menu of snacks and small plates that will change seasonally, complemented by a rotating selection of wines chosen by a wine merchant, cocktails, local beers, and the full Oat Couture coffee lineup.
During several visits to Night Oat, my companions and I were greeted promptly with water and a bowl of “mingle mix,” reminiscent of classic Chex Mix. Service was friendly and relaxed, in keeping with the laid-back ambiance. The current menu features six simple items, five savoury and one sweet. We sampled three nibbles, all of which pleased us. Bacon-wrapped dates ($12) showcased four plump dates swathed in well-crisped bacon and accompanied by a lemony feta dip that offset the richness of the dates. A red pepper dip ($14) served with oat chips had bright flavours that struck a balance of sweetness and spice. Smoked sausage bites ($12) were simply slices of sausage but were nicely grilled and paired with a tangy honey mustard sauce and sauerkraut.
Food crispy bacon wrapped dates accompanied by a lemony feta dip proved to b a hit on Night Oat’s small plates menu. Photo by Jill Wherrett
The sole sweet item – boozy brownies ($10) – was a checkerboard of warm Fireball-spiked blondies and rum-lacedbrownies, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Best to be a fan of cinnamon if you try these, as the Fireball flavour comes through in the blondie. Although I found the gooey texture more preferable in the brownie than the blondie, the dessert was a satisfying treat.
From the list of six cocktails ($12-$17), I opted for the Bad Blood ($12). This pretty gin and blood orange concoction topped with foamy egg white had a vibrant sweet citrus flavour with a hint of bitterness. We also sampled the alcohol-free Apple Crisp, a fresh-tasting blend of apple cider infused with vanilla syrup and garnished with nutmeg – a sophisticated mocktail, not a dressed-up kid cocktail.
Six wines were on offer: a prosecco, a rosé, two whites and two reds, priced from $16 to $19 per glass, along with a variety of local beers by the can. While servers were still familiarizing themselves with the cocktail and wine details on our visits, they readily provided written descriptions.
With its attractive brick walls, exposed ceiling beams and pendant lights casting a glow over the bar, the venue is a cosy space well-suited to its evening persona. To complete the twilight transformation, further enhancements, including live music and a patio liquor licence, are in the works.
Night Oat is located at 1154 Bank St and is open seven evenings a week, from 5-11 pm Sunday to Thursday and 5 pm – 12 am Friday and Saturday.
