Introduction
In the heart of downtown Orillia. Part old-world tapas bar, part old-town grocer and deliciously fun.
Chef Joel's cuisine is inspired by the tapas bars of the Basque country (Southern France & Northern Spain) with a focus on seafood, cured meats and raw foods. Join us for lunch, dinner or snacks & drinks 7 days a week.
Shop the provisions shop for ‘pic up & go’ snacks, cheeses, charcuterie, breads and retail steaks from The Uncommon Butcher. Our bottleshop features a curated selection of over 75 world class wines, local beers from Quayle's and other Ontario craft breweries.
Announcements
Coming Soon
Hours
- Monday 10:00am - 9:00pm
- Tuesday 10:00am - 10:00am
- Wednesday 10:00am - 11:00pm
- Thursday 10:00am - 12:00am
- Friday 10:00am - 12:00am
- Saturday 10:00am - 12:00am
- Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm
About Us
Our Story
Chef Joel spent his early years cooking in Kingston before apprenticing at Riverwalk Restaurant in Bracebridge. After completing his training attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Returning to Canada he worked in Toronto with L-Eat Catering/Paese Ristorante. His first Chef position was at Stout Irish Pub. Joel spent many years with Oliver Bonacini Hospitality at the Bayview and Young & Front locations of O&B's Cafe Grill concept, before moving to TIFF Bell Light Box working at Canteen and LUMA. Moving to Orillia and opening Black Boxes Food Truck in 2020 allowed him to be closer to family in the area.
Simon arrived in Canada in Spring 2018 (dragged over by a local Orillia gal') and worked as General Manager of The Chase before developing BlueBlood Steakhouse at Casa Loma into Toronto's top Steakhouse. Prior to that he was in the UK, running two sites for London’s Hawksmoor Group of restaurants. In 2010 he worked at Bocca di Lupo, opening Gelupo as GM: two of the London's finest Italian eateries. In 2020, he opened The Common Stove with Darcy, in 2021 winning the Chamber of Commerce’s Rebuilding Orillia Award.
Darcy owned and operated FARMHOUSE tavern, a highly regarded farm-to-table restaurant in Toronto for 8 years. He jokes that his "last good paying job" was as General Manager of Charles Khabouth's La Societe in Yorkville in 2012. Darcy was the G.M. of the O&B Cafe Grill (OBCG) at the Westin Resort in Blue Mountain for 3 years after which he opened the OBCG in Oakville. Darcy was also responsible for the wine program of the concepts four locations. He got his start in Toronto restaurants at Jump Café & Bar, and Biff’s Bistro – with Oliver Bonacini Hospitality.
Our sister restaurant, The Common Stove is located across from the Orillia Opera House, and is widely regarded as the best restaurant (steakhouse & cocktail bar) in Simcoe County.
YES!!!! (Just …..YES!) Visited today for lunch (15-May-2024), after having bumped into the owner “Joel” across the street at another great establishment…(Rind and Truckle). Strongly recommended to me…I decided to give it a shot. I was promptly seated, in a clean, well-deforested, nicely lit restaurant right on Mississauga St. My server Jacqueline was polite, and very courteous. Ordered The Cauliflower appetizer and a Diet Coke. Took about 10 minutes to prepare. It was nicely roasted on a bed of some form of dipping sauce. It was well-seasoned, (not that it needed to be, I enjoy Cauliflower in all forms), and came with Kosher salt for sprinkling if so inclined. (I did not). It was topped with toasted Walnuts (if my taste buds don’t deceive me), and was absolutely delicious. Hot enough to enjoy without sacrificing the roof of your mouth. I can’t wait to get back and try their Guajillo Chicken sandwich. A must-visit for sure.
You might think you might need to drive to Toronto to get a restaurant of this caliber, you would be wrong. Right here in the north, you can find a wonderful tapas bar. The menu is a bit complex but the serving staff is very well trained and able to speak on every dish. I like the cauliflower. If you are an oyster fan, do those. I personally find them disgusting but my friends who like them say they are great. My one complaint is that I hate that they don’t use wine glasses. This is personal presence more so than anything. I am sure there is some hipster, trendy reason for why they use water glasses for wine. They have a very good selection of wine you can take home in the bottle and enjoy in a wine glass. Ideally, a ridel wine glass.
Orillia, a charming town, never fails to enchant me! This time, it was Tapas bar that sparkled like a gem. Stepping in felt like wandering into a Barcelona alley with vibrant colors, quaint decorations, enticing scents, and nice arranged tables and chairs. Every dish ordered was a success, and the staff's kindness left a lasting impression. Looking forward to experiencing live music next time and becoming a regular to savor every menu item.
AMAZING PLACE! We recommend the Baked Cheese & Mushrooms + Manchego! You can’t go wrong with this restaurant!
Great tapas lunch at Picnic Tapas in Orillia. #picnicredwine #foiegrastoast #lambcroquettes #scallopcerviche #picnictapasandwine #orilliaontario @picnictapasandwine
I recently visited Picnic tapas place in Orillia, and it was an absolute blast! The shrimp, tuna, foie gras, and duck were all incredible—each dish bursting with unique and original flavors. The service was amazing, making the entire experience even more delightful. This place is a rare gem, offering a culinary adventure you can't find in Toronto. Highly recommend to anyone looking for exceptional tapas! Five stars all the way! 🦐
We had an amazing experience at Picnic tapas and wine. The food was delicious with tantalizing flavors. Delish! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, and her recommendations did not disappoint. Sorry no pics this time. I was too busy enjoying my company and my meal.
This was absolutely outstanding. The vibe was great. The food was even better. Everything was so over the top delicious. The server was so helpful explaining some of the dishes we weren't familiar with. I will definitely make the trip from Toronto to go there again. It's well worth it!
My partner and I were visiting from out of town and chose this place after reading raving reviews about it. We couldn't be happier! Knowing now how delicious it was, we wish we came here the night before too! The food and service were incredible. This is one of the rare restaurants where every single dish was delicious. We sat at the bar, and our server (we sadly didn't catch her name) was really friendly and genuine, she even recommended a few of her favourite places to visit around the area. Our favourites were mushroom + manchego, patatas bravas, duck confit and beetroot borani. The mushroom + manchego was so good that we ordered it twice! We also got the picnic red wine and sangria, both were 👌🏼 The only sad part about visiting is realizing we can't visit as frequently as we wish! We'll definitely be coming back ☺️
Ranks up there among all tapas restaurants. The servers were polite and knowledgeable. Oysters with scotch!!! All plates were properly cooked and prepared. Slightly noisy but not excessive.