A humble mini strip mall in Niagara-on-the-Lake holds a little secret: behind one of the glass doors is located the town’s most sophisticated dining establishment. Though not really a secret per se, Revé restaurant does feel … transformative. Beyond this, very average glass door, you will find yourself in a dimly lit, thoughtfully decorated restaurant.
At night, the windows let in no light, heavy curtains setting a barrier to what otherwise would be, a very boring view. All lighting is intentional, setting the mood suitable to the dark green walls and Baroque-era colour palette artwork. There are only eleven tables and eight chef’s counter seats in this moderately intimate establishment. The dinner service unfolds like a performance, with the chef’s team set behind a wide kitchen top at the front of a large open fire – the stage.
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Cover photo by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.
Images by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.
The experience
The promise is, well, not really simple, but easy enough to grasp: “farm-to-table craftsmanship and unreasonable hospitality,” the website states. The service approach is inspired by Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality (there’s also a TED Talk, if you’re short on time). For the team at Revé, that means that every “ingredient and every gesture is guided by passion”.
Seated at the chef’s counter, my eyes travel to the menu card, my party’s name is at the top. “Imagined by Chef Adriano Cappuzzello, hosted by Nicole Pisarenko, Anna Kruusi and Kevin Gillingham,” a small note in the bottom corner reads. The ten-course menu, detailed on the card, includes the name of the dish and core ingredients, accompanied by the selected wine pairing, if you choose to go that route. I did. A thoughtful wine pairing adds exciting layers of complexity to each dish and the wine itself.
Nicole briefly explains the experience: a narrative menu will be served as a communal experience, bringing people together through food and stories. This particular menu is illustrative of Chef Adriano’s culinary journey and the moments that shaped it. With each carefully placed dish, he tells a story or offers a visual accompaniment. Each dish is intricately plated on mostly odd-shaped plates, chosen to accent the story behind it.
The menu changes seasonally and depending on product availability. Tonight’s menu travels from beef cheek to scallops, broccoli, venison, spaghetti, sweetbreads, sablefish, and beef bouvette. The sweet courses include Chef’s take on a Pavlova and creme caramel. The stories offer context to the unusual flavour combinations, textures, and all-around plating that often results in a visible surprise on first bite. Not everything is what it seems, but it is pleasantly delicious and occasionally new to the palate.
Images by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.
The team
The restaurant concept is the work of two couples, Chef Adriano Cappuzzello and Nicole Pisarenko, and Anna Kruusi and Kevin Gillingham. The foursome met fifteen years ago working in the industry and eventually decided to come together, thinking that maybe “four brains are better than two,” Anna shared. “The first time Adriano and Nicole made us a meal, it was by an open fire, so when we saw this place, it felt serendipitous,” she reflected, and so the ‘live fire’ concept came to the forefront. The shared ideas, and funds, came together into one restaurant, and this August, Revé celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Chef Adriano Cappuzzello, born in Ragusa, Sicily, began his career in a 1-Michelin-star restaurant at the age of fourteen. “I started this job because it allows you to travel, and that’s what I always wanted to do,” he admitted. Since that first position, Chef Adriano worked in notable kitchens in Spain, Malta, Germany, and the UK, picking up tricks of the trade for his arsenal. Today, the menu ideas come from these past experiences, drawn from memory and developed in collaboration with the kitchen team.
Left: Chef Adriano Cappuzzello by Jose Jacob. Right: Kevin Gillinghamby, Anna Kruusi, Nicole Pisarenko, and Chef Adriano Cappuzzello by Courtney Peters. Images courtesy of Revé Restaurant.
The provisions
The majority of the produce used in the restaurant comes from a farm near Niagara Falls, a three-acre farm managed by Chef Adriano. “I’ve just left the farm,” he explained, joining the call from his car. The remote location, far away from any neighbours or wineries, allows the team to maintain organic practices and regenerative farming. Wildflowers planted throughout the farm create a friendly environment for wild pollinators and bees residing in the farm apiary. “It’s a whole ecosystem,” he added. Aside from supplying the restaurant, this farm also stocks a nearby retail shop.
Chef Adriano has an inherent respect for the place and its terroir, so seasonality of ingredients is the driving force for the menu. Beef and lamb are sourced from small, nearby family-owned farms, like Heatherbrae Farms. “The cows are just let free, and they eat the fresh grass,” he added. “I care a lot about the animals, they need to be treated properly, and that’s what Daniel does.” To minimise waste, Chef Adriano will also purchase the bits of animals others won’t, to use in stocks, broth, base preparation, and sauces.
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“What is your collective goal for the restaurant?” I asked. “Michelin stars are every chef’s dream. Anyone who tells you differently is not truthful,” Chef Adriano replied. “If we get there, that’s amazing. But really, we just want our restaurant to be busy every day … everything else will come later,” he concluded.
Image by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.
If you go
Revé offers two dining options (reservation strongly recommended):
- A 4-course tasting: A focused introduction to the season’s best. Built around what the region’s farms are producing right now, served at your own table in the main dining room.
- A 10-course tasting: A blind progression through the season. Ten courses guided by Chef Adriano and the team over the course of an evening, with beverage pairings available.
