
eep in the downtown core, a non tourist-trap patio is hard to come by. If you’re in the area and in dire need of a cocktail, head to Rosalie. The restaurant’s spacious terrace, complete with umbrella-covered tables, is a favourite for the after work crowd. With decent martinis and a good steak tartare, many regulars stay long after happy hour is done.
Owner David McMillan (Globe, Buona Notte, and Time) knows how to draw a hip crowd: Take money from a bevy of young partners, create a sexy space, play a hyperactive soundtrack, and serve not-too-serious fare. Lather, rinse, repeat.
McMillan's menu includes brunch and late-night options, with a heavy aquatic focus. The menu, rife with gourmet buzz, offers Foie Gras, thinly sliced Roast Rabbit with leek rémoulade, and a Guinea Hen Confit with apples and savoy cabbage. Though far from high-concept, Rosalie does have a solid selection of creative small-plates.
Diners feign ignorance of the celebrity at the next table, but don't mind ogling the beautiful waitstaff in designer-wear. The sport here is people watching (bring your surreptitious stairs). Young wannabes prance around hoping to be discovered by semi-powerful old men; though, don't expect powdered almost-geriatrics to abandon their pretty young dates.