Moto Snack Bar does coffee, high end small plates and cocktails residing in the same spot where Porter House used to be on Dundas West. Under the management of Davide De Ciantis of Sweet Jesus and with head chef Wesley Hains of Piano Piano on board, this place punches its weight in a resto-heavy neighbourhood.

The menu is mainly Italian-inspired, and all the coffee comes from de Mello Palheta Roasters . The cocktail menu and wine list is slim but appropriate for the simple fare on offer, and they have a decent selection of local draft beers like Blood Brothers, Henderson , and Collective Arts .

It might kind of blend into the brickwork from outside, but on dark nights you can see the distinct Moto signage elements from outside. The interior is long and narrow with a tiny amount of table space that mostly comes in bar form, but fortunately they've planned for this by serving everything on long thin plates, so ultimately it just encourages sharing.

The signature cocktail is of course The Moto ($12) made with bourbon, house cold brew, egg, angostura bitters and grated nutmeg to create a tiramisu effect. Bailey's lovers, give this one a shot.

The treviso wedge ($9) is reasonably priced and surprisingly refreshing. The large leaves of treviso are actually quite delicate and easy to tear apart, and creamy gorgonzola and bright cherry tomato balance out any bitterness along with salty little chunks of pancetta and sharp toasted pine nuts.

A good option if you just want to down some drinks and nosh a bit is the charcuterie board ($16), which rotates constantly. When we come in it's a playful mix of mild sopressata and some cured hams with the same gorgonzola, wine washed edam, sour eggplant and sundried tomato involtini, potent pickled mustard seeds, mixed olives, and pickled grapes to cut all the fattiness.

I love the pesto on the pasta of the day ($9), bright, herby and not trying too hard on fettucine that's cranked to order. The portion and price are right, neither gut-bustingly huge nor puzzlingly costly.

We finish off with the zeppole of the day ($8), which upon our visit happens to be a donut playing off a candy apple. It's an apple donut with a beet caramel that riffs on the fake red dip candy apples are enrobed in, and the effect isn't too beety, the donuts soft and doughy and the syrup nicely sweet.

Though it's a little tight, the interior does force the customers to come together perhaps more than normal. Live edge bar surfaces and table tops along with an exposed brick wall and vintage touches create a warm yet industrial atmosphere.

Photos by Hector Vasquez