Conejo Negro opened in Little Italy in November 2023 and is already packed on weeknights — even when I showed up on a Tuesday in -18 degree weather.

As you enter the restaurant (which is located where snack bar Pray Tell used to be), you're immediately immersed in a cozy but lively environment, with Latin beats playing in the background. 

Of course, the restaurant's charm doesn't stop there. Conejo Negro (which translates to "black rabbit" in English) shines at combining Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American cuisine into their dishes and drinks, thanks to owners Lamine Martindale, Alycia Wahn, and Diego Diaz.

From left to right: Alycia Wahn, Lamine Martindale and Diego Diaz, owners of Conejo Negro. Photo by Fareen Karim.

All three of them have worked in the restaurant industry for several years. Here, Martindale runs front-of-house; his spouse, Wahn, is the head chef; and his high school best friend, Diaz, bartends.

It's the perfect trifecta and a delight to see the way they interact with each other, as they whip up and serve fusion flavour-packed food and drinks. 

To start your visit, they have quite the beer, wine, and cocktail selection to choose from.

If you're looking for something fun and a bit different from the typical rum sour, the Wray N Ting ($14) is your best bet.

It's made with Wray & Nephew rum, lime juice, orange bitters, and grapefruit-flavoured Ting (Jamaican sparkling water). It's citrusy, sour, slightly bitter, and very refreshing. 

There's also the Manu Sour ($16), made with Dillon's strawberry gin, lemon, lavender syrup, cardamom bitters, and egg whites. It's a great combination of sweet and slightly spicy, and the texture is smooth and velvety.

The food menu highlights Wahn's cooking techniques and recipes from various cuisines around the world, including New Orleans, Venezuela, Guyana, and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

For small plates, the cornbread ($8) is made with cheddar, jalapeño peppers, and scallions. It's also paired with cultured honey butter. 

There's also the firecracker shrimp ($16), a plate that comes with four fried shrimps tossed in a spicy "firecracker" sauce and garnished with scallion rings.

Another seafood option is the tuna and shrimp ceviche ($20), which comes with corn chips. It's fresh and citrusy, thanks to the mango, avocado, chilis, and lemon that are added into the dish.

If you're looking for a hearty salad, the grilled pineapple and beet salad ($17) might be your best option. It's vibrant in colour thanks to the deep yellows of the pineapple and reddish purple of the beets.

The dish is sweet and salty at the same time, thanks to its use of goat cheese, pistachios, and sorrel vinaigrette.

There are six dishes to choose from in the large plates section, like the fried chicken ($18) that's paired with jalapeño pepper slices and coleslaw. It's rich, hot, and sweet, thanks to its smoked hot honey sauce.

A vegetarian option, the squash dumplings ($22) are also a must-try. Made with corn and ancho cream sauce, poblano peppers, and cotija (a Mexican cheese), these dumplings excel in taste and fluffy texture. 

If you want any sizeable sides to go with your already-sizeable mains, the collards and hocks ($14) is a good choice. The fattiness and savouriness of the smoked ham hock pairs perfectly with the earthiness of the cooked collards and citrus of the lemon juice. 

And if you're not already full from your small plates, salads, large plates, and sides...you can end your dining experience on a high with dessert. Choose from the flourless chocolate cake ($10) or the plantains and ice cream ($12) for a sweet finish to the meal.

It's amazing to see what a trio of best friends — who have the restaurant skills to boot — can do when they put their minds together.

The result is a friendly dining experience with thoughtfully cooked meals and prepared beverages in a warm and upbeat atmosphere.

Conejo Negro is located at 838 College St.