Casa Rubia

What is Casa Rubia? Tucked just north of College at 293 Palmerston Avenue, Casa Rubia is a full-service Northern Spanish restaurant created by Grant van Gameren, Hailey Burke, and chef-partner Zach Smith. Taking over the atmospheric room formerly home to Martine's Wine Bar right behind Bar Raval, the space features 50 indoor seats split between a bustling bar and a cozy mezzanine, alongside a 20-seat sidewalk patio. Future Studios shaped the interior with salvaged pine, textured warm plaster, vintage artwork, and rich oxblood and cream accents designed for lingering evening dining.

Casa Rubia Menu & What to Order The kitchen operates around a roaring wood oven that drives a coastal, meat-and-seafood-forward menu inspired by Galicia. The marquee order is the namesake Rubia Gallega beef imported from northern Spain, backed by wood-fired suckling pig, whole roasted turbot, and roasted bone marrow capped with grilled scallops and uni. Lighter openers shine just as brightly, particularly the langoustine and smoked tuna carpaccio and brothy fideo with cockles. Drink pairings run deep, led by Hailey Burke’s house Casa Rubia Martini—infused with Manzanilla sherry, Spanish vermouth, and Atlantic sea salt—and Lexi Wolkowski’s crisp, Atlantic-leaning Spanish wine list.

Know Before You Go Unlike Bar Raval’s standing-room pintxo crush around the corner, Casa Rubia offers a full-service seated experience built for long dinners. Reservations are prime currency during peak evening hours, though walk-in diners can often contest spots at the bar or on the front patio. The restaurant sits a short stroll from the 506 Carlton streetcar stop at College and Palmerston, with street parking available along College.