Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Braven

    3.7 (54 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Braven Photos

    Business Info

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Braven

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Strip Loin with the carrots roasted in lamb fat
    Ian S.

    The strip loin and flat iron were amazing. I got it at a medium and it was absolutely perfect. After it was served to me, the chefs came over to me and made sure I was pleased with how everything tasted (I was sitting at the bar). The waiter (Aaron) also always made sure my water was full which I really appreciated. The ambiance was incredible as well! Sitting at the bar, you can watch the chefs cook the steaks on the grill, super cool.

    New York Striploin
    Rose W.

    I came here recently to celebrate a special occasion. The place is a gorgeous place to take pictures since it is located inside the JW Marriott. They offer complimentary parking if you park in the parkade underground. Just go up to the restaurant after you parked to tell them your plate. Do not enter anything at the parking meter because it doesn't provide you a free option. For food, we tried: -New-York Striploin ($52)- the server said Braven was the only place in Edmonton with a hardwood fire grill for steaks. The steak was juicy and seasoned well. A bit pricey but pretty good. -Mezza pasta ($24)- pasta was made out of scratch and very yummy and fresh! Presentation kinda makes it look like Mac n Cheese though -Truffle Fries ($12)- Loved the truffle and cheese. Crispy and flavourful! Oliver's Carrot Cake ($15)- Not bad. It was moist and I liked the ice cream on the side. Nice presentation. There were some extra fees that we weren't aware of until the end. Such as $3 extra for peppercorn sauce and $8 for stilled water. Overall I had an enjoyable experience! Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Prices are on the higher end but food is good.

    Grilled octopus
    Kristin M.

    We came here for our anniversary and had a lovely time. The service was very good, friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was stylish and upscale, but we had a booth so it also felt nice and private. The food was very good, delicious filet mignon and perfectly cooked broccolini. We ordered a bottle of the Bordeaux house wine, which was lovely and smooth. The highlight of the meal was the dessert, key lime pie with white chocolate and custard, just delicious! This place is very pricey and I'm not sure how much better they are than an average or even more upscale steak house, which is considerably cheaper. Not sure if we'd come back, just because of the prices, but we had a lovely time anyways.

    Wood
    Britt D.

    Finally. I ended up booking reservations just in case it was super busy on a weekday. Which it was. So I recommend booking reservations to make sure you get to enjoy this beautiful restaurant. We had a few drinks and shared a caesar salad to start. I found it good but I'll admit it wasn't anything crazy. Good caesar that you would get at any steak house. We then got a tenderloin and striploin steak and a side of whipped potatoes. The tenderness of the tenderloin to the striploin is worlds of difference. Go for the tenderloin. It was perfectly cooked absolutely amazing. The broccolini and tomato sides of the steak I felt like could really use some extra seasoning to give it the punch it needed to match the flavour of the steak. They were kind of cold and just flavourless. I would order the tenderloin again in a heartbeat and the ambiance of the restaurant is incredible. It is definitely a must go.

    a plate of food on a wooden table
    C. H.

    We arrived in Edmonton and were craving steak for dinner. We booked this restaurant as there was reservations available. We were seated right away and menus dropped off. Our server got us water shortly afterwards. After looking over the menu, we ordered a number of items to share. We ordered the garlic and cheddar buns, smoked duck carpaccio, seasonal Canadian coastal oysters, mac and cheese, mafalda bolognese, AAA braised short ribs, bone-in striploin and banana split. Food took awhile to arrive. This is more of a restaurant to chill, chat and drink while you wait for the food to arrive. The garlic and cheese bun was pillowy soft with slices of garlic. We were surprised to find garlic slices, but it gave the buns that garlicky flavour. They could have served more maple butter on the side. The duck carpaccio has a strong smoky flavour. The oysters were from the east coast. I forgot which type, but we were able try two types of oysters. They were fresh and easy to eat. The house made pasta were tasty. The mac and cheese was super cheesy. The pasta was al dente. The mafalda bolognese was tasty as well and had a decent amount of meat. The short rib was tender. I did not understand why there was an onion ring, but the presentation was nice. The star of the meal was the strip loin. It was enough to feed two people. The meat was cooked medium rare as requested. Meat was tender and juicy. The mashed potato was buttery. The braised onion had a rosemary flavour. The broccolini was good. We finished off the meal with a banana split. It was also large enough to share amongst a couple people and was presented nicely with house made ice cream. Overall, it was a tasty and satisfying meal. I would consider this restaurant date night worthy or for special occasions because of the price point. There was street parking available nearby. Please remember to pay for the meter. The city staff were on top of ticketing people during the weekday evening. We saw the car parked behind us with a parking ticket.

    people sitting at tables in a restaurant
    Vilma R.

    Located in the lobby of the JW Marriott hotel in Ice District, Braven did not disappoint! This restaurant was really popular so I would highly recommend a reservation here. The staff were amazing, so friendly so helpful and informative and attentive. I was so impressed with the service here, even the manager came over to ask us how our meals were. We decided to order a bunch of dishes and share them all so we could try many things. We ordered the cheesy cauliflower, beef brisket, wedge salad, a pasta dish with lamb, shrimp cocktail, and deep fried cheesecake for dessert. We were so impressed! The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented, full of fresh complex flavours and so much food we couldn't finish it all between 3 of us. The prices for a restaurant of this luxurious nature were very well priced. I felt it was an excellent value for our dollar especially if you want something more upscale but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Our favourite dishes included the wedge salad, the pasta dish (which was a large portion), beef brisket, and the duchess cocktail! How can I forget about the cocktails?! They are really yummy here and I would definitely recommend the duchess cocktail if you want something tasty that looks fancy in a coupe glass. Overall highly recommend Braven for a special night out, celebration, or just to treat yourself to something out of the ordinary. Make a reservation and go! You might even see some Oilers players there! We did see Darnell Nurse and Gene Principe.

    Heather M.

    Absolutely beautiful service! Classy moody dining room decor , we've dined here three times last year and have tried everything on the menu. The chicharones are awesome and the tomahawk steak was seared to perfection.

    Cod
    Kayla C.

    I'm pretty surprised by some of the terrible things I'm reading in the other reviews; but here I am to give a glowing review... because last night was nothing short of amazing. Fiancé took me out to celebrate my birthday last night (a Saturday night). We came early for a 7:45 reservation, and were seated right away at a very intimate table in a more private back seating area. Our waitress, Hannah, oh my gosh. I hope her managers, and their managers, and their managers read this. That girl is a gem, she created such an elevated dining experience and I literally felt like royalty the whole evening. That girl knows what it means to create a customer experience, and it wasn't because it was a special event (she didn't find out it was my birthday until dessert time), but she just went all out to make the night feel special regardless, without prompting. She was very helpful with the menu, made suggestions for cocktails, and was very prompt with her service. It wasn't until we were leaving that we realized she was managing that whole back area herself. She's a brilliant server. Now on to the food... Fiancé loved his lamb, I had cod... everything was flavoured and plated beautifully. I will say that the cod was cooked a little less thoroughly than I normally enjoy so that's probably just me and a matter of my preference. The taste was very nice though. One of the slices of my cod, though was "jello-y" is the only way to describe it. I had to pass that piece to the fiancé... I have no idea what that was, but it was not appetizing and to save my experience I gave that piece to him. Not enough to knock a star off. Come dessert time, Hannah asked what we were up to this evening; and Shawn mentioned birthday, and Hannah said, "well the dessert is on us then". We had chosen the dessert platter, not cheap, at $22. We added that to her tip, because that was so kind. But the dessert platter was so cute and they wrote Happy Birthday on it.... Anyways... and here's where it gets really good. Shawn mentioned that we wanted to check out the speakeasy upstairs (Alchemy). Hannah told us that during covid on a weekend especially the reservations would be packed solid and it would be unlikely we would get to go in. She left for a short time while we were clearing the Bill, and brought her manager Michael. Michael introduced himself, and said he managed to get us a table at Alchemy and had come to escort us upstairs. Michael was so professional, treated us like very special guests, told us neat things about the hotel and the speakeasy on the way upstairs. He is very customer oriented, so I can see how he ended up managing such a trendy and elevated local spot. We were so happy to go, and everyone was just so kind and wanted to make sure we were having the best time. The last thing I'll mention in this rave review is that normally we go away to Mexico or somewhere for my Birthday. Obviously not possible, but for a night I felt like I was on a vacation, as this didn't feel like Edmonton. Hannah and Michael made our night; and I would absolutely like to return.

    Denise B.

    I was at Braven for a friends birthday dinner on a Saturday. There were 6 of us and we knew it would be quite busy however it took 1 hr before we received our drinks and 2 hrs before we received our food. When we did get our food, all was amazing, we all did enjoy our dishes immensely. Braven is quite a large restaurant and very open so it can be quite loud, we didn't mind it but some people may not like how echoey it was. Overall I personally am glad I got to try Braven out but I doubt I will be back as the price point is on the ridiculously high end (my dinner was 45$ and my glass of wine was 24$, these were on the low end of the menu lol) the service was good but not phenomenal and overall I think there are some better choices out there. I actually would give it 2.5/5 but it won't let me.

    Habitant Soup - mustard, apple
    Jennie L.

    So I went here for Downtown dining week, so I am just judging it by that meal alone. Inside it is beautiful. Oak furnishings and accents, high ceilings, elegant décor. It reminds me of a library in England. What I didn't like was the lack of space between tables and how small the tables were themselves. We couldn't keep the plates, our drinks, and look at the menu at the same time. For a fine dining experience you don't have to load them up like a barrel of fish. Looking at the menu, it is fairly pricey so this would be for a big date night. The Downtown Dining week was much more affordable for 20 bucks we got a soup and a main. Food wise, everything was excellent. I chose the Habitant Soup with mustard and apple. For a Main I went with the Penne Al Forno - rocket & broccoli pesto, fior di latte. My friend went with Grilled Albacore Caesar - crisp romaine, cucumber, crispy teriyaki shiitake, pickled ginger, wasabi peas, sesame ginger. Everything was delicious. The soup was flavourful and rich without being overpowering. My penne was fresh and my friend's salad was zippy. I think I would have enjoyed the salad more, but both were really good. Our server though was not. She brought us our Cesar's, and maybe filled up our glasses once but wasn't to be seen. I definitely could have used some water. And the restaurant was not that full. So here is the issue, looking at the reviews it has a solid 4 star level, but then reading the reviews, for the premium price people were generally disappointed with the food, the service, the space or a combination of all 3. So I thought that I would not give them an easy pass and be the first person to rate them with a 3. I probably won't go back unless something changes.

    Inside @ Braven
    Daisy Y.

    Was hoping for something a little more outstanding from a Marriott hotel restaurant, but this restaurant is nothing out of the ordinary. It's a nice restaurant located in a very nice hotel, but for the price point, you are expecting an exceptional meal. My friend, who loves her steak tartare, felt the one at Braven was bland. The skinny fries that came with the steak tartare were fabulous though; nice and salty, just the way I like it. Reminded me of McDonald fries, but for double the price. I had the foie gras french toast, which I wasn't totally a fan of mixing the sweet and savoury, and the piece of foie gras was a little on the stingy side. The tuna tartare that I also had was a bit on the bland side. The lobster and shrimp mac'n'cheese wasn't bad. Upon seeing the serving size, you're a bit disappointed, but it's actually pretty filling, or maybe I just found it filling because I had just split two appetizers. Either way, I finished the meal feeling quite satisfied. The dessert menu doesn't really offer anything extraordinary, although they do have a huge black forest sundae that is share sized for 4. (unfortunately, I could not convince my friends to partake) I split my meal with a friend, and we ended up paying a little over $40 each. My other friend ordered the set menu, and we all felt it was the best deal, although the entrees in the set menu didn't really appeal to me. She felt the crab, shrimp and haddock cake was the highlight of her meal. I found her dessert (the sticky toffee pudding) to be too sweet, and she found it very filling. Excellent service. Food came out at a good pace. To sum up: expensive, not really worth the price, but a nice spot to have get-togethers or to celebrate a special occasion. Two hours free parking is included, just let the hostess know that you've parked in the Stantech parkade. Free wifi.

    deep fried phyllo covered cheesecake with blueberry sauce
    Shabnam K.

    My husband and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary @ the JW Marriott during the Sept long weekend. The JW is located in the new ICE District downtown Edmonton. Finding the entrance for parking was a little difficult. My husband had to park a distance and walk over to find out how to get to the valet. Once we did get there though the service was great. The valet drivers were very friendly and also helped us with our luggage. They insisted on taking it in for us. I haven't seen that service from the Fairmont even. We were happily impressed. We checked in and went to our beautiful room. We had booked reservations at Braven. We went down for our reservations and as we were heading over an employee came up to us and suggested a dish and wished us a great evening. We went to check in and they seated us immediately. The restaurant was very busy. After being seated our server came by to offer us anything to drink. Once we ordered we were very impressed with the everything we ordered. Serving sizes were great. I love tartares and this one was definitely at the top of my list. The pickled vegetables cut the richness of the meat and the egg. I do however wish they had more pieces of baguette for the amount of steak they give you. My husband ordered the soup and thought it was pretty tasty, very earthy.. the color leaves a little to be desired. We both ordered a flank state that was cooked to perfection, seasoned with salt and pepper, our sides of wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes were pretty average. The dessert was suggested by our server and it was mind blowing. perfectly creamy cheesecake and a well done phyllo cover. I would recommend this restaurant and hotel for your next special occasion.

    The duchess
    Alisha K.

    After a disappointing experience at Braven's sister restaurant, Kindred, I came here with lowered expectations. Thankfully though, Braven is very different from Kindred not only in ambiance but also in their menu. They have a dark cabin-style decor with old time-y framed photos and mounted stag heads. I was expecting SUPER fancy but I would say this is only kinda fancy, some people were still dressed very casually. Our server was very attentive and friendly. As soon as we were seated, we were each handed with a sizable drinks menu. As a gin fan, I was very impressed with their cocktails menu as they have over half a dozen interesting cocktails with a variety of gin. I choose to go with 'The Duchess' and it turned out to be delightful while still being quite strong. 5/5 I skipped appetizers and went straight to what I'd come there for: the meat! Again this was a hard choice as their menu is full of delicious sounding red meat and seafood dishes. In the end, I ordered the short rib which was served with polenta, some roast veg and gravy. And oh my god, it was absolutely perfect! It is a 5/5 dish and well worth the money. One of the reasons I decided not to give Braven a 5/5 overall rating is the sides ('Complements'). Together me and my friends ordered 5 sides and almost all (except the wild mushrooms) were disappointing and a little bland. Finally, for dessert I tried the phyllo wrapped cheesecake which arrived with an amazing fruit compote. Sadly we were too full to try the Eaton Mess sundae which looked absolutely amazing! We were slightly envious of the table next to us that ordered it! My actual rating is likely closer to 4.5/5, definitely worth a visit.

    All the food!!!!

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Oliver B.

    Oliver B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Oliver B.

    Oliver B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Oliver B.

    Oliver B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Oliver B.

    Oliver B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rose W.
    173
    249
    1061

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C. H.
    45
    2429
    21790

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise B.
    12
    19
    19

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Todd M.
    65
    12
    23

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ken W.
    58
    16
    124

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Oliver B.

    Oliver B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Food was great, service was attentive. I'll be back next time I'm in Edmonton. It is a nice addition.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Milt B.
    7
    118
    615

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    A little expensive but the food was good. Service was good. The place has a nice modern vibe. I will definitely return.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of La T.
    50
    1
    2

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    You might also consider

    Bernadette’s - Sweetgrass ice cream

    Bernadette’s

    (8 reviews)

    I really enjoyed tis place. It celebrates Indigenous food…read more Heads up. You will need a reservation and well in advance. The place is really cozy inside but small. I liked it, It made it more intimanite. Menu varies depending on the season. But I am sure that everyone will find something they would like. We chose a few things raw elk with fried capers, shallots & blueberries, the seared scallops with celeriac puree, capers, garlic and butter, saskatoon berry brisket with beef and carmelized onion on bannock, and the pappardelle rabbit ragu with parmigian reggiano . We also took two cockails which was delicous. Service was prompt and friendly. Food was delicious. The stand out was the raw elk. Delicous combination of thing that do a party in you mouth. I would go back just for that . The only thing that I didn't enjoy was the brisket. Way too sweet for me. Be warned it is pricey. Expect to empty your pocket book.

    We've been meaning to try Bernadette's for a while now and I'm glad we finally did! The atmosphere…read moreis super cozy and classy. The servers were warm, attentive and helpful. The menu is somewhat seasonal and they were happy to answer all our questions and to provide suggestions where needed. We mostly had some appetizers and we'd like to come back to try more dishes. The seasonal salad had apples and walnuts and was super hearty and delicious. The scallops and the sauce were so tender and creamy, the bison tartare was really nice too. It was similar to a steak tartare with its own twist. If you enjoy steak tartare you will love this. We will definitely be back! Great new local restaurant to support!

    Honi Honi Tiki Lounge - Teak Tok Famous (left), Coconut Airway (right)

    Honi Honi Tiki Lounge

    (9 reviews)

    Not too busy Saturday 10pm right before the hockey game got out -70% full. At 10:30 place was 100%…read morefull. Atmosphere is very fun. Bartenders are nice. Drinks are good but can very very strong. Boyfriend got the Zombie and felt sooooo buzzed borderline drunk. Loved the skull ratings which really helped. Honi honi- 7/10 - tastes too much like alcohol/ too strong for me. Captain's Cut 8/10 - good very light flavor Missionary's downfall 8/10- too much mint for me. Zombie - 10/10 if you like strong drinks. Overall a very cool place to go for drinks.

    Place is pretty awesome! Especially if you love a great drink and a great atmosphere. So many great…read morecocktails. Drinks are pricey but craft and I feel worth it. Our server was friendly and fun. And she totally matched the atmosphere. Food menu is limited. I would like to see a few more selections particulary since they get their meat from Smoke next door. I went with the Zombie which was a flippin 4 oz. It was delicious. And well worth the price. To eat we tried the burnt ends, the fries, and the mac and cheese. Food came out slower than typical but it was a good use of our time to enjoy the space and our drinks. Food was good. For sure the burnt ends were the star of the show. But the mac and cheese was good and creamy and the fries were well flavoured and plentiful. Sliders were well constructed. come here for amazing drinks and snacks! And the food is an added bonus.

    Dolly's Cocktail Bar

    Dolly's Cocktail Bar

    (13 reviews)

    Street parking limited. Make sure you make a reservation as…read moreplace is 100% full and there is a line to get in. Gender-neutral single stall bathrooms available. Our table was ready at our reservation time and we were reminded we have 2 hours to dine as they need the table for another group. Drink + food menu was slightly different from what was online but I ordered a drink that was on the online menu and not the paper menu and it was still accommodated. Chips and Guac - good, chips were a little different - like dehydrated pita. Mac and Cheese - a little dry for me but everyone loved the flavor of the chicken we added. Bend and Snap shot - I give it a 5/10, did not like but boyfriend said it was fine. Pornstar martini - I give 7/10 boyfriend gave 9/10. Bubbleicious - I give 9/10 boyfriend gives 8/10. Pisco Smash - I give 8.5/10, boyfriend gave 7/10. Strawberry Sweethart - 8/10 from us both Seasonal coffee cocktail (forget the name): 9/10 Overall cocktails were fun to try, atmosphere is great, staff are fine.

    Searching for someplace to go for a girls night out on the town? Look no further than Dolly's…read moreCocktail Bar! Slap on your sparkly dress and a pair of heels (or wear whatever the heck you want) and make your way to Downtown's pink palace! You'll remember this location as the former home of Fu's Repair Shop and Prairie Fish & Chips before that. The Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list named Dolly's as Favourite Patio and the pictures that I've seen of the back terrace look completely adorable, complete with colourful lanterns. Unfortunately, my visit was in October and it wasn't quite patio weather anymore. I turned up on a Friday evening with one of my best girlfriends in tow and we were ready for the biggest Barbiecore night of our lives! Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Dolly's had been transformed into the "Black Lagoon" for the month of October in the spirit of Halloween. (I probably should have looked into this in advance but I was unaware!) I was expecting Cyndi Lauper and Aqua but instead I got Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. The whole restaurant was draped in the most spider webs that I've ever seen. There were giant spiders hanging from the ceiling and spooky skeletons in every corner. It was a vibe, that's for sure!! But certainly not the one that I had been anticipating. Bits of pink paint and sparkly chandeliers peeked through in some areas and the neon "Dolly's" sign on the wall allowed me to imagine what the Barbie dreamhouse-esque space normally looks like just a little bit. Otherwise, Dolly's was fully transformed into the moody Black Lagoon. I should've worn fishnets instead of glitter. The servers were all very friendly and we were quickly seated at a comfortable table along the hot pink velour banquette. Dolly's invites you to sip, snack, and stay in their minor-free glamorous escape. The house cocktails and mocktails are a major part of the experience (it is a cocktail bar after all) and I was excited to get a cute pink beverage into my hand! There was also a menu of Black Lagoon-themed cocktails that were all served in fun tiki-style vessels. This menu included themed foods as well. I personally had my eye on the Pink Palace Royale cocktail which I saw on the menu online. Made with a special collab gin with Strathcona Spirits and Licor 43 (one of my favourite liqueurs), this sounded like everything that I wanted in a cocktail and more! Other drinks had names like Dolly's Dreamhouse, Bubbilicious, and the house shot was called the Bend & Snap - exactly the sort of drinks that I had come for! However, I was sorely disappointed when the server told me that the drink I wanted was no longer on the menu. It seemed that I could only order a Halloween beverage. I fumbled to find anything that Elle Woods would approve of and settled on a mocktail called Pretty in Pink (Strawberry, cream of coconut, lime, soda, mint - $9.00) and the server suggested that the bar could add vanilla vodka to turn it into a proper cocktail. I agreed. Honestly, I was just relieved to get something pink onto the table! I enjoyed this icy-fresh cocktail a lot and it delivered most of what I had been hoping for. The sweetness of the strawberry and coconut was really fun! The lime and mint added a mojito flair. A very cute and well-composed beverage but I was sad that most of the girly drinks didn't seem to be available. When it comes to eats at Dolly's the food is what you would expect to see at a party, with the idea of sharing at the heart. I loved the idea of Dolly's Funhouse (which is an epic plate of nachos), and dishes like wings, tacos, and mac & cheese. However, the dish to order at Dolly's has gotta be the Girl Dinner (Truffle tots, chickie tendies, aji verde, aji rocoto, pineapple sweet & sour, Dolly's salad - $50.00 for two). It's a must-share so grab your girlies and prepare to chow down! They had me at tots. The Girl Dinner platter arrived looking extremely appetizing and somehow exactly what I wanted to be eating in a place that looked like this. The portion was exactly right for two people and I loved the pretty floral printed plates that we were given to dish our tots and tendies onto. As previously mentioned, I enjoy a tot. (I have a suspicion that Napoleon Dynamite really imprinted on me.) But truffle tots? Now that's just a home run! Topped with sea salt, truffle oil, and parmesan cheese, these golden potato nuggets were fried to perfection with a crispy outside and a soft and fluffy inside. I could have eaten them all. They were awesome to dunk into each of the sauces and when the rest of the food was gone we were still popping tots into our mouths. We couldn't even finish them all because the portion was so generous! The star of the meal were the chickie tendies; two giant chicken tenders, of which we each got our own. I loved this chicken! The batter was really flavourful and unique, and oh so crispy-crunchy. The chicken within was very tender and juicy, proving that an elevated chicke

    Braven - steak - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...