A gorgeous early-evening stroll brought me to Pip, my ole stomping grounds for 6 yrs at the OSYS…read moreround the corner next to Varscona and now the city has put the building for sale.. Tonight felt like a true homecoming. I arrived a little early and enjoyed walking through the neighbourhood before settling in. Madeline, our server, was warm, attentive, and absolutely lovely. Harry ordered his usual martini, and when it arrived looking so crisp and elegant, I couldn't resist ordering one myself. Madeline also brought out a purple martini with olives that looked divine and tasted even better -- one of the most beautiful cocktails I've had in Edmonton. We both chose seafood dishes, and every plate was fresh, flavourful, and perfectly done. Pip manages to be elevated yet relaxed, with a real community vibe. It's kid‑friendly, welcoming, and has a great patio for summer evenings. A memorable evening at a neighbourhood gem and with Pals next door it serves the community well with so many cafes closed following #Covid on #Whyte Ave #YEG

Very misleading hours posted we showed up there at 9:41 and were told that they were closing soon…read moreand that they shut their kitchen down at 9:45pm & that they had already done last call for food for the night. They were still willing to serve us food to go though when my friend initially asked for menus they said to go? . Super disappointing we drove a half an hour to make it on time and rushed and everything thinking that an hour and 20 minutes before it closes is more than enough time for a quick Dinner service for two people and obviously we're not a-holes so when the entire staff is ready to just shutter early and leave, we're not gonna be the two people that insist that they stay open. The guy working there was really nice to my friend apparently though. So nothing against the staff personally or anything. Oh, and the gazebo is getting wild. There's some guy out there screaming about cutting some girl named Kristen's head off so if there's any violent crimes tonight, we're audible witnesses lol

Great service, wonderful food and a great wine/beer menu. Our party enjoyed a fresh Caesar salad,…read morethe tender and delicious bison steak, the succulent scallops and the tender short ribs. Everything last bite was savoured.

I attended a private function at Lunar which is attached to this restaurant and therefore providing…read morethe catering. I had a chance to sample their pizza and I must say WOW. I am not big of pizza however, I'd say it was probably the best pizza I've had. My favourite was the sausage and mushroom as well as the fall harvest. I love how the pizza is not greasy or heavy. There is lots of flavour and the toppings are pretty generous. The pizza is about the size of a dinner plate give or take and serves about 2-3 people depending how hungry you are. Pizza ranges from $20-28. I cut through the restaurant to use the bathroom and noticed that it was packed on a Friday night. It looked nice and had a bit of an upscale vibe. Parking can be a bit tricky as it's Whyte Ave. I'd definitely come back for the pizza.

Four of us went here for a last minute dinner date .... Tacos were amazing especially the avocado…read moreand bean ones and the potato/mushroom enchilada was delicious. A tasty margarita and outstanding service rounded out the meal.

This is a very eclectic restaurant with a cozy feel. It has a cavern type of feel with Mexican…read moredecore on the walls. There is a long and blue lit bar counter. Popular place. They specialize in drinks. The servers were pleasant. The Mexican meals are mainly tacos with rice but no beans for a side. The enchiladas though tasty and spicy were merely soft tacos folded on their side. Seating is casual. The spooky castle like stairs to the basement washrooms are cool! Good for groups. No private parking. The churros and lava cake were good! Recommended.

Weaky weaky. As in literal weak sauce, same watery citrusy soy based stuff on everything…read more Terrible food, ostensibly based on the owners' experiences in Maui. Something was seriously lost in translation. Not one person in our group of four finished their meals. And then the hot water went out, so no more drinks. What a dump! We won't be back!!

Pretty fun place for cocktails . I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It is a bit on the cheezy side,…read morereminding me of the 70s where people snorted cocaine in bathroom, but fun none the less. Great selection of cocktails. Okay menu. Interesting Hawaiian style but not a whole lot of variety for people who want vegatables. Cocktail menu is much bigger than the food, and that is what they focus on. We had two cocktails and they were good. We ordered a few menu items. The mac and cheese spring rolls, the pulled brisket sandwich, and the saimen noodles. Service was quick. Food was good. I think our favourite was the mac and cheese spring rolls. It has a lot of cheesy goodness in it. The saimen noodles were also really interesting, the flavours were vibrant. My husband liked his brisket but I can't say that it is as good as other beef briskets around. However pleasant enough Definately check it out.

PALS!!! I have been a huge fan since their opening day in 2022 and it's about time that I finally…read morewrite about them! Part of the venerable Strathcona restaurant monopoly of The Next Act (the OG), Meat (the meaty one), Pip (the brunchy one), and Marlo (the taco one), Pals holds their own as the sandwich one. This five-restaurant stronghold wouldn't work if each and every one of them wasn't so dang good. But they are. Pals showed up on the scene after Pip moved across the street and there was enough room in the building to fit a delightful little sandwich shop in there as well. Pals to the left and Pip to the right - and one (beautiful) shared washroom downstairs for both. It's a pretty harmonious arrangement as far as I can tell! Pals might be a small little sandwich guy but it boasts a beautiful outdoor patio in the summertime that just about doubles the space. Named Favourite Handheld on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list and most recently awarded Best Sandwich 2025 in EDify Magazine, you'll also find them on the Worldwide Faves section of this very website. The interior is somewhat small but very bright and fresh. Casual light wood high-tops, counter seating, a few bench seats near the back, and the aforementioned patio. You'll also note pops of their signature yellow, especially on their unmistakable brick facade outside. The restaurant feels breezy and gives off a comfortable vibe that makes you want to "stop in to grab a quick sandwich." And maybe people-watch out the window for a few minutes. The staff is also super friendly which makes you feel like you're hanging out with your pals. (Ha! See what I did there?) Situated at a table on a Saturday evening, I was looking for the maximum Pals experience! Pals is all about the drinks and offers an impressive array of cocktails and beer, especially for such a small shop. The Winter Sangria sounded like a seasonally appropriate delight while their Caesar made with pepperoncini brine is an ideal compliment to their use of pepperoncini elsewhere on the menu. On this visit I opted for the Strathcona Sling (Gin, cherry liqueurs, orange & pineapple juice, bitters - $15.00) which not only sounded delicious but also might be the signature beverage of the entire neighbourhood. This drink sounds like it might be pretty sweet but I didn't find that about it. It's very refreshing and the grown-up flavours from the gin and bitters hold their own. What sounds like a kid's shirley temple actually tastes quite adult. This would absolutely be the quintessential patio beverage on a hot summer day during the Fringe - a cocktail that lives up to it's name. The Pals food menu is an extravaganza of sandwiches! There are fourteen different sandwiches in two categories; made hot or served fresh. There's usually a feature sandwich as well. Be prepared for sandwiches like you've never seen them before! But the snacks, soups, and salads are incredible as well and the quality certainly doesn't stop with the sandwiches alone. In an effort to dig into this part of the menu a bit more I thought it prudent to order the Soup & Salad Combo (Choice of soup & salad with house focaccia - $19.00). A great option if maybe you don't want a sandwich. Pals usually has two different soups and salads on the go so you're able to customize this dish with whatever combo you like. I chose the House Soup (dill pickle & spicy pepperoncini) and The Other House Salad (iceberg lettuce, tomato, green onion, blue cheese, bacon, buttermilk ranch). Let's start with the soup. How unique!! You've never tasted a zingy little bowl of soup like this before! I don't know about you, but I love a dill pickle soup very much (maybe it's my Eastern European ancestry) but the addition of pepperoncini totally changes the game. This soup packs a punch but in the most interesting and delicious way. And then the salad! I ordered this one because it sounded like a wedge salad (one of my favourites) without the wedge. A deconstructed wedge salad, if you will. And boy did it deliver! The flavours of tomato and bacon together are so classic and the generous chunks of crumbled blue cheese were perfection. I loved how well-dressed everything was - not a dry leaf in the house. A salad may sound like a boring thing to order but certainly not in this case. Let's not forget the focaccia which cannot be treated as an afterthought because it was incredible. This bread was impossibly light while still possessing the unctuous and oily quality that you want from a focaccia. The crust was impossibly crispy and dusted in salt. What a dream! Honestly, I know that you need to order a sandwich... But maybe you don't? I'm going to have an existential crisis about this. But yes, I obviously ordered a sandwich. This might be an unpopular opinion but I highly favour the "served fresh" sandwiches at Pals by a lot. The BLT is the best in the entire city, I swear. The Burrata is completely insane - I've never seen a stack of prosciutto so high.

I am not particulary a sandwich person when we go out. However, we did want to try the new Pals…read moreSandwiches that opened up just off of Whyte Ave. They also had the sweetest patio which happened to have a few free spots. We ordered a couple of beers (Mojito Sour) and the Italian Pilsner. My husband also ordered a cocktail (the Spicy Paloma). The cocktail was okay but overpriced. It kinda tasted like the ones that you order at a place like Boston Pizza. However, the beers were refreshing and hit the spot. Menu is basic with a variety of Sandwiches, fries, soups and salads. We decided to try two sandwiches and share them. I chose the feature of the day which was a cheddar beef sandwich with a side of tortilla soup. Hubby chose the Reuban with fries. Service was friendly and our water glasses were filled constantly. Sandwiches came out pretty fast. They were well constructed and tasty. They both had a decent amount of meat in them. Definately the Reuban was more flavourful than the cheese and beef. My soup was awesome. Hubby's fries were average. Is this the best place to get a sandwich? No. But if you want a quick bite with decent food with a lovely atmosphere, check it out.

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