This is the bar up above Khao San Road. Darkly lit, vibey place with some neon and cool music in…read morebackground. Good spot to have a drink while waiting for a table downstairs. Drink menu has some interesting Thai themed takes on classic cocktails. Had the Letters From Iwo Jima Thai version of an Old Fashioned and it was pretty good. Guac and Chips was solid - homemade chips and good quac. King Oyster Mushroom was quite tasty although a bit too salty. Overall (4/5) - not a bad little place pre-dinner.

Nice place to stop by for a drink. Didn't have any food but the menu looked interesting. We sat at…read morethe bar upstairs with big TV's and a great vibe. Our bartender was nice and attentive with a real wit about her saying funny lines and entertaining. Next time will get some food but the drinks I can attest are well pored.

A friend brought us to this place after a concert Friday night around midnight. Super vibey on the…read moreinside laid back and chill atmosphere. The bar wasn't busy which was nice and the food came super quickly! I didn't have any drinks but the food was SO so good and flavourful. Honestly the BEST fried rice I've ever tasted, so incredibly flavourful. We cannot stop talking about it. The sauces on the bao and kimchi fries were so good. Totally going back for good bites and a chill atmosphere!

Great food. Fun place in east end to grab a few drinks and flavourful snack items. Very skillful…read moreand knowledgeable bar staff, friendly crowd and atmosphere.

We stopped by on a whim while waiting for a table at Quetzal around the corner. It's a little hard…read moreto find because it's not clearly marked which gave it a speakeasy feel and made it fun. The hall of mirrors you walk through to get to the main space is SO cool. The inside is dim with an elevated and sophisticated vibe. The drink menu has a lot of very fun takes on classic cocktails. Overall, we loved the spot!!

I'd heard a lot of good things about Slice of Life, so I was super excited to finally check the…read moreplace out on a recent Saturday. Obviously, the ambiance simply can't be beat. You walk in and you're immediately presented with a really cool, really atmospheric hallway that leads into a flashy bar. The service was awesome, too. It was the end of the night, so I figured I'd probably only be getting one drink, which is why I went with the very expensive ($26!) New York Sour ("lot 40 canadian rye whisky. peller estates private reserve pinot noir 2024. montmorency cherry. wild rosehip. citrus. whey"). It's a decent cocktail. The flavors work well together and it did elevate a normal Whisky Sour. However, I don't feel like it knocked my socks off, and as a result, paying about $30 (including tax and tip) seemed a little unreasonable. It's a solid drink, though. It sure fared better than the Truffle Pommes Frites ("shoestring fries, parmigiano, truffle aioli"), which I found to be inedible. I know that truffle oil is one of those divisive ingredients that people either love or hate, but I'd say I easily fall into the latter camp. And this concoction was overloaded with the stuff, so I was only able to eat a few bites before throwing in the towel. Based on this visit, I'd have to say Slice of Life is more style over substance, but I could be wrong and I'll presumably be back at some point to give them another shot.

3.5/5 but I couldn't really give it a 3…read more Great spot for a post work happy hour drinks and bites on a Thursday. Amazing deal for their small plates. They have tons of food option and a few cocktails. I tried the yuzu gin smash, bang bang shrimp, and dumplings. I'd go back to try more of their dishes.

Big Trouble is a pretty unassuming Asian cocktail and snack bar tucked away on the second floor…read morejust off Chinatown. We stopped by for happy hour and were pleasantly surprised to see that it leans just as much into food as it does drinks, which isn't always the case. The space is simple and cute, with a modern snack bar feel and Asian-inspired touches without too much frill. There are a few larger semi-communal bar tables, some booths along the window, and a couple of bigger booths on the opposite side. One small note for anyone over 30 though: the communal tables could really use some back support, because those stools are not doing your spine any favours after a while. Service was decent but definitely slow. It looked like the place was being run by one person who was doing everything, taking orders and making drinks behind the bar, so the pace made sense given that. For food, we tried the cheeseburger dumplings, bang bang shrimp, pork and leek wontons, and the curry beef pocket from the happy hour menu. We also ordered the popcorn chicken and spicy glass noodles afterward. Everything was good enough, but nothing really stood out. The happy hour items felt like solid value (at $5 for snacks, and $8 for a plate of dumplings), while the regular menu portions were on the smaller side, so you'd likely need to order a few dishes to feel full. Seating was a bit of a shuffle. All the booths were taken by couples, so we initially sat at one of the communal tables, then later moved to a booth to make room for a larger group. There was quite a bit of empty space in the middle of the room, and it felt like they could fit more smaller tables if they wanted to, though that might not be the atmosphere they're going for. They were also happy to make me a non-alcoholic lychee mojito, which I appreciated. It was refreshing, though slightly on the sweet side. Overall, I'd come back for the vibes and the happy hour. It's a chill, tucked-away spot that's nice for a low-key hang, and I'd be open to trying more of the menu next time.

We were in the mood for a good cocktail bar and this was recommended to us. It's quite dim and…read morenarrow inside. The staff we interacted with were all friendly. For my drink, I got the Forbidden Fruit and my friend chose the Haw Yeah. I thought my drink was ok, nothing great. My friend's drink was definitely better than mine. We also shared their Lotus Root Chips as a snack. It was pretty good with the dipping sauce. A cool cocktail place to visit.

Sometimes you walk into a place and you instantly fall in love…read more Lonely Diner is just such a place. It's got this '70s rec-room basement vibe that I personally find completely irresistible. If I had a house, I'd want at least one room that looks exactly like what Lonely Diner's got going on. And fortunately, the drinks and food live up to the incredible atmosphere. I started out with the Haw Yeah ("Rum blend, amaro meletti, pernod, hawflakes, high octane black sugar falernum, mulberry grenadine, lime"), which is a delicious spin on a typical tiki drink. I've ordered it twice now, and it's satisfied me completely on both occasions. Another favorite for me is the Lucky Numb-er 8 ("Gin, pomello & lemongrass gentian, cocchi americano, dry vermouth, sichuan peppercorn tincture"), which is their spin on a white Negroni. It's so damn good. It's packed with flavor and definitely reminds me of a Negroni, but like better than any Negroni I've ever had. If that wasn't impressive enough, the food is terrific too. I tried one of their specials, the Wasabi Fried Chicken Sandwich ("Sichuan peppercorn battered fried chicken with a wasabi spiced caesar dressing and anchovies on a brioche bun"), on my latest visit and it's so, so good. The perfectly cooked and impressively juicy chicken is accompanied by an incredibly flavorful assortment of accouterments. I inhaled it, pretty much. The servers at Lonely Diner are super friendly and helpful, too. I love Lonely Diner. I hope it sticks around for a long, long time.

Best cocktails of the trip for this #22 on the best of North America's '26 bars. 4.5 stars…read more Cocktails: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - James was a wonderful host with great recommendations. Even when one was a miss for me, he followed up with a winner - Claire De Lune: gin, vanilla, almost clarified punch style was my favorite. 5 stars - Spiced Prophecy: tequila, ginger, and mint drink was so smooth and effervescent and came with a little sparkly fire show with a wreath of steel wool around it. 5 stars - Fun vibe though was a thin hallway with just a few tables - Style: Q-bert black and white cube flooring Midlights - Some heavy on the scotch flavor which isn't my thing Lowlights - Came from dinner so didn't have room to try snacks

I'm a big fan of Manhattans, so when I heard that Mother was serving up a supposedly top-notch…read moreversion, I knew I had to check it out for myself. I arrived at around 6:30 on a recent Wednesday and the place was about half full. I snagged a spot at the end of the bar and began perusing the menu. Obviously I had to get the Bobby Burns in Manhattan ("Bourbon, Canadian Whisky, Blended Scotch, Italian Vermouth Blend, aromatic Bitters, Salted Vanilla and Drambuie. Burnt caramel with bright aromatics") and it was ready a few minutes later. It's incredible. It's right up there with the best Manhattans I've ever had, and it's sure possible it might be the best. The balance of flavors is right on point, and it's also been incorporated with other tastes that work perfectly. (I returned to Mother a few weeks later and it was just as good the second time.) I was feeling a little peckish, so I went ahead and ordered the Jerk Chicken Karaage. It arrived piping hot and was a far bigger portion than I had anticipated. I figured I'd never be able to finish it, but it was so delicious I inhaled the whole thing. For my second drink, I went with the Honey + ("100% Agave Reposado Tequila, Espadin Mezcal, Ontario Bee Pollen, Salted Lavender Honey & Fresh Citrus. Floral, Smoky & Tart"), and it was so satisfying and flavorful. (I'm all about that Manhattan, though.) Mother is a terrific place. The atmosphere is awesome and my bartender was super friendly and helpful. It deserves its place as one of the city's very best cocktail bars.

Food & Drink that I ordered was good overall. Love the decor and ambiance at the Fairmont and this…read moreClockwork lounge. - Salmon Rillette Eclairs - Good - Crispy Maitake Mushrooms - Not good. Too deep fried. If just fried without the batter would have probably been better. - Coffee - Good

I pretty much dined exclusively here during my three day stay! Having stayed at other five star…read moreestablishments I will say that Fairmont is winning in regards to the quality of the food and beverage offerings. I love the service that I've received staying at the Ritz Carlton but time and time again I will say that the food at the Ritz has been lackluster. Fairmont is definitely in another league. Highly recommend the Saigon margarita and the sea plane. I really also liked my black truffle omelette that I had for breakfast. I can't wait to come back to try the Earl grey pancakes and the Brûléed French toast. I hope they also will have pear nectar next time so I could finally get that pear mimosa that I was craving! Cheers

Super cool place. Good service. Good djs. However you can spend 100 dollars here in like 30 minutesread more

I've been to Zui Beer multiple times now, and it's one of my favourite places to go with a group of…read morefriends when we're planning a night out. The atmosphere is always fun, and it's really set up for people who want to hang out for a few hours. One thing I love is that they sell decks of cards for only $2, and they'll even give you dice shakers for free if you're playing drinking games. It's such a small detail, but it makes the whole experience even better. We usually order the 3-litre beer towers for $55, which are perfect for sharing and always end up being the centre of the table.