I decided to go to Lula Lounge yesterday for a Halloween Party that my dance school was hosting there. I have been to Lula many times before when my school has hosted other events and I must say I LOVE it here... The music is great, the live band is awesome and the salsa lesson is a nice added touch to the beginning of the evening. Last night I didn't go early for dinner, but this place is also a restaurant. Most people arrive around 6 to 7 eat then dance the night away. I have eaten here once and the food was off the wall when it comes to flavour and portions.. Because I am not a picky eater I didn't find it hard to decide on a meal but I do remember people at our table were having a little bit of a problem. During the summer months it can get really packed which is the only downfall when choosing to go to lula. I feel they over pack the place and it's hard to dance but then again Salsa Club dancing is much different than Salsa Dancing :) read more

About 3 years ago I gave Lula Lounge a petty 1 star because it truly deserved it after the service we received, getting food poisoning - among other things. I never thought that I would step foot back in this place. Actually, I may have muttered those words multiple times, however, I somehow was convinced to attend my friend's birthday party this year at Lula. I'm glad that I gave this place a second chance because it was LOVELY. It seemed that the staff was more knowledgeable and friendlier this time around. Our server (I wish I remembered his name) was just on top of his game. Everything from meal recommendations to drink suggestions and just being overly lively. It really boosted the mood. . I had the Spinach Salad, Fried Calamari and Dip Trio. I love how we were able to opt for 1 app, 1 entree and 1 dessert OR 3 apps and 1 dessert. It made it great for sharing and wanting to get your hands and sample the menu. The food was delicious. While we had dinner, a live Jazz band played in the background- they were great. Really added some energy for the dinner portion. Shortly after, the salsa lessons began. This is where I find things turn into a bit of a mess. Too many people in my opinion to follow 1 little woman at the front. Although she was vocal, energetic and obviously talented, perhaps having her up on a screen, an additional person or splitting the crowd in half would be more ideal. I have no idea how people in the back were able to see her. I didn't even bother joining and just sat as a bystander. After the salsa lessons (which I'm sure lasted maybe 30 + minutes - didn't really time the event) there were live dance performances by a dance group. I rather enjoyed that. It was a nice piece of entertainment to get the night going. Then towards the end of the night they had (no word of a life, a 12 piece or more) live band. They were AMAZING, phenomenal!!!. I would come back alone and pay cover just to listen to them. They had great energy, I actually felt as though I was on vacation and listening to a live band from the city. The band played for about 45minutes (or more) again I had no sense of time but the night ended off with a DJ playing a great selection of music. Everything from reggaeton, to dancehall to kuduro and a mix of top 40. I will certainly give Lula another shot in the future. Either for dinner and the whole shazam OR just for the live band and dancing portion. What turns me off about places like this are the dramatic change from one night to the next. Although my experiences were years apart, it can still have some us feeling iffy and reliving the first horrible experience. I'm glad that Lula though made changes and overall improved their staff and food. read more

We went to Lula Lounge for the salsa dance lesson and live music this past weekend. The instructors were great (considering my partner and I have very little rhythm and two left feet), and the live band was fantastic. Even amongst all sorts of seasoned salsa dancers, we didn't feel out of place. I can't comment on the food, as we specifically didn't go there for dinner based on my impressions of the menu (I wasn't impressed). My only criticism is that the drink prices were high and the quality was not too great. (e.g. only one beer on tap, approximately $7 for a pint.) My partner and I each had a mojito ($11 each) and for that price, we had hoped it would be really good. Unfortunately, they were not. Maybe I'm old school, but when your cover is $15, I kinda expect that the drink prices would not be too expensive. So in short, we'd probably go again for the dancing and music, but would drink elsewhere before arriving. read more

While our first time was amazing, our second trip to the Lula Lounge was a disaster! We book online with Open Table, with confirmation of our reservation. My wife spent the afternoon getting ready for what we expected to be another great time at the Lounge. We had booked early as the website advised that the music would start at 6:30, so we booked an Uber and arrived a few minutes early, hanging out in the lobby until they officially opened. The Waiter finally motioned for us to come forward and confirmed our reservation, and stamped our wrist for the evening. And that was when the problem started. The Waiter directed us to a side room table which my wife and I objected to immediately! We advised that we came for the music and wanted to be somewhere around the stage to enjoy the show and watch the Salsa dancing. The Waiter told us that it would not be possible as the place would be full of patrons who had booked earlier than us and the back-room table was the only spot left. We were NOT happy! We told the waiter that was not acceptable but he did not really care, so we just left. Sadly, this whole affair has left a sour taste in our mouth for the Lula Lounge. Be careful booking online as it seems you could be relegated where the live music can only be heard but not seen. read more

Awesome! Thanks to Todd and the tall pretty blonde lady at the hostess stand who could not be more accommodating. They treated us so well and we felt very special. We're here from outside of Washington DC. Can't wait to go back to Lula lounge. A wonderful time!!!! read more

Went to see a dance event and as if our seats weren't bad enough, the waiter kept walking in front of us, over and over. I understand that the bar was next to us, but there were other ways to get there without blocking our view every few minutes, and a few times he was just walking around looking lost. Finally came time to get our cheques. Wasn't impressed to see they had included the tip price on the receipt. and to follow that up when I paid in change/cash for my few drinks the waiter comes back and tells me I'm $0.75 short.I told him no I'm not it's a tip plus, I paid almost $0.10 extra. counted it a few times before ever giving him the money. He stood at the table and didn't leave, he looked confused, and was expecting me to pull 75 cents out of thin air. Someone at my table gave him 75 cents and he left. He then took forever with getting change for just 1 person at our table. Waiter just disappeared into the back again just like he did earlier in the night when he asked for ID and didn't seem like he knew how to determine if it was good or not, and fled with it to the back, and came back a bit later. Do not recommend this place based on this night alone. Had no interaction with any other server, although the manager kept standing in peoples way while admiring the show and watching his employees. 2 seconds ago · read more

Great atmosphere, great music, and good food. Live band preforming salsa music and dancefloor open for salsa dancing read more

Lula Lounge - Salsa music and dancing during brunch - Latin American Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Enjoyed our night dancing salsa accompanied by an awesome live band! Cover charge is $15/per person on 'event' nights. A sit down dinner will get you a table for the whole night. They offer a free dance lesson at 9 pm led by professional instructors who were amazing. It gets really busy on the dance floor and the party goes on quite late. I'm giving it four stars only because they let the place get a little too packed. read more

Been here twice for bachelorette parties. Overall, I probably wouldn´t recommend for a bachelorette. Not wild enough. The food is really mediocre. It´s not terrible but it´s not good restaurant quality, they present well but there´s nothing special about it. Drinks were better. The free salsa dance lesson on the Friday nights is really fun, especially if you´re a beginner. After that, the floor opens up and lots of middle aged couples hit the dance floor. It´s not packed. Really cool venue and decor but food and ambiance is lacking. read more

A friend, who is part of a performative salsa dance group, was performing on a Friday evening, so we came out to support her. The dances (which was a mix of professionals and amateurs) started at 9pm. We arrived at 9pm. Apparently, everyone is free before 8pm (they open at 6:30), however, only ladies are free before 10pm. On Fridays, they generally have a jazz band playing. The band played after the performances were done that evening. In order to sit at a table, you must be ordering food. Initially, our big group of 7 (plus 1 for our friend) was given a table in the corner where the servers kept going to. This table sat 2. You also could see nothing from it. So instead we stood up... which made things even more uncomfortable as it was quite obvious that the servers were not happy that we were in their way. There really wasn't anywhere else for us to go either. Later, we were given a booth, and we ordered more drinks and some food. Honestly, I would not go here to eat. I would only come here to dance. The food was in small portions, and pricey. It tasted good, but nothing extraordinary. The music was decent, and it was quite interesting to see people who are clearly regulars or who are proficient dancers on the floor. I'm definitely a clumsy dancer but the spirit of the dance floor was quite infectious! The only thing I found annoying was when the bill came, there was already a tip included. Which is quite obviously written there, but drunk people could easily ignore it. The staff do not mention that it's there, and the debit/credit terminal still asks you to tip. VERY SNEAKY!!!! read more

Lula Lounge - Latin American Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I went on Sunday morning for brunch and salsa. The salsa lesson was fun and the live band excellent. However, i would not do it twice as they only cover very basic steps and it get a bit repetitive after a while. Service was fast, friendly and very attentive. The food is not impressive (you can get much better brunches in Toronto for much less). Also, I ordered two lattes: the first one was delicious and the second was too strong. So, i am guessing consistence is not their forte. read more

Last minute decision to listen to Ron Davis and the Hogtown Brass and first time at Lula. $35 for a fix prix 3 course meal- which was really good. Service was great and music fantastic. Found easy street parking. Will definitely go back. read more

There really is no other place like this in Toronto. Lula stands as a shining example of Toronto's diverse cultural make up, providing a home for music lovers, musicians, dancers, food enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a lovely night on the town. My personal highlights are: dancing to the Lula All-Stars, the black bean burrito (so good!) and table #24 (if you like a good view of the stage, this is the table to get). read more

I came here with my wife while on vacation, and have to break it down to be fair: Service/Entertainment: This is where they shine. Our waitress was fantastic, the music was incredible, and the Salsa instructor did an amazing job teaching such a large group (I taught at Fred Astaire studios for a while and understand how tricky it is to work a crowd that size). Top notch in that regard. The food: Oh Lord. It was bad. Not just "meh, could have been better," but BAD. Not only was it just barely warm, but it made me violently ill that night. By 3am, I was vomiting and worse in our hotel room. For dancing and drinking, Lula lounge is great. But get your dinner elsewhere beforehand. I wouldn't take my chances there again. read more

Went here last night (on a Friday) and felt like I was transported into a Cuban resort. The live salsa band was amazing. You couldn't help but want to dance, actually there were very few people who remained seated. There was no pretension, everybody was there to have a good time. I found the cover ($15) to be a little expensive given the venue but the live music made up for that. I would definitely go back and start with their salsa lesson before the "nightclub" portion of the evening begins. read more

It s a nice place, the food isn t that great but the price covers also the dance. Minimalistic plates and they ask you to pay for every little thing : do not ask for a spoon of mayonnaise it will be 2,5$ lol read more

Went to Lula's for my wife's birthday. Good was great and we had a great time with the salsa lesson. Only negative was we thought that the live music would have started sooner. Would recommend. read more

This was definitely a HOOT! We went for the Sunday SALSA brunch. This is the deal... you head in for 11, and the meal is 15 dollars flat. It looks like a nice south amercican place... bright colours... big sunken dance floor. they serve spicy rice, a spicy chicken with beans,... pasta, sausages, potatoes, eggs..... your basic breakfast stuff. Agree with the review below... drinks are a little expensive. So, you do the eating thing.... then the instructor calls everyone out on the dance floor. EVERYONE is there.. there were families, kids, old and young folks, and we go through some basic Salsa lessons. This instructor was fantastic... he was so funny, and I think I really improved my Salsa moves. Well, that's what my girlfriend said anyways. I found this less intense and I had less anxiety about this then when doing actual dance lessons. A live band comes on and we continue the Salsa lessons. We went back for some water and sagria refills... and we stayed for about 3 hours in total. For the breakfast for both of us, 2 mojitos, and 1L of Sangria, with tip included, cost us 80 bucks (40 each). So... food was meh... drinks were meh... instructor and vibe was delightful. I'd go back. Yay! read more

Over priced sangria that tasted like fruit punch; not even a hint of alcohol. A tip for you guys: DO NOT GET THE CHERRY SANGRIA!

The cuban band is amazing, the vibe is nice, if you go there just to dance I guess it's fine, but the food and drinks are meh and expensive.

Waste of money and time. We celebrated my friend's birthday on July 20th and even though she booked the venue 4 weeks in advance, our party was seated at 2 separate tables which ruined the night to begin with. Also, the waiter was not genuinely interested to help us and was pretty rude. Food was served during dance lesson which made us eat it cold when we got back. Place was packed with people wearing shorts and palm tree shirts.Really disgusting experience. Do not recommend. Save your $$ read more

I recently went to a birthday there and i was disappointed with the service. First thing was that they messed up the placement of people and tables, they put a certain amount of people at one table and others at another separate table. We all wanted to celebrate the birthday girl together and get to know one another but we were all separated. Second thing is that the service / waiters were rude and didn't make it an comfortable place to be at, not only that but the food was not the greatest. Overall, this was a very upsetting and disappointing time and I do not recommend. read more

Great Idea, dinner and Salsa lessons, Fixe Price at $65. That is the good. Dinner consisted of 3 courses, I had cajun wings, they were good, my wife had the soup it meh. I paid the $11.00 extra to have the rib eye with chimichurri sauce, 1/2 inch steak, cooked to medium well, almost cut in half? no evidence of chimichurri sauce, they brought me some from the kitchen, an insipid mixture of oil, vinegar and ??? Was not the green vibrant sauce I was expecting. Steak was tough, this meal rans as one of the worst I have had, I only ate it because I was hungry and the meal only came out at 9pm. Wife had Salmon, was not dry, but no flavour, was not the best. Dessert was ok, pretty difficult to screw up fruit skewers. Salsa lesson was impossible to follow, they would do well to install screens. The dance floor was totally overcrowded, over all not a great experience and I will never go there again. The wait staff were brilliant hence the 3 stars. read more

$15 cover? Pretty ludicrous. I went on a Friday night, but got there later than I had originally planned (around 10:30 pm.) There was a fantastic live salsa band playing, but not many people on the dance floor. It was an older crowd, and a lot of sketchy men were also present. If you're under 25 years old, this is definitely not the place to be. I love salsa dancing, but this placed really lacked the vibe. The drinks are also overpriced, and the bartender was unfriendly. Not coming back. read more

What a fun place. Live band playing latin music, great crowd. We were surprised how good the food was. We had the Jamaican Jerk chick, very tender and flavorful. The DJ played in between the live sets, lots of fun. Will go back again someday read more

Amazing band feels like Cuba. Just love it. We didn't eat here we came for the band. The reason I gave it a 3 is because it was not busy. I was disappointed. If this place was crowded, it would have been amazing read more

I've heard good things about Lula but tonight when my girlfriend and I came to watch one of our favorite bands play our experience was a disappointment. They had a dog inside the establishment that got better service than we did. read more

Went here for a birthday party on a Friday night. Mandatory $50 prix-fixe meal (plus tip auto added) or $20 cover for just the show with no access to seating/booth. Went in well before the show started, around 8 pm. Mojitos were very decent. All the aperitifs seemed good. However the appetizers were another story. Most opted for the shrimp cocktail, which was little more than 5 shrimps with a mango dipping sauce. Very forgettable. The chimichurri beef was a bit dry and flavourless from what I heard. I had the patatas bravas, which to my surprise bares little resemblance to the original dish as it was just regular french fries with paprika, drizzled with spicy aioli and way too oversalted. The entrés were not much better, the steak was large but seemed overcooked and dry even though medium-rare was requested. The catfish plate was good for everything but the catfish, I wish they'd have chosen a higher quality fish, way too fishy/muddy taste for that pairing. Overall the food is not BAD, but definitely overpriced for the quality you get. I would have been willing to look the other way if it wasn't for the (non-existent) service. Even though there were just our table and a few booths occupied early on, it took FOREVER for the server to come around to ask for drinks and whenever she finally did she seemed to have an unspoken attitude and complete lack of interest. And they kept mixing up who ordered what even though they wrote everyone's name down. Even the guy that poured water had an attitude and everyone's cups were always empty for periods of about half hour. Not one good thing to say about the service. The rest you know from the other reviews - the salsa lessons, live band, dancing. That was good and fun. I would never come here for the food again, only for the entertainment. read more

Bought a voucher online for Sunday Brunch. The atmosphere was nice but the brunch was horrible. It consisted of very little choices. I was not impressed. read more

I organized a group of 13 people combined with Friends and Family to come out to Lula Lounge, I must say I am a huge fan of this place. I have been here a couple times but never posted a review after how accommodating the staff were I believe they definitely deserve one. I had made my initial reservation for 13 people but out of those 13 a total of 5 ended up going for dinner when I called to let them know the staff were extremely nice about it and totally understood that things change. The night of Toronto was slammed with a gridlock as one of our major Hwys got shut down (Dvp) my reservation was for 7pm I called that day at 4:30PM and explained the situation that was going on in the city and they were able to accommodate my party by pushing the reservation to 8PM. The 5 guests were all there by 8:30PM, our waitress was a sweetheart she was checking up on us frequently. Below is my following Rating. Restaurant General Look 3.5/5 Salsa Band 4.5/5 Only because most of the music is just salsa but either way they are great... Food 4.5/5 I got the steak dish, but someone else got the fish dish and I would give that a 5/5 Service 4/5 My party stayed until close and everyone left extremely happy, msg me the next day saying they would all do this again. I am thinking of hosting my 30th Birthday there in Jan 2015. It almost felt like I was in another country. Definitely will be taking more people there to have them experience the live band. Date we attended the restaurant November 29 2014. read more

I took my boyfriend out to Lula Lounge for his birthday on Fri. Dec. 21 and we had such a good time! We each got a 3-course dinner and everything was delicious. I had a fish plate as my main course & he had the steak. We both loved it (and believe me, my boyfriend is picky!) and the homemade desserts were amazing. They had a reasonably large and decently priced drink menu, and even though we didn't order wine the list looked good. They were quite busy, but our waitress was really on the ball and super friendly. She delivered our drinks and food reasonably quickly and was just a pleasure all night long. This alone would make me want to go back, but I can't leave out what really made this whole excursion worthwhile - the live entertainment. There was a phenomenal 4-piece jazz band who played for about an hour during dinner (sorry, can't remember their name), followed by an entertaining and not too difficult beginner salsa dance lesson. Then the lights went down and a huge, probably 10 or 11 piece Cuban salsa band called Cafe Cubano got on stage and totally blew us away. We're not normally salsa enthusiasts but we were on the dancefloor for practically their whole set! The DJ that came on after switched it up a bit and ended our evening with some more typical top-40 dance tunes, which we're a bit more accustomed to. While it wasn't dirt cheap, for the amount of great food and entertainment we got it was more than worth it. We paid $49 each (I think the steak dinner was a few dollars more) for two 3-course meals, 2 live shows, a DJ, a dance lesson and great memories! After drinks tax and tip I didn't even break $200. For a night out in Toronto - not bad at all! read more

Let me start off by saying this place is a joke they are money hungry , the only good thing was the live band after that it went down the hill. They are over price for nothing .the music was terrible ,the trio dip with home made plantain was so bad, they also charge you for sitting on real.I will never go back there. People don't waste your time going there read more

I went there for a Salsa Night. There was a class first and then social dance. After dancing for a few hours I went to sit on the side until the waitress came and told me to leave, as they reserve the seats just for people that are drinking. I think that after paying $18 I should have the right to sit when I am tired. I am disappointed. read more

We went for brunch. Food was ok. It was a different experience and the live music makes it different. We also went with kids and it was a good atmosphere for them. It won't be one of my go to brunch spots, but it's worth a try if you want to do something different for brunch for a change. read more

Live Band and DJ. Place was hopping last night (Friday night). If you want Salsa dancing, this is the place for it.

One of Toronto's best venues for live music, dancing, and great food. The jerk chicken burrito is a must have.

oh ya, 5 stars. for the food! also, pleasant service. warm atmosphere for all its nooks and lofts. but the food! bit pricey, but not as pricey as when you go specifically for a quality and creative food experience. that's how i would describe this menu. good portions too. the flavour combinations were such a surprise, not just for a place that seems to be much more about the acts. i was told the chef's name is Trevor Viirre, that the menu is his creation. our whole table raved about the meal. ...except for the quiet one... oh and the cynical one, but i could tell they loved it too! this guy trevor is a super star. very talented. what a treat. read more

Among the top 5 worst restaurant foods I have ever had in my life, if not the worst! Tried the steak and pork chops and they were nothing resembling edible food. The steak was like plastic and the pork chop was fat chop! Went there for dancing and ended up eating there and that was a grave mistake! The wait staff were very polite and nice so that wins them a few points! read more

I read reviews that the food wasn't good, but I and my 3 guests enjoyed it. I had the chimichurri beef appetizer. Not the best cut of beef, but it was delicious and was served on a plate with a delicious salad. My entré was the pork chop. It was a big portion, well seasoned, delicious. My friend got the sole, which I tried, and it was nicely cooked. Dessert was gross. I had the fruit, which was not sweet, served with a weird cinamon yogurt-style dip. My friends had the flourless chocolate cake, which I thought tasted gross, but at least one of my friends liked it. Dance lesson was good by kind of hard for everyone to see the instructor. Might have been better if the instructor stood in the middle of the crowd instead of at the front. The band is an authentic salsa band. Very good. DJ was good but I would have liked if he played more of a mix to break up the hours long salsa sets. It was mostly large groups at dinner, all of whom oddly left well before midnight (in other words, weren't there to dance). I'm single, and didn't find this to be a good place for singles. Most people are paired up. There were two groups of all ladies, both left fairly early. ....certainly before I was drunk. Imported beer was $5.95. Three course dinner was $54 on a Sat night. Well worth it for the overall experience. read more

I recently held a milestone birthday at Lula, and I could not be more pleased with the experience. The management was very easy-going and efficient as I planned the event. The cost was beyond reasonable. There was tons of room for the 130 people I invited, so that some could sit and eat dinner while others mingled. Plus, the food was really good. I recommend it without hesitation for a private event. read more