A brief detour for a single drink revealed more than enough reason to return in earnest. The Comrade occupies that rare category of bar that has clearly thought deeply about its identity -- the result is a space that feels genuinely inhabited rather than designed. Taxidermy and hunting lodge accoutrements line the walls, an aesthetic choice that, on paper, ought to feel incongruous in Riverdale. In practice, it works rather well: the darkness, the worn leather, the shelves of curated spirits conspire to produce an atmosphere that is warm, eccentric, and wholly its own. Those who have lingered longer speak of a compact kitchen punching well above its modest menu's weight -- the prime rib burger, in particular, has earned something of a quiet legend among regulars. Cocktail work is similarly assured, with balanced compositions and the kind of attentive service that guides without hovering. This is not a restaurant in the traditional sense, but The Comrade takes its hospitality seriously, and that sincerity permeates the experience. A visit of greater duration -- and appetite -- is already overdue. read more

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There are many great things about this cozy bar, the ambiance (though be prepared for the hunting lodge aesthetic), the friendly staff and the great food. I had the prime rib burger and it was excellent. I found out later that it's what they're know for, so I lucked out ordering it. There are no sides but the burger itself was really tasty. The shishito peppers were surprisingly spicy and fresh. Another good point is they are one of the few places serving food past 10pm in the area (though not much past that, maybe 11pm?). Downsides are the limited menu items and the fact that you can't order food past 11. Go visit them and enjoy yourself! read more

We travel to Toronto from San Francisco regularly to film commercials and always make it a point to have a burger from The Comrade. The juiciest burger I have ever had. I think it's a ribeye burger? The goddess salad is also exceptional. Yum. Can't wait to make it back up. read more

Exceptional cocktails & staff Small but cool place to hang out before shows in the area read more

My partner and I come here once a year as we hung out here once before we started dating. It's a cosy and low-key kind of indie bar with a concise menu of snacks and cocktails. They used to have boquerones but now the panne con tomate with white anchovies remain. The crudo is made with a a different white fish depending on season, and is fragrant with generous olive oil dressing and tiny chili slices. We were pleasantly impressed with the burger, which has substantial juice and body despite not being like a trendy smash burger. Instead of fries there are kettle chips. It is dimly lit in there--- and you'll need your phone to read the menu or appreciate the full color of your food ... which is actually quite good. Would return again. read more

The comrade has been on my list to visit for a while, and I am so glad they survived the last two years. Niche bars like this is what makes Toronto so amazing! My partner and I weren't super hungry, but we wanted to grab a drink and a snack. We got a couple of local crafts off the tap, and just enjoyed the ambiance. The food menu is small, a tad pricey, but it's excellent! We only got the potato corquettes, and my goodness I wish I ordered the entire menu. I can't wait to be back with an appetite! read more

I absolutely recommend this bar. Love their old fashioned. It's got a very old school feel and is a nice place to have a drink on a summer night. I like the dark ambience as well. read more

I came here after a tough day at work. I had heard great things about this place from other people before my visit, so I had high expectations and hoped that it would improve my day My friend and I were seated at a two-top, but we moved to the bar, where it was a little quieter. The staff didn't have any issues with this. We each had a couple of drinks and shared a burger. The burger was outstanding, and I highly recommend it. This place is quiet pricey, so I don't foresee visiting very frequently. 4 drinks and a burger cost over $100 after leaving a tip, but it was a nice treat. read more

Came to bring my friends yesterday (Thursday night) around 11/11:30. The place was busy ish. ambience was great! the manager working on the other hand was super rude and unwelcoming. He not only refused to let us order cocktails, he accused us of stealing glassware while counting our drink glasses as he was clearing our table. The manager kept talking about how he didn't want to overwhelm the bartender, and insulted our occupation as we said we were part of the service industry and understood stressful nights. To that he laughed and jeered. Honestly one of the worst experiences I've had at a local bar. I would advise people to avoid it if you see more than two tables inside. read more

We stopped by for my wife's birthday a few years back, and looks like I started a review, but never finished--so here it goes: Loved the ambiance; dark, dimly lit, a very romantic place to hang out and have drinks with my then fiancée. It was in a decent hood, and we walked many places before settling in here. Fantastic drinks and great friendly staff--I mean, it was Canada afterall! Can't wait to get back to Ontario and hit up these awesome establishments again! read more

I strongly recommend the French 75 Service is excellent Food is fabulous Atmosphere is sexy What more do you want!? read more

Poor service with strange waiters that will be rude to you. Definitely would not suggest coming here there are weird vibes. I would rather go somewhere else. read more

The best Old Fashioned in the city (made by Brian) and a burger that is so good I can't eat burgers anywhere else anymore... Overall the drinks are just fantastic and I haven't had food I didn't like. If you like the type of atmosphere they have (dark, stuff on the walls, old-timey feel) then you will like it here. If you like places that are bright and simple then this is not your atmosphere. And my water glass was always kept topped which is a must for me at a cocktail place. It helps that this place is local for a friend of mine so there is plenty of reason to visit frequently, but it is also now the place I recommend to anyone who is in Toronto for just a little while and looking for great cocktails. read more

The Comrade - Just sat down! - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here for the Prime Rib Burgers and Damn it was really good. The quality of the meat and the extra pickles were great. I wouldn't order the chips again as they were soooo salty. The atmosphere is pretty cute, I would definitely have a date there. It's really small and intimate. The service was also pretty good! I'm going back! Keep Eating, Angela read more

The Comrade - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Lovely cocktails, great vibes! The East end continues to impress me. You can't go wrong with any cocktails they have. The drinks were made fairly fast considering how much effort and detail each drink takes. The burger was also very delicious. It's topped with a pickle! Only issue is that we ordered something else on the menu that took way too long, and had to cancel it because we were on the way to a concert. read more

The Comrade - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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So good! Love the goddess salad and hamburger. Beat hamburger in town. Also all of the cocktails. And it's such a great place for afternoon (or anytime) drinks! read more

The Comrade is my favourite lounge in Leslieville! Great beer selections with 2 full pages, for sure you can find something you like! Cocktails from $10 were nicely crafted. My Elderflower Frizz ($10) was well balanced. Staffs were attentive and not being overbearing. I love the different seating options. The armchairs we lounge in feels homey and comfy...... Cheers! read more

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The server forgot my meal, for 45 minutes said nothing. I had to find them to ask if they had ordered it or not and implied if they didn't I was okay not to have it and they responded "okay". Received a $1Off customer appreciation fee as a result across all bills, with no "I'm sorry" or even acknowledgment they had messed up. Also added some of my friends portion to my bill, at that point I just wanted to get out. In addition to the poor service, all the food plates were small and over priced portions ($27 for 3 cheeses with theee slices each) one tiny cut up meat portion for $17!! Compare to what you buy at grocery store and then inflate it x10. If you want a cocktail go there. If you want food, I'd save yourself the disappointment and forgo. read more

Probably the last remaining quality cocktail bar in the east side and I mean that in the best way possible. After Shore Leave closed, we were looking for a chill low key cocktail focused bar in the east end that was still reasonably priced and not like overhyped. Comrade has been there for 16-17 years now amazingly enough. I've lived in Leslieville since I was a kid and would frequently walk past it. I even made a point of walking in there when I was finally legal just to see what all the adults were hyping this place about. It's low key, has cool furniture, kitchy decorations and lay out. They serve food during the day which is cool. During my clubbing days I could never understand how I could ever get to a mental place where I could justify paying $17 for a fancy cocktail. Then... I grew up into a proper Toronto yuppy and stopped drinking jagerbombs and coronas. Cue The Comrade. Shore Leave was a cool concept because it was a cocktail focused bar in the East End, perfect for catching up with friends or having a date or a small birthday with low volume music so you can actually talk, and drink something of a very polished quality. That place got shut down due to landlord issues so where else can we drink in the East End? Leslieville has a lot of bars and restaurants but honestly Queen West and downtown still dominate the bar scene. Comrade has been there forever, survived the pandemic, and when I was finally old enough to appreciate the place (aka start drinking scotch, whiskey, bourbon, like a grown ass man) I finally stepped in decades later. And wow, menu was great. Totally customized cocktail menu, beer and wine menu is solid too. Had the R+M with the foam, and one other. Reasonably priced, chill decor with low key music. The place has real character to it and I'll be sad the day Toronto real estate swallows places like this because you can only achieve these type of establishments through a long standing history of serving the neighborhood and building up a client base that appreciate it for what it is. Unpretentious understated quality, relaxed but polished, reasonably priced. King St has glitz and glamor and lots of obviously fancy places that are expensive as hell to drink and are always packed with a line up. Every neighborhood needs a quality cocktail bar like the Comrade. I haven't even tried the food yet but when I do I'll write about it. The cocktails were sophisticated enough to have me coming back though. Hard to find a good cocktail bar these days that doesn't have a crazy line. Will bring a date there next time I need a reliable spot. read more

Jen and I decided to come here one evening along Queen Street east. I've heard quite a lot about this place so it was long overdue for a visit. Inside this dimly lit venue, it's quite cozy with interesting decor. Since we were here for a drink we decided to sit along the bar. They've got a great selection of cocktails and their bartenders truly take this art of crafting it seriously. Average price of the cocktails were around $12-16 which was average to high. Presentation and taste was worth the wait. Below is the break down of what we had. R+M Old Cuban Chocolate terrine (pistachio/ Jew salt) read more

Came here on a Friday night with friends and this place was packed. Which meant service was super slow. Took over 20 minutes to get drinks. Interesting choice of decor with a very mixed crowd. Despite crappy service that night, the cocktails were good and we tried the pork belly and quail egg toast which was delicious. Based on that sampler of food, I'm curious to come back and try some of their other food offerings. Torn between returning to try more food but facing the possibility of poor service. read more

The Comrade - If you don't mind sitting under this, can be a cool vibe - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I get around...and not just in the sexual sense ;) I also get around to bars. Many, many....many bars. (I love drinking and socializing, sue me!) So for whatever that's worth, I'm awarding this particular bar five stars because they nail it on all counts....vibe, decor, music, cocktails, food, lack of pretension. Actually it feels like an NYC bar (think East Village/Lower East Side etc)...and I only say that about bars with a certain 'je ne sais quoi' coolness factor. This place has it in spades. To be honest, we only ate charcuterie (cheese/meat selections) and veggie potstickers, but both dishes were done exceptionally well. Cocktails were great too. Next time I'm getting around (tonight perhaps?) I'll be back. read more

Yes, yes, yes! One of the best bars in the east end. The name threw me. No offense to mother Russia, but vodka bars ain't my scene, and I assumed that's what the Comrade would be. Nope. 20+ excellent beers, a page of classic and modern cocktails, and another page full of whiskey. They've got a new bar menu with tacos, ribs, fried chicken, and something called buttered kimchee. The space is cozy but not crowded and the prices are perfectly reasonable. The Strokes, The Cure, Queen, Metric - I had to ask. "Where are you getting this excellent music?" "Mostly from the 90s." Staff with wit, that pushes them over the top. 5-stars. But don't tell everyone, okay? Let's keep this place under the radar, leave the riffraff over at Jilly's. It's run by the same folks who run Goods and Provisions down the street, so expect tasty food and lots of Bourbon. Pro-tip: Get a table by the front on a nice night, and you can roll up the garage-style windows to watch Leslieville go by. Pro-tip: Their special in-house cocktails are surprisingly great. Last night it was the "Rosada," a dry hibiscus and pernod sock-rocker of a beverage. Pro-tip: Kalbi beef tacos. Keep it on the DL. read more

The Comrade - Their new bar menu is visually and gastronomically beautiful. - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I could not have designed a better place to get drinks in the Queen East neighborhood. The Comrade is newly redesigned with a combination of brick walls, modern furniture and old signs and wall hangings it is a designer's dream. The drink menu is pages long, made up primarily of pages of beer and wine. There is, however, a great selection of house-made cocktails. I tried both the Gin Fizz with elderflower and the Dark and stormy, a rum and ginger beer delight on a hot summer night. There are also an array of typical top shelf liquors. We sat in the front, super comfy chairs, but ventured back to explore the lovely bar stools and the back room would be great for a private event. The servers and owners are adorable. The night we were there, Dean, the bartender was all daper in bowtie and vest. A real 'old-fashion' experience. read more

The Comrade - Lounges Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Name a better burger in the city!! (Cuz I would love to try) Burger is impeccable, an they ain't charging 20+ bucks for it like countless other places in the city. I really respect them for that! Cocktails are on point read more

Bar staff are super friendly. The burger is moist and juicy. Their tapas are just the right size. Can't wait for this pandemic to be over! Miss sitting at the bar. read more

Best bar in Toronto. Great burger. Good cocktails and beer selection. Super friendly staff. Brian makes a great pims cup you've got to try it to believe it! read more

Well it's been a while Comrade, but I am glad to see you back! Walking my dog yesterday afternoon, I saw across the street what looked like a mirage! The Comrade had that big front window propped open and they had a great bottle shop set up and ready to go! Yah some of the wines were a bit pricey, but hey...they are curated! I grabbed some local ciders and went home happy. Frankly it was so nice to see the smiles of the people working there, even from 2 metres away. They are open Friday to Tuesday so giddy up for some interesting choices and good neighbourhood cheer! read more

Came on a Monday. Ordered olives, bread and spread, and a dozen oysters. We were a table of 3 and came here to grab a snack while we waited for a table at the Broadview. After 20 minutes we were wondering if the food would ever come but we kept drinking our cocktails and waited - at the 35 min mark we were ready to give up. My girlfriend went to pay the bill (at the bar because nobody was coming around) and as she went up our server brought the olives and bread... okay fine - but still no oysters. We start to eat the olives and then our table was ready at the Broadview. I left to go ahead so we wouldn't leave the table. The other 2 in my party stayed behind in hopes the oysters might eventually come. My girlfriend already paid for them sat down and waited another 15 min. No oysters. They left. Never going back. read more

Used to live on this side of town a billion years ago. When friends who just moved from Brooklyn, NY to Toronto this summer asked us to meet up when we were up from North Carolina, we went Queen West instead of East originally --- what's over there?! Apparently a lot of new bars/restaurants folks! Our friends come here often so they knew what to expect. We didn't. SUPER dark (barely any light) SUPER loud (between the music which was pretty varied to other patrons) I was mad when we sat down b/c we were there to visit! Catch up! Find out how their move went! The atmosphere truly was hampering my ability to enjoy the moment. Then we ordered. The burger. Oh My Gawd. The other reviews are correct. This burger was amazing. It's been three weeks & I'm still thinking about it. I had another burger at a super expensive award winning place a few days later expecting it to be the be all & end all of burgers but this burger from The Comrade blows every other burger I've ever had out of the water. Also -- I've been on a WWII historical fiction reading kick this past year so this restaurant was very apropos. I'd post photos but seriously -- it was so dark in there I couldn't see my hands in front of me to find my fork never mind my phone .... now I wonder what was really in that burger ... :/ read more

The Comrade may just have the best hamburger in the city!! It's 5 stars. Order it and thank me later! The cocktails are done really well. I'm a fan of the dark and stormy. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is fun. Where can they improve? In my opinion the music could be better and the beer options are pretty weak. I would like to see more craft beers added. Now go and eat that burger!! It's amazing read more

Comrade: an intimate friend or associate, a fellow soldier. My fellow soldier, Matt M and I, got very intimate with the food and drinks... and more drinks (...and then they just charged us for the bottle) at Comrade last night. It was a lovely evening and the staff were superb. For a Tuesday night they were pretty busy, and there was only one server and one bartender. Kudos to the whole staff for being so grand whilst being so slammed. I had the deviled eggs followed by the tacos and Matt had the hot dogs. Everything was delicious. The menu has a Korean twist to it, which at first seemed out of place, but the flavors were creative. It worked. Koren? Russian? Pub? It's everything in a darkened, drunk package. The bartender makes a good bourbon sour, and the sauv by the glass is good. They keep it really cold. I like that. PEPPER POINTS For having Chess for the patrons to play in the back. PEPPER'S PISSED: There were these film dudes doing script edits at the table next to us. They are making the worst RomCom of all time and think they're fucking Woody Allen. But we had fun mocking them. So maybe I wasn't so pissed... but ugh. You know the type. read more

Love this bar. One of my good friends who is an Eastie brought me here and we went back tonight. It is dark, but welcoming. It is a bit hipster, but pleasant. And I'm sorry, if you work in that area you are a true hipster and not an Annex hipster. Staff are really laid back and nice - the drink selection is KILLER and you will find some gems on the list. They also have a season beverage menu which is awesome. They also don't bother you all the time - they come after they realize you're done your drink, not 100 times in between. A definite must if you have graduated from the tacky "see and be seen" crowds of Toronto to a more laid-back cool. read more

My comrade (read: roommate) introduced me and everyone else to The Comrade for her birthday party which was pretty cool because I would not venture all the way out there for a bar. It was dark in there, and usually good things happen at darkly lit, hip places (err... or bad things, depends on your skewed interpretations). It was also packed when I got there, which was another sure sign that it's happening. Her party was in the back part of the lounge so I didn't get to mingle and see what the crowd was like but I tolerate it. I'd go back and check it out again. (They only had one bathroom stall per gender though?) The big downer of the night was when I was paying for a few rounds of drinks. The first bartender short changed me for a round, which she acknowledged and apologized for. Then, for another my second round, I had some bills plus a $5 bill in my hand to give to the bartender (a different one). I later switched this five to a twenty, but she refused to believe me. Since I was only having a couple of drinks, I knew full well what bills I gave her and didn't but at this point it was my word against hers. She spoke to me in a extremely condescending way like "you're drunk, you don't know what you're talking about" which I really did not appreciate. So, she pretty much just robbed me of $20. Ugh, thinking about her tone of voice and facial expression brings back unpleasant feelings. Moral of the story: just watch out for your change when you pay here I guess. read more

I go to bars, and then forget to Yelp about them. Or remember things like: "I danced to Salt n Pepa" or "tangy limes!" or "it's hard to get up on those barstools in heels!". Helpful, right? So, my nights at The Comrade haven't left me with a depth of detail helpful to those scouring the Yelpiverse for Leslieville lounge recs. BUT...isn't a fuzzy memory a mark of a good night? (assuming you're head-nodding in the affirmative) I can enthusiastically vouch for The Comrade. Great decor, creative drink specials, attentive service (minimal wait at the bar even when busy; circulating staff who check in), cool music, chill folk. One drink turns into multiples and, well...there's another Saturday night down the hatch, gang. Yelp note: in warm weather the front of The Comrade opens with garage doors. Sit inside, get some breeze, do some people watching...it's a fail-proof formula, trust. read more

Cool vibe, slow service, won't return. Took 20 minutes to place our drink orders and shortly afterwards we were asked to switch tables (we were a party of 4 at a table for 6). 30 minutes in we finally received our drinks with no acknowledgement of the inconvenience. Cool decor though. read more

Yes, I'm a fan. The fellow parents on my street always need a time to get out and act like adults. We landed here and frequented for a while (need to return). I'm a big fan of the burger. It arrives unassuming, looking true to its low price. First bite is surprising and tasty. I'm a big fan. I've paid twice as much elsewhere with half the taste and will never remember them. Food is great. excellent selection of drinks. Trappist and burger is great. read more

Great hip place for happy hour or an intimate date setting. The cocktails are well made and the burger is out of this world!

I remembered reading about this place on Yelp, and how it got such good reviews, so when I walked by today and was starving, I immediately suggested we go in for late lunch/early dinner. We got there at 5:05, so just as the place had opened. As such, it was dead, and we were the only people in there. Sometimes, this scenario in restaurants leads to really good service, because they've got nothing else to do. But sometimes (as was the case today), it means you're basically ignored because they aren't really in the swing of things yet. It bothers me when you can SEE servers goofing off instead of serving you - having a dance party, switching the CDs, stopping to taste some beers from an alcohol salesguy that stopped by. All this, while we sat and waited. We were in a rush, so I figured when our first dish got brought out, I'd let the guy know - "We're in a rush, so can we get the bill?" I said, even though we still had two more dishes to come out. I figured this was clear enough. The chef would bring out a dish, and the server would take his SWEET TIME bringing it to us. I have no idea why. Maybe he was bitter he was missing the gorgeous day. The food was just ok. "Hot dogs" are a guessing game, as that's all that's written on the menu. Two mini dogs came, one was okay, the other was really not very good. Mac and cheese was literal and nothing special - no "other" flavours, just macaroni with pretty ordinary cheese. Smoky ribs were way over smoked, almost to the point that I couldnt eat mine. Two stars because I loved the decor and the ambiance of the place. I am sad I didn't get the good experience everyone else seems to have. read more

AMAZING Vladamir. But this is no ordinary Czar bar, in fact service is speedy but not rushin' either. Over 50 beers and a wide selection of wine blah blah...fine..., but what sets The Comrade apart is the attention to cocktail detail. Each drink is specifically garnished and cupped accordingly with masterful detail. My favourite 2 favourite drinks here are: - Dark & Stormy - Comrade garnishes this with candied ginger - Old Fashioned - Very strong The service was spectacular, my vegan date (though she's not cheesy or a vegetable) couldn't eat much on the pork belly infused menu so the hostess told us we could pop 2 blocks down to get some vegan cupcakes and bring them back to the restaurant to eat them. Most restaurants fear competing cupcakes--this one embraced it... thanks Comrade. read more