Stopped here specifically for Happy Hour. It was a Sunday, around 5pm on a nice day, so most of the outdoor patio spots were taken, but it was quiet inside, so we decided to stay inside. The interior decor is dominated by a mural on the feature wall, which reflects the Cuban vibe. We tried the following: - Guava Soda: Nice and refreshing, and not overly priced. - Cochinita Taco: Good. I like the use of pickled onion, although there was maybe too much of it. - Birria Taco: Good. Classic taco. - Pork Belly Taco: OK. I found the pork belly overcooked and slightly tough. - Patatas Bravas: Very good. Great flavour, and generous portion size for the price. My favourite dish of the meal. - Guacamole Dip: Good. I liked the house made tortilla chips. Service was straightforward and pleasant. No complaints. Overall, I enjoyed our visit. For a Happy Hour, I was quite content with the selection, the quality and the cost. I would consider returning. read more

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Fun spot for dinner. Mixed bag, some dishes were amazing, some were a flop. Same goes for the drinks. We walked in around 6:40pm on a Saturday. They had room for a group of 4 at the high tables. The booths were booked around 8pm, so we could have sat there but would have been rushed. Total $93.20 CAD for 3 drinks and our spit of dinner (50% of 6 dinner dishes). COCKTAILS * La Ciguapa ($17) - 3 stars. Tasted mostly of the oat milk, not nearly enough of the butterscotch infused mezcal. * Hemingway Daiquiri ($15) - 3.5 stars. Stronger than I was expecting. They let me order this off-menu (I saw photos online). * Plasa Sesamo ($16) - 4.5 stars. Super well balanced, refreshing, complex, tasty. SMALL & BIG DISHES * Chips & Guac ($14) - 4 stars * Patatas Bravas ($12) - 4.5 stars. Great spice mixture, lightly crisped and soft inside. I'm not usually impressed by this dish but this was great! * Grilled Octopus - 4.5 stars. So hard to get the texture right for octopus and they nailed it. * Chilaquiles ($17 + $4 Chochinita) - 4 stars. Quite spicy. TACOS * Suadero Tacos (4 for $20) - 2 stars. Very dry. * Cauliflower Tacos (4 for $20) - 3 stars. Quite boring to be honest! read more

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It's been a year since I've been here (is that why my previous 2 reviews have disappeared?), but the drinks are still excellent! I had the Lemon grass and bay leaf pisco sour which was nicely herbaceous, citrusy and not sweet. Very refreshing. My hubby had the Plaza Sesamo which he enjoyed very much. He also quite liked their bitter orange negroni. We didn't stay for snacks as we were between meals, but it was a lovely, convivial atmosphere with excellent service. read more

Tocador - Their El Papa daiquiri - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Great food. Loved the Octopus. It was so tender and probably the best we've ever had but only if it has at least another scoop of rice. The tacos beef and pork carnitas were tasty. The dine out appetizer - chips and guacamole was good but there weren't enough chips. There were maybe only 8 chips max, so we needed to order and pay for extra chips to finish the tasty guacamole. Both rice and chips are low cost filler items but will make customers really happy. If it wasn't for these 2 points, I would have given the restaurant 5 stars. But we will be back for more tacos and Octopus though. Service was also great and attentive read more

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Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 3.5/5 I had passed by this spot so many times and finally decided to check it out for happy hour (4-6pm) on a Friday. We got there right around 4 and we're seated right away which was great. The happy hour menu is pretty small, with a few drink selections and 2 for $8 tacos (with 4 flavours to choose from including beef, pork, cauliflower and black beans). We got 1 of each of the taco flavours and a patatas bravas to split. The food took a bit to get ready and was average at best. The tortillas weren't very fresh and I found the flavours of the veg ones could use some more spices and be warmer as mine were lukewarm when they came out. The best part of the food was definitely the potatoes which were delicious but a small portion for the $12 price tag. The service is super friendly so the only small knock there was that they didn't refill our water when it was empty but otherwise it was great! As for the ambiance, I'm a bit torn here. The decor is all super cute BUT if you look even a little closely you'll find that the place is quite worn down between ripped seats cushions, banged up walls, and sticky floors. The patio looks like it would be nice for summer days though. Overall, this seems like a very a-okay spot to grab a happy hour but I wouldn't come rushing back as there's better Mexican food close by in my opinion read more

Tocador - the interior of a restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We got the sikil pak dip and patatas bravas to start with along with apple ginger mojito, fuggles, violet and honeydew gin fizz. The drinks were very refreshing and tasty. We got the cochinita and arrachera tortas and a plate of 4 tacos all of which were delicious. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. Would highly recommend stopping by when in the vicinity you will be pleasantly surprised. read more

Tocador - Sikil pak and patatas bravas - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We came here thinking happy hour starts at 2pm, but it was 3pm-6pm. We still ordered some food and drinks anyway. The ceviche was delicious and not too overly sour. Fish was fresh and had good bouncy texture. I wish there was just a bit more pieces of fish. The tacos were comforting and the stand out ones were the Birria Tacos. I thought there was something or the consume to dip them in, but there wasn't. I don't know if that's the norm or not, but I still loved them. Our server who also greeted people at the door was funny and provided excellent service. We will be back to try more items on the menu. read more

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Had a great time at happy hour here! Hora feliz, as they call it, is from 3-6 pm daily. During this time, you can get $5 draft beers or a $8 guava spritz, as well as 2 tacos for $7. Not a bad deal! My friend and I came here 4:30 pm on Saturday and there was both indoor and outdoor seating available. For outdoor seating, they have a small patio on the sidewalk as well as parklet seating. It was nice out, so we decided to sit outdoors. We both had the guava spritz and tacos to snack on. The guava spritz was very refreshing, and the birria and cochinita pibil (roast pork) tacos were both delicious. Tocador is a fun spot on Main. I'd love to come back sometime to try their other drinks and food. read more

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I was here with a couple for a third wheel hangout on January 21st(Tuesday). My pal and her partner wanted happy hour drinks so we actually waited about 15 mins till the opening. Interior and decor looked quite nice. If you like Cuban vibe Tocador is the spot! This place had some beautiful paintings and some DIY displays on used vanity set. We ordered Guava Soda ($5), 2 Mojitos ($9 each on Happy Hour) and then some aged rum (not sure which one it was). Guava Soda was good, but it was small. Mojito was full of ice; however, 2 friends enjoyed their drink I think. I remember the rum was the most expensive drink here. I rarely drink so I don't know which one it was. They had cool eco-friendly straw made out of lemongrass or something else. Staff were helpful and friendly. They helped recommending local dance club so my pal and her partner can go one day. read more

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I love this place. Highly recommend it for a date spot. Drinks are pretty good and the atmosphere is fun. Close to a lot of places as well and they close at 2am. After a certain hour it gets very very loud. Can barely hear anything over the music. I was lucky to be at the bar so I could try to understand the conversation but it was a lot. Still love the atmosphere but if they could bring down the music %35 it would be an even better date spot or friends hangout. read more

Came here for a girls night and really liked the ambience and decorations in the restaurant. Dark with candlelight, tropical/Mexican themed interior. The food was really great as well! Loved the pork belly and ceviche the most. The birria taco was alittle bit dry. The drinks were super strong! Would recommend coming here for hanging out in an intimate setting over drinks and good food read more

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I came here for Happy Hour and had a reservation. We were a party of 2 and were seated outside at a table and 2 chairs that were the furthest from the restaurant. It was outside the place next to them. I think this is just set up for the summer as it was kind of slanted and uncomfortable to sit here. The tables right outside looked great with a beach side vibe. Too bad I wasn't seated at one of those. There was live music inside which was too loud. Couldn't have a conversation. Service was pretty slow. They were out of the cauliflower taco and the fish, instead of fish they had prawns that day. Kind of disappointing to not have 2 tacos from your happy hour menu during happy hour. The guava spritz was just okay, didn't entice me to order another. Their tacos though were good. read more

Tocador - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We went for a couple of drinks and some appetizers. We ordered aguachile and it was very good with authentic flavours. It is hard to find it in Vancouver, so congratulations to the chef We ordered Dolphins fingers (cocktail), I could definitely recommend it. The restaurant was nice with a friendly service. It was to dark for me, even tho, we had candles in our table, for me was a too dark. They have a nice Latin fusion cuisine . read more

Went to grab drinks after dinner nearby around 8ish and was pleasantly surprised to grab the last table in a booth for 5 people. They have a well-organized menu and friendly staff. The place was full of people for a rainy typical Vancouver Friday night. Drinks were a little more expensive for some picks but not others and I really really liked their rum selection so I will likely come back to try. For snacking I tried their Fritas de Yuca which was fried yuca root batons with a spiced mayo. This was actually pretty good - the batter was crunchy but pillow-y and food was served HOT. The mayo accompanied it nicely. My Wavebird was served in a cute clay cup with a sustainable reed (or lemongrass?) straw. That was pretty cool. Service was solid by both wait staff and bartender team. I'll be back again to try their dinner! read more

Tocador - Fritas de Yuca with my Waterbird - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Awesome spot on Main St. I'm definitely going to have to come back to try other menu items because I was too busy this time sipping their margaritas and eating the fish tacos. Def a great place for happy hour as it goes until 6pm :) Friendly efficient service-win win if you ask me! read more

Tocador - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We came to Tocador for a late evening dinner and it was clear it was a popular spot with vibrant music and lights. We were seated immediately and service was super responsive as we picked our dishes. Tocador has an amazing cocktail menu but we were also impressed with the number of zero proof cocktails. I highly recommend the Fiesta Brillante - pineapple shrub, tea and egg whites - it's a complex delicious drink! It's rare that you see so much selection and it was all really thoughtful. Moving on to the food, I honestly have not tasted such a good set of tacos (pork and beef) in a long long time! These were tender, flavorful wonders. I got 4 but probably would have been fine with 3 (but they were too good to pass up). We also got patatas bravas and appreciated the crispness - simple but delicious. Overall - it was a really enjoyable experience and one of the late night bars that still has full food service. Would definitely come here again! I think the music was a bit loud, but I know others enjoyed it. What an awesome start to our Vancouver trip! read more

5 stars for the aesthetic and decor alone. I'm in love. I love that this restaurant exists in Vancouver. I love any sort of Latin American cuisine, and I find that that's one of the few cuisines that Vancouver lacks. Between the beautiful decor, gorgeous bar, and the delicious cocktails, this spot is going to be my favourite new hang out spot. I came in with a girlfriend and we split a couple appetizers: caramelized veggie and bean dip, beef tartare, endive salad, and the cubano sandwich. The appetizers were small, so all of this food was the perfect amount for the both of us. I especially loved the endive salad and the cubano sandwich. Any sort of cubano sandwich makes my belly happy, this one was no different. To drink we both got the "Tell The Bartender" cocktail. I love concepts like this. For me, I wanted a dry, sour, gin or tequila based drink. For her, she wanted a dry, citrus, whiskey based drink. We both were in love with our cocktails. Kudos to the bartender! They're well known for their cocktails, so if you're a drinker, be sure to try one. I'm sure you can get any cocktail turned into a mocktail though. Prepare yourself, Tocador, I'll be coming here more often to try more cocktails and dishes! read more

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This is a great place. It's a small piece of Havana in Vancouver. I don't know of any other Cuban restaurants in Vancouver, so I was happy to finally try this. It's well worth the stop. The decor at the bar is a replica of a Cuban bar. The seating around the place is comfortable with an inviting dimly-lit ambience. I was excited to try the classic Hemingway Daiquiri. It wasn't outstanding, but it tasted good. They have a good list of cocktails to choose from. They also have wine & beer. It's a nice place to just stop in for an evening or late night cocktail, or have a meal. I ordered the Cubano sandwich and I loved it. It's grilled and includes pork, pickles and cheese with a sauce; it comes with greens in a spicy sauce. I would come back for the sandwich. At $15 it's a bit on the pricey side, but it's comparable to other places. read more

Tocador - The Cubano sandwich - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Ended up here quite by accident and don't imagine I'll be back! First impression: They wouldn't let us sit on the patio because there was only 2 of us Food: My happy hour cocktail ( a guava spritz) was very good! I followed up with a rosé which was fine, but was a very small pour! Ordered the cauliflower tacos and the black bean tacos and they were soooo bland...used up all of my hot sauce on the first 2 tacos. Service: Very slow and inattentive. Took a long time to get the attention of severs which was followed up by my drink order being wrong. Aside: on Sundays there is live music which was not great, but maybe some would like it ‍ Probably won't go back when there are so many great patios on Main St. read more

My experience here was hovering around a 2-3 star and ultimately I wouldn't recommend it for dinner so am giving it 2 stars. We had the $40 tasting menu. Some of the dishes I really liked (trout) but the majority were either okay or not at all to my taste. It started off with a number of very tiny appetizers (some were comically small) and ended with two large dishes, the trout and the bison tongue. Now I don't like tongue to begin with (probably should have asked the server to exclude this from our tasting menu) but the presentation was super weird - a large slab of tongue with a hot piece of butter lettuce over it, with asiago cheese on top. Like, what? The piece of lettuce got very slimy, it was just not good. (A more global comment, I also don't think you should include bison tongue on a tasting menu, since a lot of people don't like it.) Overall we got more than 7 dishes, I think a total of 9 or 10. So in terms of amount of food it was decent value for $40 but there were some odd choices. One of the dishes was kohlrabi which was 3 tiny slices of kohlrabi. Tongue dish mentioned above. Another was scallops which were raw - another strange choice for a tasting menu as these really aren't that common. On the plus side, the vibe in here was really great on a Friday evening. Cocktails were good, although service could have been faster on drinks. Would come back for a drink but not for dinner. read more

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Tocador is that rare combo of great food and great drinks. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. In the din of chain restaurants or restaurant groups, Tocador is owned privately and most nights you will Dale and/or Guy behind the bar or out on the floor. You can feel the passion they bring to this establishment. I highly suggest you swing by either for an amazing bevvie from Jasmine, Troy, Guy or Dale or combo it with some great food from Head Chef Tin! read more

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Tocador has delicious, fresh & well thought out plates as well as refreshing and interesting cocktails. I would recommend sharing a few of the smaller plates as each dish is really special! My friend and I shared the Setas Con Pan ("fancy mushrooms), the Croquetas Con Verduras (vegetarian croquettes), the Atún Braseado (seared tuna) and the Chorizo A La Parilla. Every single bite was amazing! They also have some yummy virgin drink options like the Guava Soda. We only took photos of 2 items and forgot to photograph the other two as we were too excited to eat them. read more

Tocador - Setas Con Pan / Fancy Mushrooms - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This is the most NON Cuban Cuban restaurant I have ever been to. Not a plátano to be found & not one Latino or person speaking Spanish. You can't just call it a Cuban restaurant b/c you have a painting of Celia Cruz on the wall, and I would bet money that most of the people there didn't even know who she was. ‍ I had 4 of the items on the a la carte menu between me and my son and 2 drinks and it was $76. I'm not cheap by any means, but really? If you're looking for a cute spot with nice ambience, it's great for that, but they should stop advertising that they are a Cuban restaurant. I lived in Miami for 13 years and I know what a Cuban restaurant Is supposed to be like and this ain't it. read more

A friend was in town and her sister suggested that I take her here. Great suggestions! Just down Main Street from a few micro-breweries, this place makes for an excellent alternative if you want drinks AND food; just be prepared to spend more than you would at one of the breweries. Started off with the $12 TOCORORO (cocktail) which is a Paprika infused tequila, habanero bitters, Dickies ginger beer & dehydrated lime slice. Super tasty & goes down smoothly. Had to order another one it was so good - I like ginger beer flavour. My friend has the $12 BIRD CONSPIRACY Coconut washed gin, white vermouth, lavender syrup, house-made cardamom bitters with lemon cocktail. That too was a win! To eat, we initially ordered the POLLO "CINCUENTA Y NUEVE" however moment later the waitress came back to say they were out of chicken. It was about 9:30pm on a Sunday night after a beautiful spring day. So we ended ordering the $21 FILETE EN RODAJAS Mojo marinated skirt steak grilled med rare with arugula salad, chimichurri & tomato relish all I can say is it was all yum yum yum...even the salad. Shortly after the dish was served, the chef came out with garlic mashed potatoes over a pork rib bone that had small shavings of pork meat within the potatoes. There was also a dipping sauce with it. He said it was something he was working on for the menu and gave it to us as a 'sorry we were out of chicken' offering. It wasn't necessary however after tasting it, I think he's onto something. The staff there is personable as they take the time to chat with you and it was good to see the chef hangout in the restaurant getting to know his customer. This place also has a small, outside eating area (bar-like seating). It faces Main Street and can get loud with the vehicles however it's there if one want to be outside. I'll definitely be back here. It makes for a great date night spot. View my photos to see images of the cocktails & the beef dish. read more

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Walking into Tocador feels vibrant and relaxed at the same time. Great space, decor and vibe. Our drinks were good. Food was not. That's the jist of it. I would come back for cocktails but the snacks and dishes are so mediocre that it's a little sad... read more

Tocador - Extensive bar - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Best tacos!! Happy hour is the best! Definitely recommend this spot for great drinks and 10/10 tacos!

Mojito is to die for especially with the warmer weather upon us. The crushed ice cone topping off a tasty rum and lime blend - oh, yum! Imagine shave ice with an adult base! The Atun Braseado, a barely seared albacore tuna with citrus was the absolutely perfect bite. Worth a return visit to taste the other offerings on the menu. read more

The food and drink menus have dramatically changed. Definitely not the five star experience it was before in the pre covid world. The awesome authentic artfully made Cuban cocktails and food dishes have disappeared, only to be replaced with more run-of-the-mill Latin fusion cocktails and nondistinct Mexican fusion food. In other words the restaurant has transformed and declined from a special gem to a more typical mainstream type cookie cutter place not much different that the rest. That makes it no longer worth going out of the way for. Very sad because the Cuban theme before was leaps and bounds better than what remains. read more

This bar is great, good vibes but my server ruined the entire experience. ALYSSA, the server was awful. Rolled her eyes at my friends and I the entire time. Made us feel like a nuisance to her existence. I honestly felt like she wanted me to leave read more

Ordered 5 items to share on a Friday night. Pork cheeks were delicious and well prepared. Cucubits was a disaster. Raw zucchini with thinky sliced yellow cucumbers and canned white beans? flavorless much. and raw crunchy zuc in a bland cream sauce? Gross. crispy chickpeas? ehh. they are ok to have just a few, but they were served in a large bowl, and i was done after just a few. I started mixing them woth other things just to not waste them. These probably best ordered as a crunchy snack to accompany a cocktail. bbq vegetables. artichoke, beets, and i think mushrooms? all were pickled and very hard. nard to bite and chew. like eating pickled tree bark. scallops. these were actually nice scallops and cooked perfectly, but the purgatory sauce absolutely ruined them. a heavy, brown sauce on a delicate savory scallop? why mess with a good thing? this costs $90+tip and included one pint my wife had. we were extremely disappointed and went to the pizza shop down the street immediately after. why didnt we go here to begin with? read more

This had to be one of my worst experiences this year hands down. We decided to go in because it was new and we were looking for a drink and dessert before we headed home. Let me start off by saying the service is pretty good, everyone is friendly but it all comes down to the offerings. So my drink was good. You can't really mess up a G&T...well unless you're the Diamond lol. Anyways, I digress. I ordered a pineapple cake dessert and it was disgusting. It had a beautiful presentation but it was gross. It tasted worse than a cheap birthday cake. I didn't even finish half of it. My friend ordered churros and they were also disappointing. They were too soft and barely had any sugar and cinnamon. They were not worth the calories and were the worse churros I've ever had. I don't know, this kind of food isn't going to cut in Vancouver. Sorry Tocador. read more

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My husband and I stumbled along this Cuban joint in the Mount Pleasant area and decided to give it a try. Small little patio, great drinks and delicious food. Service was excellent too! Will definitely be back to try other things on the menu! read more

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I almost don't wanna write this so that no one else finds out about it. Please don't show up here....but do cuz they're awesome and nice. Spent a really happy happy hour (more like two hours) here. Food was so delish, Cuban fare; actually had flavour and garlic! Ordered clams, beet salad, breaded shrimp, plantain chips and the chorizo dish. All of it was yum. Perfect salt levels. See the pics. Shrimp was a large size; not the puny shrimp you get normally at other places. Breading was perfectly crunch and adhered well. Both sauces were great - ginger one and garlic. Sweet delish beets with the right amount of oil and goat cheese. Two types of beets. Golden yellow ones were way sweeter than the red. Perfectly sliced plantain chips and deep fried nicely so they crisped up like golden little spoons for the yummy guacamole Beer was good selection. Wine was okay- cab sav. They had cava. Yum and yay. Service was great. Very friendly and always came by. For being right beside cascade, this place was quiet but it shouldn't have been as it's better than cascade. Food and drinks were waaaaay better! I'm coming back!!!! read more

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Drinks and food are expensive and service was horrible. We had a group of five and each dish came out separately (about 15 minutes between dishes). Server told us that "kitchen just sends out whatever is ready regardless of when it's ordered". Kind of stupid in my opinion and will definitely not return. Shame since the place has amazing decor. read more

I enjoyed my experience at Tocador thoroughly and will definitely be back! My bf and I were curious about this joint due mainly because of their beautiful looking cocktails. We love trying new cocktail bars around Vancouver and this one is fantastic! We started off with two bevies - Bird Conspiracy, their special Daquiri. I LOVED mine, it tasted like booze infused tea. The lavender syrup definitely was the star of this drink. We ordered the plantain chips and guac to start which were fab, guac was super tasty, the chips just could have been seasoned lightly with salt. Then came along the prawns and octopus on top of a bed of kale salad. The seafood was superb and fresh. Could have had a touch more salad on the plate but regardless the dish was delish. Lastly we ordered the Jackfruit Cubano (my bf is vego) and let me tell you, I am a meat eater and the Jackfruit could have easily been meat. Had no one told me I'd think it was. Yummy sandwich with a beautiful layer of melted cheese and pickle. This came with a fresh side salad as well which was yummy. Everything was healthy and felt light which I loved. We treated ourselves to the dolce de leche tart and this fell a little flat for me as the tart wasn't soft enough for my liking and the chocolate overpowered any taste of dolce de leche. We ended with two cocktails, Hemingway Daquiri and Smoke and Tobacco. The first was delish and the second was strong! Definitely will be back to this place, highly recommend checking it out. Also the service was on point!! read more

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Good food, exceptional cocktails! I went to Tocador with a group of friends and we were all amazed by how good the cocktails were. I highly recommend you try the Bird Conspiracy, it's out of this world! We also shared a few starters, all of them were very good. The space was nice, and the service very friendly and welcoming. I will definitely go back and support them. One of my new favourite cocktail place in the city! read more

The food and drinks are good but not better than any other Latin/taco restaurants around. And the kitchen is Super Slow and isn't worth the long wait for food and drinks. read more

Best cocktails in Vancouver. Great atmosphere and incredible food. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Came here for the first time yesterday, for drinks and appetizers. I had two cocktails, the Guava Spritz and the special Punch. Guava Spritz was really good. I could have ordered another one of these, it was refreshing and not too sweet. The special Punch was hilarious! It's listed "for two" and it came in a giant wine glass with a stem that made it about a foot high. It was fun to share (both on Instagram and with my bestie!) Appetizers: I don't remember the names (menu isn't posted on their website yet), but one had fish + guacamole + plantain fries, and the other was empanadas with a bunch of veggies in it. I was a huge fan of the fish appetizer! Both portions were pretty generous, perfect for sharing and those two dishes alone for one would make a big meal. Overall, good experience! I'll go back and try more of their cocktails and mains, and bring a larger group of friends because it just seems like a fun place to hang out. read more

I've been to this cute place a few times and I love the decor, coziness and their amazing cocktails! I also enjoy the food especially since there aren't a lot of places that have Cuban food (not that I know of anyway). My favorite part is the live music they have every week!! Goes so well with the space and adds to the experience. read more