Although those who have only experienced the Church St. location of Guu might opine that this newer Bloor West one is too big or not cozy enough, I'll assure you that for a larger sized Guu, it's much more izakaya-like than a few of it's west coast predecessors.
After the wild success of this Vancouver based chain caused Guu's to sprout up seemingly everywhere in the city (of Vancouver and later Richmond), the authenticity of the experience really got watered down. Therefore, it was with quite a lot of hesitancy that I visited Guu SakaBar for the first time.
I have to admit that my initial experience was not all that I had hoped for. On a late Sunday evening not too soon after it's grand opening, we walked in to find more than half the tables empty and a seriously lacking atmosphere - You really shouldn't be able to hear your dinner dates without having to shout and repeat yourselves when at a Guu. Although the food was fantastic (as expected) and we were more than happy that we didn't have to wait in a thirty table line up, it just wasn't the same without the atmosphere.
A good few months (and a number of much more properly Guu-like experiences) later, I am happy to report that SakaBar has matured into the group/birthday-party central that it was cut out to be. The communal tables are perfect for squeezing in untold numbers of friends that you didn't tell the host about (in order to get a table sooner), the service is as quick and friendly as ever, and the food is still amazing.
Finally, the "new" Guu is now spilling over daily with both returning devotees and excited first-timers. Arrive early with a smaller group or just bring your whole posse and enjoy the full on experience. Praise Guu!