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| - My journey in Toronto to visit some excellent restaurants and bars, while there for work, continued at Barchef the night after Marben.
I am a huge fan of specialty cocktails, mixology, etc., so I wanted to see what Toronto had to offer. Could it compete with San Francisco? I had to find out. I started to research places and came across Barchef. The word was solid and so I started to look at the menu. I came to the infamous "Molecular" section of the menu and Barchef now had my undivided attention.
Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan
Crown Royal Cask 16
In-House Cherry Vanilla Bitter, Hickory Smoked Syrup, Vanilla Cognac, Smoked Hickory and Vanilla
$45
Hang on a second...$45...I'm confused...that can't be right. But it is accurate. I've never paid $45 for a cocktail. I had to think about this one and then do a little more research. I just couldn't understand how a Manhattan, of all drinks, could cost that, let alone be worth that. But as I read more about Barchef, I kept coming across reviews with the same themes. They were shocked at first, but took the plunge and were ultimately completely won over. I was still skeptical, but even more curious now. So at this point, I had to have this drink. And thus began another day of telling everyone one I was with, every hour on the hour, that I needed this $45 Manhattan.
So I finally made it to Barchef. The time had come to order my much dreamed about Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan. And I won't bore you with every step of the experience and also to leave a few surprises. But the thing is, it is just that. An "experience." It was a perfectly executed, masterfully crafted cocktail, that from the moment it is delivered to the table, to the final sip, that is just as amazing as the first, does not disappoint for a second. It had won me over. The $45 Manhattan experience was worth it. No regrets. Out of the five other folks that had one along with me at the table, I can definitively say that no one was disappointed, and everyone was extremely impressed.
Add to this, excellent service, nice lounge atmosphere and a variety of small plates perfect for sharing and not to mention, delicious, the result was nothing short of another well deserved 5 Star Yelp Review. Barchef made quite an impression. They know how to give SF cocktails a run for their money in my opinion. Well done!
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