A week ago we were looking for a place to have an informal after work kind of a dinner in the downtown core on a Thursday night. Not too big a group - just a table for 8. But it being late November most of the places we called were booked solid. So we ended up at The Cactus Club Cafe. Normally we would shy away from larger venues like this (Too corporate? Too showy? Too out of the box?) but it turned out really nice. The place was bustling, but even so the service was very attentive and efficient. The scene is pretty corporate but the decor is fun and arty. They have some interesting art (originals apparently) on the wall which was of interest to several members of our party. And the food was really good. I had the ravioli with squash topped with shrimp which was a real rich treat. We shared several appetizers that were also spot on (the calamari wasn't totally to my taste but what can you do?). The noise level was high but not so high as to be a problem. After a drink we all managed to crank up our own volumes to to mutual hearing level. All in all we had a good time - which is what we were looking for. So kudos to the CCC for upsetting my prejudices.
PS - back to my earlier apprehensions, why call it a cafe? It's not.