This place has been on my radar for a couple of months; however, I had been waiting for a day when my cousin was available to try it out with me. What initially intrigued me about this place was that they had pictures displaying lots of flavoured vodkas (it took me a couple of weeks to put two and two together that the 'Absolut' in their name referred to 'absolut vodka' (duh!) ).
The warm blue glow of the bar makes you feel like your in a trendy downtown nightclub, not a strip mall in suburbia. They also have a seating area adjacent to the bar. Initially, service was lacking. They don't give you any indication whether or not you need to wait to be seated and after not seeing any servers for a five minutes got a dirty look from the bartender when we decided to seat ourselves.
Both my cousin and I tried their 'signature cocktail' being a cucumber cooler. I found it on the stronger side but after a sip or two had no trouble finishing it.
Both my cousin and I also ordered the butter chicken, a bowl of rice and two servings of garlic naan. I found this butter chicken creamy but spicier than I usually enjoy. The portions are big enough for two meals and I had enough left over to cover my dinner the next day.
The bar is covered with televisions and on this particular night we had the option of watching either the hockey game or the food network's "you gotta eat here". I must say watching mouth-watering food while in a restaurant sends your mouth mixed messages and in this case had me wanting to dessert my meal in Mississauga and head to Hamilton to try the restaurant being showcased.
All in all: food was a-ok, service was prompt and fast, atmosphere encouraged you to sit and relax (except for wanting to try the restaurants advertised on tv), price point higher than I expected but reasonable considering the amount of food provided in a portion. I would recommend this place to individuals living in the area who are looking for a relaxing night of drinks and dinner; however, if I returned in the future I definitely think I would stick to their Canadian fare.