I'm basing this review solely on my short visit here this weekend where I had the chance to check out the lobby bar, and have a cocktail before briefly getting to experience the now famous rooftop bar for a couple of beers prior to being kicked out due to a wedding.
I had heard and read that the building which formally was where the strip club Jilly's called home had undergone a cleansing renaissance and not unlike the Phoenix had risen up from it's STD adorned ashes as something shiny, pretty and new.
The Broadview hotel is the Boutique hotel that Toronto has sorrowly needed. Sure we had the Drake and the Gladstone but neither really resemble a hotel, more like a multi-purpose building with a very small number of rooms. The Broadview has 58 rooms! Nearly 10 times what either of the others lay claim too. Point for Broadview.
The lobby bar was super nice, and the cage that wrapped around the bar was retro and so cool. It seems like everywhere you look there is a balance of modern meets vintage (with a little bit of 80's strip club neon sheek to make all come together).
I ordered my goto cocktail from the lobby bar - the old fashioned. As my standard for evaluating a bars competency in cocktail mixology, I found this one to hit the mark having a good balance between bitters, alcohol and simple syrup. If anything there might have been a little too much simple syrup as it was a tad sweeter than I'd like - but still very good.
The rooftop was about to close for a wedding service but we managed to sneak up for a couple of beers just so I could see it. The views, the outdoor space, the indoor space, the open concept, amazing. I would definitely give this 10 stars as it's definitely in competition for one of the best rooftop patio bars in the city. The only mild issue I had was the location of the bathrooms which were not accessible (should you require access to them). To reach you need to venture down a set of stairs from the indoor space. Not an issue for me but perhaps there is another way to access it for those in need.
I'll reserve my 5th star (or deductions) for the day when I decide to come back for food and maybe even for a little staycation.