The problem with bar/restaurant hybrids downtown has always been the scale of extremes. Its either comfortably on one side of the scale, in the cheap student / sports bar / terrible food / so loud you have to yell or its on the completely opposite side, the uncomfortably full of Bay St. suits / expensive amazing food / good luck getting service if you're there for dinner side. Reds Midtown Tavern sits perfectly in the middle of this scale and it glorious.
Made a reservation for an annual get together of old friends, never having gone before I was depending completely on a friends' recommendation and he was not wrong (he never is), the place is fantastic. We sat in the area to the left of the bar (which I think is the lounge but I may be wrong) with the nice comfortable leather high-back chairs, had food and drinks for about five hours and it is now my new favourite place. The location is good, close to subway and the downtown in general. The staff is super friendly and more than happy to recommend dishes which where right on point. Reds Midtown is comfortable without being a pub yet has food as good if not better than some of the higher end Bay St. restaurants, its like a Unicorn and you should definitely take a ride.
The only downside is that I could see how it could be noisy on busier days. We went on a Tuesday night and it was pretty noisy at 7:00pm but started to get quieter around 9pm. Other than that the ambiance is very warm and welcoming, it is a neutral meeting point for 9-5'ers, suits and creatives alike.