Toronto is a city blessed with great cocktails and El Rey is certainly one of the many great spots in the city. The setup and decor, as well as the bar selection is very much on point as with other Grant van Gameren joints. The lighting, atmosphere, and even the general clientele all make for a rather unique place to visit within Kensington. The prices are reasonable and the cocktails are pretty decent as well. My one big issue with this spot is the music volume, which makes it not only difficult to hear friends but to even order drinks at the bar. We mentioned it to the staff (who had difficulty hearing our orders and agreed about the noise) but nothing changed.
Overall, this is a great spot in Kensington for an inspired cocktail, but I personally prefer my cocktail bars quieter than King St. clubs.