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| - Wow. So much vitriol! As a Yelper, I like to think that my reviews are fair. I may not be a professional "restaurant critic" or have toiled my way in a kitchen, but I feel that I've eaten at enough restaurants and drank at enough bars to have some sort of distinguished taste. But this is what Yelp is for: honest reviews from real people. I think constructive criticism is important to improve a business. I am not sure if previous reviews have done that so I'm going to chime in on my experience from May 20th. Part of this review was already written right after.
VIBE
This is one sexy place. The main bar is separated from the other part of the room. I love the couch set up in the back and it's perfect for date night. We came here on a Saturday on a long weekend, so it wasn't crowded at all. But what's lacking here (and unfortunately due to its location and zoning laws) is a patio. That said, in colder months, this will be a great place to hibernate.
Staff are extremely professional, knowledgeable and friendly. I'll explain below.
WE DRANK/ATE
If I'm at a bar, I think it's best to keep it simple. But with a place called the Spirithouse, I guess it's de rigeur to have a binder's worth of cocktail infusions. That said, their concoctions are interesting, fun and yummy.
Unfortunately since I went over two weeks ago, I forget exactly what we had and the cocktail list is not on their site.
I do remember having the London Clocktower (as per Jennifer M.): premium gin, blackberry puree, rooibos tea, fresh pressed lemon, grapefruit bitters
We also had a few cachaha based drinks as well. My friend who just got back from Brazil noticed that the drinks were watered down. I noticed the same thing.
We also decided to try the donuts and felt that they were a bit off mark. There was too much sugar on them and they just didn't feel moist. I told our waitress. I didn't know she would tell the GM who then said he would take the donuts off our bill because he felt that if the product wasn't to our liking that we shouldn't have to pay for it. I felt that showed a lot of integrity and that he cared about our business. I felt it was a nice gesture. Our waitress was great as well. They came by a few times to see how we were doing. No payments. Just service.
That said, I think the focus needs to be on making those drinks a bit more boozy and creating exceptional product. Toronto is becoming a tough market, with so many options so I can see how the pressure is there.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
This is not the worst bar in Toronto, people. Come on! Have you been to 751? Or Grossmans? But that said, I think some things could be improved.
1. If you are a self imposed "Spirithouse" make your drinks BOOZY. After two drinks I should have been decidedly tipsy. Instead, I was not quite below sober.
2. Focus on the basics. Having so many options confuses me. If you do an exceptional job at proving yourself in the basics (that said, I didn't have a basic cocktail so who am I to judge?) then you will have a following. It's why I like Cocktail Bar and Churchill.
3. I really do hope business improves and people are putting honest reviews out there and that businesses aren't trying to bribe the business off people. This is the thing: if your product is good people will rave about you. Read: Grand Electric
It's also about value. I paid about $30 for two drinks plus tip It's not cheap to go out so when I do, I want to have a great experience not a less than boozy one.This sounds like I drink a lot. Yeah....
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