Raval - Toronto

This restaurant deserves 5 stars in every category! The wait is definitely worth it. The food and drink menus are incredibly creative, and the atmosphere is relaxed and perfect.

There is nothing I dislike about this bar, but I just wasn 't blown away. 3.5 might be more accurate.After hearing the hype for years and years, it 's always been on my list to try. This has topped many best bar lists over the years, and frankly, I 'm not sure why. Maybe it used to be a lot better? I 'm fairly disillusioned with those lists by now, considering nearly every time the bars fail to live up to expectations and I can normally name at least 5 bars doing much better.)I remember always hearing about the interior design here. And yes, it 's very lovely, but that doesn 't automatically translate to good food and excellent cocktails. In fact, often, it seems the opposite.I 'm fairness, I didn 't eat anything. As I spend a great deal of time in southern Europe, I had no desire to eat a bunch of extremely overpriced tapas I could get for €2 at any Spanish tapas bar there. It didn 't really scream out to me. But I suppose people who don 't have it so accessible may feel differently.The bar was mostly empty in mid-afternoon. Not many seats overall, but not many patrons either so plenty of space to choose from. The lack of furniture inside during the day made it feel a bit... sparse? Generally, I find it hilarious that people complain about not having enough stools here. Clearly, these complainers have never been to a tapas bar in the evening in Spain in their lives. That 's just how it is. Crammed and lots of people standing drinking and eating small bites. But in the daylight, it appears empty and sad.No problem with staff at all. They were a little distant but friendly enough.As for the cocktail, it wasn 't bad. It was refreshing and light. But for the $20 price tag and the reputation of this bar, I expected a lot more. I thought I would be blown away, but there was zero wow factor. It was a fairly basic-tasting long drink. It just seemed like a glass of smooth limeade with a hint of tequila. No herbal notes whatsoever which seems crazy considering allegedly there is yellow chartreuse, absinthe, and sage in it. All of which can be quite remarkable and noticeable when used effectively. Sweetness was a very pleasant level. The use of vermouth instead of curaçao was smart. But anyway, there was nothing herbacious about it. Zero absinthe zing. I adore absinthe, so that was a huge letdown.)The salted grape garnish was delish. I don 't think the lacto-fermented gimmick is at all needed. They literally just taste like regular grapes.Originally, I was going to have two cocktails here, but after paying $19+tax+tip for that lacklustre offering, I decided not to spend any more money. If they were more reasonably priced $13-15 range), I would have. I just couldn 't risk it. Even the cheapest one is just a midrange amaro and sherry, so I definitely couldn 't justify spending $16 base on that, even for a place on College St.I was meaning to try the basque cheesecake, though, but I forgot. It looked great.This is fairly decent cocktail bar. It just feels overpriced and overhyped. Unfortunately. I truly thought I would adore it.

Stopped by this busy tapas bar with my husband and it was amazing!!! Mira was an amazing bartender and made us feel very welcome. Must try the grilled octopus plate and eggplant plate. The kitchen bread and lamb ribs also delicious. Everything is tapas portion so we tried a lot and everything was sooo good!Interior of bar is beautiful— carved wood everywhere. This is a small space with a small patio area as well… but very welcoming. Love This Place!!

I came here with some friends last Saturday. We were there for drinks and some food. The atmosphere was nice and the place was really busy, as usual. We all ordered drinks and I asked the blonde waitress if I could have ginger beer. She said she would check. Everyone else got their drinks and after about 30 minutes, she brings something else we ordered and I ask about my drink. She said she meant to tell me there’s no ginger beer. Ok fine. I order a cocktail and I wait. Nothing comes for the longest time and I go walk up to her near the kitchen area and tell her I’m really thirsty and if I could at least have some water. It was hot outside too. She brings the water. And I’m still waiting for my drink. It took about 45 min from the time I ordered to finally get a drink. We ordered half a dozen oysters and she brought a dozen. We did not even bother complaining. Needless to say. Service sucked. It was not a good experience even though the oysters and my drink were good.

We came here on a Wednesday evening at 6 pm for our anniversary dinner and we were offered a spot at one of their counters. The food was absolutely delicious but I did not expect that we would need to stand through our dinner. The place was still fairly empty but almost half of the guest had to stand due to lack of seats. Fine if you know and just come out with friends for drinks and some Tapas but I had a difficult time relaxing after being out all day. I’m kind of expecting seats if you spend $175 for your dinner.