BarChef

Oh how to begin… What an utter disappointment. We went to Barchef as seasoned patrons of Toronto’s cocktail scene. After being told to leave the bar and go elsewhere while placed on the callback list (they don’t allow standing– yes, you read that right), we were finally saved from enduring the kool-​aid saketinis at the sushi shop next door, when the cell rang. We were quickly ushered in and to our table as I noticed the median age of the clientele were early 20 somethings with nary an idea of what a classic cocktail would be… But I’m generalizing, aren’t I. Ok then, let’s give this place a chance. After waiting a cool 10 minutes for someone to hit our table, an extremely young (and rehearsed) waitress insists we purchase $ 35 ‘Modernist’ cocktails as to truly appreciate the experience of the bar. What an embarrassing joke of a creation– udon noodle bourbon soup with patchouli spheres? WTF? A glass slipper with smoke– dusted, sugared down bourbon with what seemed like Turkish delight squares and a smoking vat, of, well smoke– simply for effect? Is this an adventure in mixology or an episode of Drink-​Boss? Okay, Okay, so we didn’t like the modernists and we felt stupid for agreeing to this travesty of alcohol wastage, but why judge so quickly? Well then how about the sazerac which tasted like pancake topping, the Manhattan that had no bite, the mohito served with bubble bath foam on top… Oy, it just got worse and worse. My personal biggest issue was the lack of knowledge from the clearly overmatched wait staff who completely could not read a customer properly or even offer suggestions… What do you recommend for an Irish whisky fan that offers a twist, then strong armed into another ‘Modernist’- lord. But the icing on the cake was the sour faced blonde ‘Manager’ delivering a tray of over $ 100 in drinks and asking my friend to put his tiny bag of skittles away using the most bourgeois, nonchalant conjecture. «We don’t allow outside food» So f’n rude! Over $ 200 later, and it’s not like he had a bag of Taco Bell on the table– it was a little bag of skittles used as an after meal mint … I could go on, but I figure I should mention that I gave Barchef 2 stars because the décor is stunning, dark, brooding and inviting. Too bad the most important entity was a complete let down. Barchef is enjoying the success brought on by a relentless overspending Gen Z who want to play Mad Men, but are clueless. This may work for the clearly schooled owner-​duo, but how happy could they possibly be, not honing their craft and attracting the real mixology fans– established, with fatter wallets and authentic demands? Do yourself a favor, don’t go.

This place has many reviews, so I don’t have much to add.
Love the atmosphere and the cocktails. I think it’s a great place to take visitors.
That being said, I have to mention that I think the «modernist» drinks are gimmicky and overpriced. The dry ice really doesn’t serve much purpose, other than to provide some good pictures and video. These drinks are something that I’d expect at a touristy joint in Vegas.
I’d recommend sticking to the normal cocktails… they are tasty, and worth the $ 15 or so that they cost.

This is the CHICEST and SEXIEST cocktail bar in Toronto! Now that I got your attention lol… This IS the perfect place to wow your friends on a molecular gastronomical drinking adventure: D
The cocktails are unique and absolutely delicious! If you are planning to splurge a little… treat yourself to a molecular cocktail on their Modernist menu. From your taste buds to visual presentation… it triggers all your senses! BarChef has certainly got it down to a fine art.
Black Truffle ($ 25) is one of my fave. It uses elderflower liquor (sweet but strong!) and it is perfectly paired with 5 spoonfuls of black truffle goodness. This one is heavenly if you’re into truffles! I wouldn’t share it if I were you… $ 5 per bite lol.
Vanilla and Hickory Smoked Manhattan ($ 45) is a must try (…at least once!). It looks spectacular, and it tastes sweet and smooth! Vanilla and cherry liquors go so well together. The smoked Hickory is very aromatic… reminds me of roasting marshmallow on an open campfire!
Funny thing — I don’t know why I always crave for BarChef in the middle of the coldddd winter lol. Since you can’t make a reservation, waiting for a table out in the freezing cold is a bxtch and I still end up doing it after all these years lmao. Hostess is not very nice about it when 20 ppl try to cram inside their tiny waiting area lol.
But seriously, BarChef is fantastic! I’m so amazed by their creativity and imagination. Definitely will revisit again :)

Bar Chef is such a treat! We went to celebrate a friends birthday and had a great time. It’s worth ordering their specialty cocktails just for the presentation alone! The basic cocktails are around $ 15 but the more elaborate ones cost ~$ 30. Perfect place for special occasions. Look forward to trying their other cocktails!

What a new tasteful and adventurous experience. The modernist drinks really challenge your palate and the different textures of the entire drink plate are so innovative and carefully thought out. I’ve never tasted before what I tasted on my plate (the Black Truffle) and it was amazing. The staff are so knowledgable and really compassionate about their drinks. Definitely recommending this gem to all my friends visiting Toronto.

Trendy dimly lit place with smoke — probably better as a date place or a night out with girls. Drinks are expensive so it’s better to soak up the atmosphere and onto the next place.
Favourites are the essence of fall or sailor’s mojito. Haven’t tried anything off of the modernist drinks menu to rate it.

The minute I walked in, I got the feeling of a vampire bar, like that of From Dusk Til Dawn, but not Mexican infused like the movie. Everything was dark, black, dimly lit, giving it an extravagant vibe. It was pretty busy, with what looked like well– to– doers from the city who don’t mind spending $ 12 on an Old Fashioned.
We settled in to two open spots at the bar and of course got some weird glasses and water carafe to match the vibe. The bartender who served us didn’t seem too intelligent in terms of how to interact with people nor how to ensure patrons are well taken care of, because we weren’t. It took forever just to get a drink. Literally requested to cancel our order but it came out within the next minute or two… from the kitchen. It was some over– the– top drink that had dry ice in a volcano dish or something… A+ presentation but all we wanted was a mojito, not a diorama on the prehistoric era of dinosaurs. Side note, don’t order a Moscow Mule here either; all it is is sour mix or lemonade mix, no ginger beer.
Needless to say, we had a drink and bounced. Not my scene, not my flavor, not my paygrade. I’m sure the over trendy peeps love it and rave about it but it was not a place I’d recommend or go back to when visiting Toronto.

Came here on my first night out in Toronto and was thoroughly impressed. A trendy bar with excellent food and service. What’s not to love?
Ordered the shrimp tacos and fries along with a bottle of champagne. Was not expecting much from bar food, but holy moly!!! Quite possibly the best shrimp tacos I’ve ever had in my life! I highly recommend getting them :)
Service was excellent. Our bartender left us with the best first impression of Canadians :)
Perfect date night spot or a girls night out. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would come again. and get those damn shrimp tacos!

BarChef is a trendy, chic bar that channels the spirit of artisanal drink bars in the Ginza district of Japan. Coming here is equal parts for the experience as it is for the menu. The restaurant is dimly lit and moderately noisy, creating a warm intimate atmosphere.
The drinks themselves are nothing short of pieces of art. While most of the drinks on the menu are well-​crafted, the selling attraction of BarChef is in the Modernist menu. You’ll want to try at least one of these out. Be warned, you’re looking at $ 25 – 45 a drink.
Every modernist drink has its own unique identity. The Essence of Fall is nothing short of a centerpiece, a forest garden with smoky vapour and fresh pine and rosemary scents wafting, all to couch the syrupy brandy concoction hidden within. The Smoked Manhattan, the priciest drink, comes served in a cake dome covering smoking hickory embers that infuse the Crown Royal and Brandy mixture with real smoke flavour. The other creations, while less attention-​grabbing, bear the same style of presentation and uniqueness.
Where they really drop the ball is in their service presentation. The wait staff, while perfectly courteous, seemingly don’t care much for the artistic aspect and read off their descriptions like bored news journalists. Given how trendy and avant garde they’ve presented the rest of the atmosphere, to say the lacklustre effort was jarring is an understatement. They’d do well to hire more artiste-​savvy staff.
Unfortunately, the high prices and the lack of artistic values means that for most BarChef may be a one-​time visit. A shame, because it really offers something unique to the downtown scene in Toronto.

My boyfriend spoils me in every aspect apparently, he now spoils me with cocktails too. He took me there to have their Hickory Smoked Manhattan. AMAZING! He didn’t let me look at the drink menu because the damn drink cost him $ 45 but, well worth it. I’m sure we will be back to test out other cocktails when we visit Toronto. My boyfriend ordered himself the Old Fashion, which was delicious. I am typically am not a fan, but we ended up switching drinks at the end because I took a liking to his drink. So spoiled, I tell ya…
This lounge is a must. If you want to check out a place that is trendy, with a great atmosphere and even better cocktails. This is it.

Absolutely love this place! Awesome cocktails, music, and vibe. Drinks are deep in flavor and complex, definitely thought and care has been put into each drink. I’m not too good with the super strong trasting drinks so I had the Daiquiri Adaptation (excellent) and the Coconut Mojito (excellent). My friend had the Black Truffle (which I liked a lot bit our server told us that because of the truffles, some people like the different taste it had to offer while others didn’t, but I absolutely loved it!). Another friend had their signature drink, the Vanilla and Hickory Smoked Manhattan… What beautiful presentation! A definite must try! The drink was too strong for me but my friend that ordered it is a seasoned and appreciative drinker and loved it.

Learned about this cocktail bar on Unilocal a long while ago and I finally got to try it on my birthday.
It was indeed a wonderful cocktail experience. I’m so glad Toronto has such a unique and amazing cocktail bar.
I would give Barchef a 6 stars if it will open at 6pm instead of 7pm! I hope you hear me.
The decoration was very classy though the lighting was a little too dark to read the menu. Service was good and drinks were amazing to the taste and, of course, to the presentation!
I ordered the most expensive cocktail in my life, but it was definitely a lifetime experience. The Essence of Fall, I will always remember you.
There are less expensive cocktails on the drink menu I have to try on my next visit.

Dark, loud music, a trendy place.
$ 45 for the signature «hickory smoked Manhattan», unusual, a one time experience.
Sailor’s mojito, thick and sweet.
Shrimp tacos, excellent, except one couldn’t see them!

First of all let me say, make sure you don’t miss the entrance! This is such a cool place to grab a cocktail. Every drink that is placed in front of their guests has been made with care, so if you need to wait a bit, it’s totally worth it. Upon arriving you will notice the intimate candle lit atmosphere and the scent of fresh herbs. With the bartenders hand-​chipping ice and seeing a wall full of house made bitters, you can feel the passion is there.
The menu consists of interesting cocktails, punch bowls, and small plates, there’s definitely something there for everyone. If you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend paying them a visit!

I was intrigued with the idea of the bar serving up mysterious smoky cocktails so came here to see what it was all about.
This place is DARK. As in you can barely see the face of the person across from you and you need to hold a candle up to the menu. I came with my girlfriends and we were not prepared for how intimate the setting was. Probably not great for a first date or with people you are not that close with.
Nevertheless we knew we wanted to go for the modernist menu as that’s what they are really known for:
Essence of fall ($ 30) — the plating of this drink was nuts! Very cool actually. I felt like I was transported to a forest that just experienced a rain drizzle. Such a strong pine and foresty smokey smell which I personally was not a huge fan of but my friend really liked. The drink itself was brandy and drew a really strong punch — clearly not for the faint of heart.
Sailors mojito ($ 25) — one of their most popular items. The mojo came with an interesting lime shot and the coveted smoke but other than that. Not all that special.
Black truffle ($ 25) — coconut and elderflower liqueur, on the really sweet side and just as strong. It had spoonfuls of palette tasters on the side and was an interactive experience. Can’t say it tasted good though.
In hindsight the lighter options such as the sweet & sour menu may have been a better choice for us since we are not used to straight hard liquor but I can say that I do appreciate the creativity of the place. But the reality that I just paid $ 30 for a single drink because the smoke and plating seemed a tad excessive to me.

Wow, this place is cool! Even for someone who’s not much into alcoholic drinks, I was impressed by this place and what it has to offer.
Actually didn’t Unilocal this place before coming in. Had just seen people come in and out before as I passed by, and yesterday I happened to be with someone who had wanted to come here for a long time. So in we went!
Neat atmosphere, dark with mist/​smoke and candles. I got the toasted fizz which turned out to have a black licorice taste to it (which I don’t like, but some others might!). The toasted fizz just came in a regular champagne glass.
But then! My friend’s Night Blossom came, and that was something else. The presentation alone was quite jaw-​dropping. It was a bowl of noodles with snow and jelly on the bottom, and then the liquid was poured on top. It’s served with chopsticks and a spoon so that you eat it like ramen.
We sat at the bar and our barchef Mateo was super friendly. If you want the full experience here, order something from the Modernist menu.

One of the best places for cocktails in the Downtown Toronto area.
I’ve been here 3 times throughout 2014 — 2015 and this place has never failed to disappoint me. The cocktails range from extravagant cocktails with dry ice trailing the server to plain but tasty «mixed drink» style cocktails. I usually prefer sweeter cocktails, so I stick with the «Sweet & Sour» portion of their menu. I highly recommend the Strawberry Sour — the egg white foam topping on the cocktail really makes the experience. Overall, the higher prices are justified.
The service is also spectacular. I was debating between two cocktails — The Gala and The Toasted Fizz, and the waitress was immediately able to provide a contrast of the cocktails which made my choice a lot easier. The waitresses here really know their cocktails.
Tip — For those in groups, I recommend going for the punch bowls because of the value. Although the drinks feel a little more watered down because of the ice in the punch bowls, this is a great way to share in a larger group.

I have wanted to check this out for some time and finally got the opportunity in the form of a Harry Potter-​themed scavenger hunt for a bachelorette. So pretty random.
The staff here was absolutely wonderful. They were super helpful in explaining the menu and warning us about drinks that may have flavours we may not enjoy. They took our scavenger hunt photo and were very friendly. The bartenders and waitresses are also very nicely dressed.
They even provided us with a sample of one of their modern fusions. So we had one of the apricot steam fusions and one of those spoonfuls of bubbled alcohol (this is not an apt description, it tastes and smells better than I’m describing it). My group also all grabbed a different drink and every single one of them was absolutely marvellous.
I cannot think of a single criticism. I will say we went there while it wasn’t very busy, so perhaps it’s not as great in the late evening. But the atmosphere, drinks, and service definitely were worthy of the price.

I finally got a chance to check out Barchef last Friday evening with a friend before a night out on the town. You could easily pass right by it on Queen St West without knowing it was there. I met my friend just past 8 pm and we were quickly seated, it was busy but not that busy at the particular time. The place is dark with a modern décor and dimly lit with candles with a really cool and sexy ambiance.
Once we were seated, the server explained the drink menu to us and it was really nice that each table had a large glass jar of water. We decided on quite a few different drinks. The Sailor Moon Mojito ($ 25.00 plus tax), the Coconut Mojito ($ 14.00 plus tax), the Rocket ($ 14.00 plus tax), the Basil Daiquiri ($ 14.00 plus tax), Grolsch beer ($ 9.00 plus tax) and a few Gin and Tonics ($ 8.00 plus tax). The presentation of the cocktails were beautiful and most importantly the drinks were really well executed, a perfect balance of the flavour components, the sweet drinks were sweet but not overly sweet.
Barchef is definitely a unique establishment in Toronto that serves amazing cocktails that are beautifully presented, creative and well executed but are priced definitely at a higher price point in comparison to many other cocktail establishments in the city. I definitely recommend Barchef to anybody that is looking for a unique drinking experience. It’s perfect for couples, first dates and even a few friends going out before a night out on the town.

BarChef is a modern and unique experience with a retro, almost Victorian or Steampunk flair. It’s impossible when you enter to miss the fact that this place is special.
The staff is incredibly friendly and interested in explaining their craft. From their in-​house infused bitters, to cocktails bottled and aged. You may find your cocktail experience includes edible components or aromatic enhancement. It’s molecular gastronomy meets mixology.
This is a must visit locale in Toronto and is well worth the trip.