Drake One Fifty

Rating: 4.5*
Situated in the heart of the Financial District, The Drake’s Drake One Fifty, recently launched their weekend brunch. Chef de Cuisine, Jon Pong, and his team has created a menu to celebrate the season’s light flavors and bountiful produce that support many local purveyors and farmers. The menu includes brunch favorites like eggs benedict, pancakes, skillet French toast, and steak & eggs. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate tasting where guests got to sample the new brunch menu, and completed a hands-​on cocktail masterclass (Caesar) with their head mixologist.
Drake One Fifty uses locally sourced products daily, and this hasn’t changed with their new brunch menu. They source bacon and pork from Perth Pork, beef from Cumbrae’s, walnuts from 100 km Foods Inc., cheese from The Cheese Boutique, Ocean Wise sustainable seafood, seasonal Ontario produce and even foraged mushrooms. Quality dishes are of the utmost importance at Drake One Fifty, and this is evident in the dishes that are served to their customers.

The team at Drake One Fifty has also curated a cocktail program that perfectly complemented the new brunch menu including the popular Classic Drake Caesar.
The Blueberry Scones ($ 11) — clotted cream & jam was a delicious start to a morning brunch. The scones are freshly baked in-​house every morning, and delightfully soft.
I opted for the Omelette ($ 16) — Bulgarian feta, grilled shiitake furikake, baguette crostin, as my choice of main course, and I am glad that I did. The omelette was a modern take on the brunch favorite, but they did add a unique spin to it by adding Bulgarian feta.
Brunch is available every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm at Drake One Fifty (150 York St, Toronto, ON).

Seriously slow service here. Been here twice in the past month and it was the same story. Both times on the patio as well. And very little was done to acknowledge that it was slow either, other than a sorry and small appetizer taken off the bill. Brunch shouldn’t take 2 hours, but it did. If you’re bent on going here, be prepared to wait it seems. Not worth the $$, nor the time. There are plenty of other options up the street, down the street, and across the street.

Consistent good food in the financial district. Decent for drinks and group events. Can get noisy on a typical weeknight. The burger is always a good option.

The brunch is really lovely, and possibly the best I’ve tasted in Toronto. Their eggs benedict offers a modern and unique take on this classic dish. The rosti is seasoned perfectly and cooked to crispy perfection. The lemon white chocolate éclair is delightful; I highly recommend this one if you have a sweet tooth.
The price is higher than most brunches, but a perfect spot for special occasions. This place is popular and very crowded during the week, but on Saturdays it is quiet, peaceful, and the service is spectacular.

They must have a small kitchen because the menu is lacking and choice is limited. They have a burger, a couple of pizzas (none of which I would ever order) and two salad choices and that is it basically.
The salad choices are Kale (kale, cheese and hazelnuts) and cesar (although they call it something else that is basically what it is) with something called gem lettuce. I tried the salad which was bare bones. Paying $ 20 for a salad with a few leaves, a little bit of grated cheese and half a nut is not for me.
The emphasis is mostly on selling you wine or other alcohol.
It is packed with the Bay Street crowd after work just like Earls. It is loud and busy. I assume people go here for people watching and being show offy. My group which seems to judge everything by how attractive and flaunting the waitresses are was not impressed. They won’t come back because of this and agreed «back to Earls» and I won’t be back because there is not much on the menu I would like to order.
I like to add that our waitress was friendly and was always there to refill my water and (suggest different wines to the team).
The design of the restaurant and bar is different. It is a cross between a high-​end 1930s washroom and a speakeasy from the mafia films.

I really like this place — the décor is great, very eclectic with interesting weird art on the walls, and the service was good.
My favourite appetizer was by far the brussel sprouts which were delicious, and the pizza for the main course had a nice thin (but not too thin) crust.
Items I liked less were the cauliflower (bland), and the calamari (chewy).
The vibe in the place is also good, and different for the financial district.

The place is nice, but fairly overrated. I happened to be invited to a birthday dinner on Saturday, March 26. The dinner reservation was for 6 people at 6:30pm and there were no issues with that. The place was quiet but it was still early.
The waiter was kind, but forgot 2 drink orders (separate instances). Everyone else’s food arrived 10 – 15 minutes from when we places our orders except mine… For perhaps a good 20 minutes, my friends and I sat there waiting for my order OR the waiter to drop by. Maybe the burger (which is what I ordered) takes longer to cook. Maybe they actually forgot.
Skip forward 20ish minutes, the waiter finally comes back and notices I’m plate less. Ding ding ding, acknowledges he messed up and didn’t even input my order (what?). Ok, I understand everyone has off days but… Another 20 minutes go by, I finally get my burger, after all my friends have finished eating. They all sit awkwardly waiting for me to finish my dinner.
I was only offered an apology, which was just a quick, «Sorry about that.»
My experience left a little sour taste in my mouth. For a place that you pay premium for drinks + food, you’d expect better service, especially with it being practically empty.
Overall, the food was nice but the experience left little to be desired. Would not go back, or recommend it to others. The Keg is across the street if you want other options.
2.5÷5, 2.5 purely for the burger and 2.5 off for the service.

Great food and drinks but this place is overhyped!
Came in for a birthday celebration and this place was packed. Good thing I didn’t have to wait long before my guest were seated since we booked a reservation in advance.
The food was pretty disappointing for a high end restaurant/​bar. Their drink menu is pretty good in my opinion. I usually just get my usual wine and cocktails. I don’t expect them to have anything too crazy on their drink menu.
Overall the ambiance was great. But it was not as good as how hyped it was in their marketing and pictures posted on social media!

Mmm had dinner here last night and it was a great experience.
Pros:
–coat check is free and offered when you enter
–décor is unique and fun but still upscale
–they have a photo booth!!!
–loved the bathrooms, I love stalls that are mini rooms and the styling was also up my alley
–the food — everything I ate was amazing. Had a snow crab pizza (so much crab!) the oysters (best I’ve ever had), the «drake bake» which was a selection of breads with dips and ricotta spread
–cocktails were delicious
–waitress was super friendly and helpful, attentive but not constantly in our face either
Cons:
–nothing on the dessert menu appealed to me :(
Really if that’s the only negative that barely counts. I would definitely come here again.

I’ve been here once for light apps and drinks. If you’re coming after work, definitely make a reservation. It’s constantly busy.
Unfortunately I haven’t tried the entrees but the calamari is okay. The wine list (by the glass) is decent — much more options by the bottle.
Also, there’s a DJ that can create a bit of noise, making it difficult to hear whomever you’re with, if you’re close to the bar.
Great after spot on Wednesday and Thursday. But let me reiterate: unless you’re getting there early and beating the crowd; reservation, reservation, reservation!

Just ate here for lunch and the atmosphere was really great and the bar chairs super comfy that makes you actually want to sit there. I’m super wierd and also love when chairs don’t have holes at the back so incase my top rides up there’s nothing to worry about in terms of giving others a show. Just me? That’s fine. Anywho we had wine and a coffee with baileys. Ask for the baileys ordered separately as its cheaper not like the clientele here probably care as they expense their meals. Cool photo booth at the side of the bar. So much to look at and an amazing soundtrack. To eat we split the burrata salad and then she had the brisket sandwich and I had the Hawaiian pizza. The jalapeño peppers on the pizza were super hot so I took them off but I’m also not big into spice. Her brisket sandwich was huge and she didn’t even finish half of the meal. Overall the only complaint was the inability to find our server and we had to get back to our offices and I had to flag her down for the bill. FYI each of us paid $ 50 plus tip for our meals so for those entry level people out there like us be prepared to cry ha

We had dinner here on a Saturday night. We could only secure a reservation at 6:45. The restaurant appeared to be full when we arrived.
The interior recalls the early subway stations of the last century. We liked it. Seating is crowded. Our table for two was uncomfortably close to those on either side of it. Don’t even think of having a private conversation.
We started with the garam masala cauliflower and the frites. Both were delicious but quite salty. One of us had the Drake salad and the other the chowder. The former was fine but not particularly interesting. The latter was incredibly rich with an almost overpowering flavour of butter so that after a few bites was abandoned. It was one of the most unpleasant chowders I’ve ever had.
We shared the cinnamon roll for dessert. It was good, not great, with the unconventional addition of candied fruit (perhaps citron), but the ice cream had lots of ice crystals and was not particularly flavourful.
We also had a $ 52.00 bottle of Soave and a bottle of sparkling water.
Service was good.
Our bill before taxes and tip was $ 133.00.

My fiancé and I went to drake one fifty yesterday for our date night. It was between this and patois, but since patois was booked we decided to go here. Been wanting to go for a while now! The ambience and décor is good, it even has a cute little photo booth. The menu apparently changes every so often so we had the fall menu. We ordered goat ravioli which was pretty good but serving was super small. My fiancé has the drake one fifty burger and he loved it.
I didnt like the fact that the drinks were super expensive. We re talking $ 15 for one. All in all the food was alright but service and ambience was better.

coming here accidentally on a Saturday night when our entourage was supposed to go to DRAKE HOTEL, we decided to spend some time here and have a drink.
This venue is popular during the week for after work food and drinks due to its location in the financial district. Their menu is extensive with a good selection of grub and drinks.
The ambiance is great, and the layout is in fact quite easy to get around; with the huge wrap around bar in the middle of the floor it makes it a focal point. Aside from the ambiance, the place is clean, and the staff were pleasant.
Though we had few drinks along the bar counter, we had a great time just to TAKE-​in the atmosphere.
A potential go to place since its right by my work…

I am impressed by the raft of restaurants that have opened up in the Financial District, and the Drake 150 I love the food, extensive list of wines, and ambience. I came here for a lunch and for drinks after work, and the service was friendly and knowledgeable. There is also a great selection of food for every palate (my favourite is the lamb belly ragu). Portions are a bit on the smaller side, but I suppose if you are here for a power lunch, the last thing you want is something massive!
The only thing that I would say is a bit strange is that when you walk into this restaurant, there is a strange «us vs them» feeling. All the clientele is dressed in suits, and the staff are all hipsters — it is like you have walked through the looking glass.

Visited a couple of days ago for a work party and enjoyed the food, drinks, and service.
The food was pre-​organized so apps were sent around to our group.
Sampled some of a delicious cheese plate, yummy crostini with whipped ricotta and maple drizzle, tasty bocconcini pizza, and an insanely good fried chicken slider. Not sure if these are regular menu items but all of the food I tried was on point. Service was friendly and attentive.
I ordered the Gin Gin mule cocktail and really liked it! I am a sucker for ginger beer — so good!
Would return again to check out their patio and «Twilight Tuesdays» (looked like a fun outdoor BBQ/​market of sorts).

This review pertains to TWILIGHT TUESDAYS at Drake One Fifty, not the restaurant itself.
Twilight Tuesdays is a mini-​market that happens during August at the parkette next to Drake One Fifty (west side of York St. between Richmond and Adelaide). It is hosted by Drake One Fifty and Momofuku.
The market is open every Tuesday in August from 5 – 9 pm.
The area outside of the restaurant is transformed into a night market, showcasing gourmet market food, a mini-​bar, hip DJ and indie music.
Stalls sell food from Pizzeria Libertto, Richmond Station, Thoroughbred Food & Drink, Drake One Fifty and Momofuku, all for only $ 5 per item with all proceeds going to Out of the Cold program at St. Andrew’s Church (my charity has partnered with this non-​for-​profit before, so I can personally vouch for the good work they do).
I would highly recommend the Paneto Stuffed with polpette fritti from Pizzeria Libertto. Very appetizing. The sangria from the bar is also artfully made, with a good blend of fruit with wine.
A quick look at the food the vendors are selling:
Pizzeria Libertto: A3 Napoli Frittatina with marinara sauce, Paneto Stuffed with polette fritti
Smoke Signals Bar-​B-​Q: Brisket Canapes with beef brisket bill pickle on white bread, Spare Rib, Smoked Chicken Wing
Drake One Fifty: Fried chicken & pineapple, Grilled corn with smoked curry butter, Pulled pork on a bun
Cover is free and as mentioned previously, all items are ONLY $ 5.
Twilight Tuesday offers phenomenal, affordable food for an extremely good cause. Next Tuesday (August 26^th) is the last day Twilight Tuesday is open, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, PLEASE do go.

They don’t take reservations for the patio. Try the cheesecake choux with rhubarb. It’s nothing like a cheesecake, but it’s delish! The lamb neck pasta was yummy, but very filling. I fell asleep at my desk in the afternoon… You’ve been warned.

3.5÷5 stars — I’d say Drake One Fifty leans towards Canadian comfort foods.
The interior of the restaurant is retro-​looking with a large bar area. Expect the bar area to get more packed as the night progresses.
ALBACORE TUNA TATAKI
Loved the ancho chile oil and the charred green onion as the tuna tataki pairing. Finished this up so quickly — yummy!
RABBIT CRESTE DE GALLO
The sauce was creamy and filling. Delicious.
ST. CANUT SUCKLING PIG
The roasted pork shoulder was very tender — I thought it would be harder in texture but it was surprisingly very juicy and soft. The honey glazed onions were also nicely done.

I went here for dinner after work with some friends. I had the Pepperoni pizza — the best part was the white anchovies, a nice touch. Nothing else really stuck out in my mind ether way, except that I know I’ve had better cooked dough in other places in the city for less money.
The atmosphere and décor was drake one fifty was cool, and the wait staff was attentive.