The ladies and I finally got together for Friday-after work drinks. We decided to hit up a Toronto bar on Queen St, and Bar Chef was the chosen place.
Once decided on Bar Chef, we started planning to meet up around our time schedules, without actually checking the time that it opened, so while we met up at 6.30, it didn’t open until 7. Silly us! We hopped across the street to a coffee shop for some girl chat and then at 7.15 we were the first ones in the joint.
First off, from the outside, it is extremely non-descript. All black, small signage, and narrow – quintessential Queen St. You could walk by it a million times and never know it was there, unless you were specifically looking for it. It is an extremely romantic place, darkly lit with a vintage vibe. The bartenders are wearing suspenders and bowties, while the waiters are dressed in black.
Their menu is a little bit intense. For me, not being a real big drinker (or lover of alcohol), it was a little bit overwhelming. Luckily, the waiters are extremely well versed in the menu. They were able to explain every drink on the menu, and give recommendations on what to expect from them. We all decided to pick something off of the Modernist menu, a pairing of tastes and textures, as well as the visual aspect of it. I got this amazing drink called Spring Thaw. It was intense. It comes out on a board with moss and flowers. The drink is on one side, just a round ball of flavoured ice, and the waitress pours the alcohol over it in front of you. Then she pours hot water over some of the moss and the magic happens – the dry ice is activated and it creates a slow rolling fog over the entire table. It was definitely impressive. The only thing with it being so dark, pictures were extremely hard to get!
We also shared the cheese and the charcuterie boards. So delish.
I wouldn’t mind going back here when it’s in full swing, just see how the vibe changes. Things were starting to pick up once we were getting ready to leave, but it was definitely nice to be able to be the only ones there. Definitely a cool place to check out if you are interested in different kinds of cocktail that are impressive to the palette, as well to the eyes.
A great way to spend a Friday evening with the girls!
