Toronto 2018 – Day 4 – BarChef

Cocktail Bar – BarChef

History – 2/10

No real history here, it’s a newer place but it gets a couple points for the history it is currently making.

Atmosphere – 9/10

Nearly perfect, a heavy blanket curtain hangs by the door to help keep cold air out, lots of candlelight, acceptable music, classy decor, nice choice of seating, a slight detraction for how dark the room is, I like a dark room but I can barely see in here.

Service – 10/10

The best service I have ever received in any bar in the world, easily. Not just one visit either, BarChef consistently treats me markedly better than any other place I’ve been. I could go on and on here, the staff actually know how to read a person and respond in kind. I watched one bartender make her way around the room over and over all evening, cycling through about a dozen patrons, picking up her conversation with each one from where it was left off on her last pass. It’s not just one bartender either, ALL of them seem to have been trained in a way basically no other bartender I have seen has been.

Drinks – 5/5

You know that annoying Chicago-y molecular gastronomy stuff? The drinks at BarChef are the best parts of that idea without the bad. Classic cocktails are classic, their versions of classics are amazing, their multi-sensory experience fancy cocktails are impressive, if a bit pricey.

Casino Test – 5/5

BarChef is still the only bar ever where a bartender has known what a Casino was and how to make it.

Amy’s not a huge cocktail nerd, her response after one sip “this is the greatest cocktail I have ever tasted”

Final Score: 31/40