Bar Raval is the most beautiful bar room in Toronto by a considerable margin. The interior was designed by Martin Hawthorn in a style he calls "Gaudi Mudejar" — elaborate carved wood panels that wrap the entire ceiling and bar in an organic tangle of forms that takes 10 minutes to stop looking at. It opened in 2015 and has not needed to change anything since.
The cocktail list sits alongside a tight menu of Spanish tapas — jamón ibérico de Bellota, boquerones, croquetas de jamón, pintxos — and the combination lands precisely where you want it: between a serious bar and a casual dinner. The Gin Tonic comes in a Copa de Balon glass with house-made tonic and a level of care that makes everything else in the category look like an afterthought. The Sherry Cobbler runs on a rotating selection of amontillados and olorosos that the bar keeps at perfect temperature.
Walk-in only, no reservations. It fills by 7pm Thursday through Saturday. The best strategy is a weekday evening at 5pm, when you can take a bar seat and stay as long as the tapas last. See also: Toronto's best cocktail bars and best date night bars and best bars in Toronto.
Weekday evenings 5–7pm for bar seats; Sunday midday for the brunch experience. The room fills quickly on weekends—arrive before 7pm to guarantee seating.
Design-conscious drinkers, cocktail and food pairing enthusiasts, anyone wanting the best room in Toronto. Perfect for dates, celebration dinners, or serious aperitivo sessions.
Get your bar in front of millions of sophisticated drinkers.