Bar Raval Reviews

Favorite bar in Toronto. food,drinks,staff. The best of everything is at Bar Raval

This bar never dissapoints. Great cocktails served in a Gaudi inspired atmosphere.

Went during winter.. was so cold and all they did was put some silicon sheets and made it as a standing patio.. drink options were good.

Music was a bit too loud for my taste. But the food was quite nice.

It used to be my go to but the quality of drinks went down the hill. Price of the food here isn't quite logical either. Still a decent place to catchup with friends but I'll rather go to other bars around the neighborhood for better drinks & fair price food.

Pricy, need to try the tapas next time! Cool atmosphere. I just had a cocktail which was not the best

The wonderful staff mirrors the amazing food. KITCHEN BREAD

Kitchen is open until 2. Great tapas! I enjoyed the basque cider.

Good spot for a quick drink & tapa to start your night.

Finest cocktails in town. Drinks can be expensive and the wait to get in might be long but definitely worth it. I visited late on a Wednesday night and was able to get in without a wait. The ambience is impressive and the music they play was just perfect. It never hindered conversation and also enhanced my experience when I wasn't making a conversation. Cannot think of a better place in Toronto for cocktails!

Great ambiance with big selection of wines. The only downside in my opinion is that the place is very small and there are not chairs, if this is not a problem for you, it is worth it to check it out.

I liked the food but it's pretty overpriced for what you get. I love their cocktails though. I can tell they do the work to create such menu and it's worth the money. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful when making recommendations. It's definitely an interesting local spot to try when you get a chance.

Very interesting design of the place inspired by Gaudi;) the atmosphere is very cosy, and romantic for dates;) Always full of people though. Haven't tried food, but cocktails are really good!:) definitely must visit place!

Food was OKAY. I've been countless times to Barcelona and I have a hard time paying $26 for a tapa that I'd find for 4 there for the same quality and a lot bigger portions. I understand Jamon Iberico is expensive to import but I'm only referring to items that are found here. I also am aware that tapas are a lot more expensive in Canada but this place is a joke. The chorizo dish had 3 super thin tiny slices of chorizo and a bunch of hot peppers. I travel for food and I've fined dinned all over the world so this place lacks in quality. The only dish I thought was good was the morcilla with egg but then again the bread was unnecessary.

Had an amazing meal and first experience at Raval. From the deep fried egg plant and mushroom tower to the steak and onions we were blown away!

Bar Raval lives up to the hype of why it is so hard to get a reservation during patio season.

So book a week if not two in advance for a special occasion for a quick bite and drink.

Tapas are beautifully presented and taste like we had our own Ramsay cook.

Cocktails are beyond amazing and the best Ive had in the city. Very clean, smooth yet have the perfect flavour.

Will be visiting again and will update with photos

OMG Raval is simply the best!!!! My partner and I were celebrating and we got treated royally. Champagne on the house... Midway spilt out drinks and they happily replaced. Food was delicious, care and customer service was beyond belief! Definitely coming back.

1i have always enjoyed bar travel. The ambience the patio and the small chef station all adds to the experience. I like my old fashioned, just the last visit I left that the cocktail was diluted. I would also recommend their sourdough and shishito peppers.Creatuve bartenders and overall a worth visit patio spot in Toronto.

Little taste of Spain in heart of Toronto. The serve authentic Spanish bar tapas in great setting.

Great experience the food great the drink excellent

Great tapas restaurant. Great cocktail list. Small place, gets full quickly but they have a heated/covered patio to wait and have drinks and/or snacks before you go inside.

This place is so TINY and grossly overpriced. Wood work is great. Location is great though there are many other great places in the neighbourhood that s really worth a visit.

Drinks and food were good .The place is beautiful but the experience was not . The bartender who came on shift half way through our meal was more foccsed on the aggressive rearranging of the bar ware and shaking his shaker than us. Did not get a hello or offer for a drink order.

Great tomato bread and cocktail Ms.Primo i think. Average prices and good service. Enjoyed the patio.

The bar itself is great and so are the drinks, never tried the food though because we always end up eating somewhere weeks while we wait for an hour or more for them to let us in. They don't take reservations.

Awesome food and innovative drinks. A fun and lively crowd

Great tapas, good cocktails and ambiance. Not sure about standing and eating but.. Wait can be long but the place makes up for it overall. Service (one waitress in particular) wasn t great - they sure should improve on that. Bartenders are great and friendly. Definitely one of my goto spot in town.

Really thought was overpriced for what it is, food was pretty good though

Great food and vibe, but staff are not too friendly which makes for a bittersweet experience.

Really cool bar with great ambience and drinks. It's a standing bar, so don't expect seating unless you're able to grab a seat outside.

Beutiful venue, and food/drink is good, but a bit overpriced. See it, have a drink and then go to bar isabel to enjoy that food.

Love this place. Good cocktails and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Food is great too

Service is hits and miss. Tapas are expensive for what is mostly classic tapas. Products are good, the octopus cooked on the planxa was amazing. All in all good experience but overpriced as almost every restaurant in the city.

Intimate, delicious, and great service. Basque-style cheesecake is a must. Staff is very helpful and knows their product well. The food was very fresh and flavorful!

Great bar, has a fair amount of drinks. You can also ask for drinks that are not in the menu. I would suggest asking for a penicillin and an Expresso Martini

Great customer service, cool atmosphere, decent music, a fun crowd, and good drinks. Lots of standing space in place of seats which is fine as long as you know to expect that and are looking to socialize.

We went as a party of 2 (later, we were joined by 2 others) at 7:30 on a Monday evening with a terrible thunderstorm outside. We didn't expect it to be packed, but the place was filled to the brim and we had to stand on the "patio" and wait for a "table". There really wasn't any seating besides a few places in the main dining area so we ended up standing all night long. If you can't get a barrel (table) and you're very short, you will struggle to stand and eat by the counter since it's pretty tall comparatively. The ambiance was nice, but the place was definitely too small for the number of people it was hosting and we didn't ever get to experience the cool main room because we never got a chance to move there.

As it is a tapas bar, don't expect heavy portions. I was also a bit let down by the quality of the dishes, considering the size was already small. I was probably most impressed by the seafood options (smoked mackerel specifically). Additionally, they asked us if we'd like more bread... Which we thought was complimentary, but apparently it wasn't and there was an extra charge we weren't told about on our bill. It would have been nice to have a heads up, just like how burrito places insist on letting you know that guacamole is extra. Beer selection is also pretty limited here, but the offerings they do have are pretty interesting and not your typical options.

Despite the grievances mentioned above, our server was very quick and attentive. Additionally, once the rain let up and the staff were able to pull up the large plastic drapes the temperature got much more bearable and there was a refreshing evening breeze. Although we didn't get to sit there, the bar area looked pretty cool and definitely would have been great to be at. I suggest coming early - I did not think that 7:30 on a stormy Monday evening would have the crowd it did.

Great cocktails and service. Room can be cramped and people/servers will bump into you.

Lovely restaurant. Amazing, friendly and very quick service.
Love the their food and menu. Great environment, excellent experience.

Great vibe...good whisky selection..was better selection 3 years ago.
Food outstanding.

OVERPRICED! Is the number one thing that comes to mind.

The whole idea of tapas is supposed to be affordability while enjoying that relaxed Spanish vibe with cocktails. If you want to buy overpriced tapas with small portions and cocktails that can fit in thimble this is your place.

This place is not for a meal as there are so few seats to sit and enjoy, esp if you have any disability. For such a large patio why is there only barrels for standing, and so few of them 3, what a waste of a patio on a summer day. I guess they don't want people to eat outside since there's no where to put down your plate or drink unless your at one of the 3 barrels. It appears people use they fence to rest there behinds on because there are no chairs.

All in all the food is good but the lack of price control makes for a very expensive place where you feel ripped off after leaving. This is not a place you could visit very often as it's way overpriced and you need a meal somewhere else after your finished.

If your going to charge $14 plus tax and tip for your Pollard Punch the least you could do is make it substantial, you could shoot that thing back faster than you can say tapas!

Didn't realize how tiny this place was but pretty cool vibe and amazing/unique decor. Lucky enough to get seating at the bar. Ordered a couple cocktails and a few dishes including the chorizo sausage, honey eggplant and octopus. All were amazing but a tad bit overpriced but I think you come here for the whole experience.

Loved the environment, food and the cocktail. Canned Smoke mackerel is a must try!

Cocktails and Croquettas are heavenly here but everything I have tried is pretty amazing too!

Great atmosphere, good martinis and cozy, hip decor

It was a fun evening, the interior is quite unique with all the wood, it certainly makes it warm and welcoming. The shrimp crudo was outstanding, great mix of heat and citrus. The shaved sugar snap peas added the texture cruch that was needed. BC prawns to boot! The octopus was excellent and the drinks delicious. Best of all, was the service.

Food and cocktails are great at this place. Yes it is expensive, yes there is always a line up, but this is still a great place to hang out.

Love the tapas, they are small and contrary to Spain you have to pay for all tapas and they are kind of expensive if you wanna try 3 or 4 different ones but still one of my favorite spots to have drinks and enjoy few tapas without getting full and clumsy.

Yum!!!! That's really all I can say :) the food, drinks and ambiance were all exceptional!!! Cant wait to return

I went to Bar Raval for my boyfriend's birthday and the entire experience was completely unrivaled (un-Ravaled if you enjoy puns). The cocktails were worthy of their illustrious recognitions, and the tapas was delicious.

Delicious and such a beautiful interior. Whomever designed the pass to the kitchen should be granted free octopus for life!

Really amazing astatic, great service and excellent wine menu.

Great food, coffee and service. Always a pleasure.

I love this place. The atmosphere and overall ambience is fantastic. I have had some great experiences with family and friends. There was an occasion when my drink did not arrive but service soon redeemed.

The food was excellent, our server was incredible and I would rate this place 5 stars if it weren't for the doorman. Here's my story:

We dropped in last night for a quick drink and a few bites at around 10:30pm. The place was buzzing, but conveniently there was a table for us on the patio. As we approached, the doorman, rather than greet us, asked "can I help you?", and upon noticing that they had space for us, told us the place would be closing at 12, which was fine with us.

His demeanor didn't sit well with me and it wasn't until afterwards that I realized he was trying NOT to let us in -- I think he figured we would leave, but we sat anyway. For the record, the place closes at 2am every night.

You're a doorman. A man that stands at a door. Nothing more. You have one job: to greet me when I enter your establishment. Even a doormat does a better job of that. You are lesser than a doormat.

Van Gameren, you've put a lot of thought and effort into the experience your guests should have at Bar Raval. But the very first experience should not be that person at your door.

Meh. Interior is nice and drinks are great but food is really lacking. Tapas is typical cheap and delicious and this place accomplishes neither. Not that it's terrible food but I had really high expectations.

Among the prototypical Toronto cocktail destinations, Bar Raval is an experience for all the senses. The cocktails, whether creative, complex or classic are spectacular. The snacks, great. The conversation and ambiance, lively and warm. And it, uh.. smells nice? And as for touch.. I don't know, I guess you could ask one of the bartenders for a handshake? Okay, it's an experience for MOST of the senses.

Good if you like waiting 20 minutes for a beer and 20 more minutes with some bread with tomato on it...

Fantastic food and fantastic service. My server was kind enough to explain all the dishes in depth and we got some of their recommendations. I got the eggplant and honey, hot octopus, kitchen bread, and the mackerel. They're also very COVID conciansious, where their menu can be viewed through your phone, provide hand sanitizers, no indoor dining, etc. Would definitely recommend.

Very unique experience both visually and from their approach to presentation (ie I have never seen a variety of desserts sitting on a bar). The food that I have had was a little simple in flavour and texture, but the dessert was much better than I would have ever expected! Their cheesecake has a beautiful light and creamy texture (especially when the outside is a little black...), the almond/orange flan has excellent moisture consistency and complex yet authentic combination of flavours and their chocolate cookie has both a unique mix of flavours as well as an unusual, yet rewarding moisture, weight and texture. Toronto has really turned the corner in the dessert world from decades ago...

Great service, interesting choice of cocktails, expensive but worth it once in a while. Nice wooden atmosphere

Great tapas style dishes. The boyfriend was a big fan of their smoked mackarel. I loved their Jamon and almonds (ham, olive oil and almonds). It is a bit salty, had it with their bread and it was a good balance.
Absolutely love love love their cocktail Pollard Punch, $16, but for me was worth every dollar. So hard for me to find a cocktail that's sweet, yet has alcohol that doesn't overpower. It does have a hint of cinnamon but it ties in great with all the flavours.

Bar Raval is a great place to get a drink. The interior is very nice; it's one giant wood sculpture. They make nice drinks and even will create a drink for you. You just tell them what flavors you like and they'll make something. The food menu is a little small, mostly snacks a tapas. It's a better place for a drink than dinner.