Bar Raval Reviews

Great for a date, but never be too late otherwise you'll be standing instead of sitting by the bar or window. A+ for atmospheric vibe, and bartenders are on point with drinks.

Very cool joint. Small but excellent place to bring a date in the evening

Fantastic service and gorgeous decor. Seafood is done to perfection, and the americano is to die for.

Great spot with amazing service and good food! The eggplant with honey and rosemary is to die for!

Breakfast stop -- We stopped by on a saturday morning. Had a couple of the croissant sandwiches (tiny) on display and then a special that included an egg on potatoes (DELICIOUS). Coffee could taste better. My black tea was delicious. There aren't enough stools but lots of table tops to lean on. Hip place to start a saturday morning on College Street.

The food was really good, but their service could improve.

Great food and experience! We went in for our first time, and dint know what to order. We told the server what we were looking for, how hungry we were, and dietary restrictions. He selected many different dishes for us and they were all delicious! I normally don't eat mackerel or octopus, but these dishes were amazing. The architecture and styling is very influenced by gaudi, and makes me feel like im in Barcelona again.

Been dying to get to this hotspot for ages. And since I live in Vancouver, it s kind of tough. But yesterday afternoon I found myself perched at the bar, watching the traffic and pedestrians negotiate the slushy Toronto weather.

The drinks were amazing. The Eggplant and Croquettes were sooooo good.

Really good cocktail lineup, with a knowledgeable staff. No real vegan options if you're looking for food, though (the tomato bread was good), and there's limited seating. So expect to be standing for your stay. If you go during peak times expect an hour or two wait.

The food is delicious and the atmosphere is very sexy/loungy/cool. There's no real seating area so you're just standing around a table. Which is cool as long as an infinite number of people aren't pushing against you. It can feel a little like an overcrowded club which is a shame cause the overall atmosphere is good. There is probably no alcohol in their drinks cause the 5 of us each had 4-5 drinks and we were all sober as could be. There's also an unfathomable line up to get a table. We waited for 1.5 hours although we were told it would be a 40 minute wait.

All in all, we had fun but would never go again.

Great place for tapas with a lot of options! The drinks are also really good! A bit pricey though.

Delicious cocktails. Beautiful eccentric atmosphere. Definitely more on the pricey side.

Service was VERY good, excellent actually, but the food was a little more ...buttery/overly rich, than I would have expected? Still tasty though. I'm docking a star from an otherwise good experience because I'm surprised that the glass bottles at the top in the decor haven't been cleaned seemingly ever, and though the dust made cool patterns it's a little disconcerting. The carved wood frame of the decor is so beautiful it's a shame to not keep it up.

Bar Raval is definitely a nice one. Unique carved wood interior, pleasant serving staff. A limited menu of small, overpriced portions is a drawback. A trendy tapas spot, and you might even sit next to someone famous. Bar Raval is worth a try!

A wonderful place where culinary discoveries come from all sides. What good and what is beautiful, for the adventurous of Spanish cuisine!

Kick a** wood work make it visually striking. Great drinks, great food and a great atmosphere make it even better

Inspired me to review my first drink review. The architectural concept, interior design and the mix of Caribbean and Mediterranean taste blend into a Spanish Bar that elevate the cultural elements relevant to the end of the 19th century in the Iberic country. Gaudisian forms that constitute the continuous woodwork enveloping the spaces, the wooden barrels providing seating and the welcoming staff sets the customers in warm and relaxed spaces while inviting them to stay and enjoy their spaces even after the bar closes. Reservations may be required but totally worth the wait!

Having travelled to Barcelona a few years back I was attracted to the interior of the bar that harkens the work of the great Art Nouveau architect Antonio Gaudi. I sat at the bar and was handed a menu. I immediately glanced at the tapas menu and asked the server some questions. Having had some of the best tapas at various locations in Barcelona I was curious as to how they served them at Raval. Basically I wondered why each item was only available as a single and why there wasn t a selection serving? Anyways, server was obviously inconvenienced by my question and obviously unaware of the typical serving approach in Spain and was needlessly snarky and rude, and arrogant? Like no one who has ever been to Spain would ever walk in and make a comparison. I ordered the eggplant and honey which was unremarkable and left there after. This place seems popular but I can t see why, menu is limited, wine list is overpriced and the person behind the bar was a boor. Thumbs down

Hyped for no reason! Expensive, service god awful. The food lacked flavour. After asking for my check 10 times I had to finally go stand by the counter for them to print it. As I finished my plate there was sauce left in my plate, the lady there mentioned she ll get me some bread which half hour later never showed up. The drink was mediocre

Best tapas in the city, amazing alcohol list. Fun standing environs.

Overrated and overpriced place, nice ambience but average drinks

Good design, food was good. Was part of private event so cant say more about every day service.

Very good place to drink and have a small portion of delicious food. I recommend to try honey eggplant

Tapas are stellar but beforwarned, it's a crowded space.

Very tasty food (though you often need to ask your server what something actually is since all of the names are in Spanish), great cocktails and interesting people. However, unless standing around a barrel (instead of sitting at a table like every other restaurant) is your thing, you may not have the most comfortable experience.

Came here with my friend and got one of the grapefruit cocktails and it was absolutely amazing! We also got some tapas to share, which were all delicious. The bar itself is very pretty which beautiful wood interior. They also had a patio that was heated

Great design, fun staff. Lovely drinks. Great for a post work drink and social

A great place to get together with friends for brunch on a Saturday.

Really good! Super cozy atmosphere, warm, surrounded by wood. The tapas were great, and can't go wrong with Estrella beer. While not quite like being in Barcelona, a whole lot easier than an 8 hour plane ride.

Absolutely loved the place. Great atmosphere. service was amazing. We ordered the 5 course meal, not a single dish did we not like. Huge selection of bourbons and wines. The brisket and ribs were absolutely delicious and it just melts in your mouth. Would highly recommend to anybody looking for a nice dinner out. Portions are very reasonable. Cannot find anything wrong with this place.

Perfect:)

The place so clean and cute...

The food amazing...

The atmosphere is great...

They are very welcoming.

Great cocktails, not a lot of room to sit but considering it s meant to be a standup bar it works well!

I used to live around the corner and always enjoyed dropping by. I moved away but went today for breakfast and it is still a great place. Food is of great quality. Atmosphere is cool. I would recommend going in the morning. It can become too much at cocktail hours. Like the salmon croissants, Jamon croissant, tortas

Loved it. Tried to go here a handful of times and the wait was always more than an hour. Last night (Saturday 9:30pm) the wait was 2 hours!

Decided to try again for an early dinner (Sunday 6:00pm) and got a great seat at the bar.

Cocktails were tasty, complex, and looked beautiful.

Ordered the olives (best we've had) with bread, and a bunch of other dishes. The croquettes were crunchy, warm, and rich. The aged ham was expensive but worth it if you like cured meat.

For desert it was a basket cheese cake. It was smooth and fluffy, buy not spongy like a testsu cake.

I hate to give this place less than 5 stars but it's the smallest places in the world with barely anywhere to sit.
But let's discuss how wonderful the crafted cocktails and appetizers were. Mmmm. I had shrimp on a little toast point.. Simply heaven. Also tried the Doctor's Order, amazing cocktail. Great concept and the menu delivered but don't go here with a big party or hoping to sit right away.

Great cocktails and appetizers! Really interesting flavour/texture combinations and hip(ster?) atmosphere that were both enjoyable.

As my partner and I are new to the city I stopped by one day by chance not knowing what to expect. The interior design is spectacular - only eclipsed by the delicious food and the wonderful drinks menu. I think this is going to be my local!

There are already so many reviews for this place, I'm not sure what more I can add.

I've tried to get in here on a Friday or Saturday night around 9pm at least 5 times and I've always been turned away or told there was a 3 hour wait. So last week I tried again on a Sunday evening around 6pm and there was lots of space at the pretty bar area! I guess this is the time to go.

The food was amazing, the drinks were also great - I loved the Spanish fizz. Prices were reasonable and the quality of everything was sooooo good. I will definitely return, maybe just not on a Friday or Saturday night!

Cocktails are strong! Tapas and delicious. Seating limited, if you are okay standing then youll be fine. They have a patio, no seats though.... you have to stand.

Great food! I love that it's an all day menu, so i can eat my favourite dishes at 8am if i wanted to.

Very cute and trendy bar with overpriced food and cocktails unfortunately. You can find something at least as good next door if it's too crowded

Award winning architecture, great tapas, quality drinks, and excellent atmosphere. Overall, excellent as long as you are aware of the pricing.

This is a high class, super chill, intimate and beautiful... bar. It really hangs like that: a place to be with a few friends interested in a unique and special experience, or a perfectly lit, wooden space where there's a private nook for you and your date - a spot to nosh on some of the most exquisite tapas available in Toronto. The service is personal, attentive and natural. The price reflects the quality, but the experience suits both those with a relaxed, regularly cash-reliable disposition, and those looking for a bit of a surreal night on the town.

I like this bar, great decor, interior design, choices of wines is good

Excellent service & fantastic food. Go late afternoon if you don't want to wait!

Good atmosphere reasonably priced. The place was busy on the night that we went. I've only been there once. The notable feature is that the interior is constructed of CNC wood panels that give the place an art deco feel while remaining contemporary. Would definitely go again.

Goood service. Nice patio
But..
Hot octopus dish barely have octopus.. mostly potatoes.. and it was $20.. i bought tasty potatoes with some octopus garnish

Love everything about this bar! The food, the assertive service, and the space. It's equally perfect for date night or just to hang out with friends. They get busy at night, so would suggest getting there before 8 to be able to squeeze in!

Great ambiance and design, lovely food and service. Would recommend!

Is there any way to contact them by phone? They don't answer their phone, and I want to do takeout order for pickup.

Great food, amazing service, nice boozy cocktails (the goldeneye!) in a beautiful fun setting - we barely even noticed the standing - watching the open kitchen was great!

Hip place but overrated. Be prepared to stand while you eat (not many seated tables here). Where we were standing the counter was quite high and we are on the tall side (5'9" and 6'1") so I can't imagine it being comfortable for anyone shorter. Service wasn't great when we were there and it wasn't particularly busy at that moment (asked for water 3 times then I we gave up) They had only one random beer on tap. Food was good. Skip the squid a la plancha, feel like it could be better seasoned. I can fry onions and squid with some lemon at home and make it taste the same. I do feel like some of the tapas are overpriced and overrated here.

Went to go try the place out and we were confronted by the doorman prior to entering. It was full and we understood but he talked down to us like we were idiots for not knowing it was going to be a wait. We're very patient and understanding folks but this has to be the first time in years someone has actually turned me off completely with their attitude and demeanor. Honestly one of the worst first impressions I've ever had of a place, definitely not what I expected to find on College. Totally turned off won't be going again, there are plenty of excellent options in the area that don't have misanthropes at the door.

Great tapas and delicious drinks. The place gets SUPER crowded so get there early

Absolutely fantastic food. Very authentic. Good wine selection.

Amazing tapas and incredible drinks. Worth stopping by to see the architecture of the interior, at the very least. Also, fun washroom sign.

John and thee lovely down under server were awesome, knowledgeable, kind and not at 'all up-selly' enjoyed our Monday afternoon in the tapas bar. Also the pork cheeks were great!

So great drinks but honestly service was garbaaaage

Lives up to the hype. Great drinks, including an array of vermouth and sherry options. Engaged and helpful staff. Great food. It's expensive, but worth it given the great flavours and unique experience. Wait at the door can be lengthy. Be patient or arrive in small groups. Will definitely be back.

Cocktail special was an excellent drink. Friendly staff, VERY cool looking place.

High quality cocktails, good service even when busy

Amazing tapas. A place to recommend for great food, deserts, coffee Alf of course the amazing ambiance/design

Ugh so pretty and you get treated so well here. A really awesome bar!

Great cocktails and an even better ambience. Lovely and lively, despite it being a Wednesday evening. Service was frequent and the drinks didn t take long to get to our table! Overall, a wonderfully pleasant experience

The food was fantastic. Octopus perfect. Serrano ham delicious. Steak yummy. Etc........

An extremely cool place, well designed and the atmosphere is superb. There are no reservations so arriving during the evening expect a 15-20 minute wait or to be seated fast but outside instead of inside.

Service is excellent and knowledgeable. The prices are High but so is the value. The food is just the right size (e.g. Tapas) and I didn't find a single dish that was less than very good. The cocktails are well made and we're tailored to our taste, so no guesswork required.

The only bad thing was the Espresso I had at the end which was the most acidic I have ever tasted. They say it's the blend. I hope they'll change it at some point.

Will definitely go back there.

Good atmosphere, very hipster-ish vibe. Food portions were small and quite overpriced (but that was expected). Service was meh (not good, not bad... after ordering 4 tapa dishes, the waitress wouldn't let us keep a menu at the table as they might "run out" - we noticed no one else in the bar was eating, just drinking... not sure how many menus they have but I would advise them to print more)

Loved the cocktails but the foods are abit over priced. You can tell how the staff work hard to perfect the cocktails. Menu is such wide, the staff are very knowledgeable in making their recommendations.

Food and beverage really good. Only downside, the price.

Only came in for a drink but had a lovely time, the inside is so amazing, art in itself. Thank you!

The food was fine, but disappointing (based on the hype) and expensive. I also found the service to be rude and pretentious.