Pharmacii — Restaurant in St. Catharines

An interesting concept with some great flavours, but the hospitality totally misses the mark. Three of us were seated at the bar and, despite many subsequent opened up tables, were not permitted to move -- even before our cocktails arrived. The drinks are priced like a top-tier cocktail bar (most over $22) but don’t reach that Bar Chef or Simpl Things level of mixology. When asking about the name of the Instagram-popular all dressed ruffle chips cocktail, I was told "you get what you get" re chip flavours (could be ketchup chips, could be something else) and then I received Doritos for the Humpty Dumpty Sour Dumpty $26 cocktail -- which didn't taste like its listed ingredients or tasting notes (other than gin). 😕

The food is the highlight: mostly delicious and very good, but the service was painfully slow, with some dishes arriving over an hour after ordering, long after one of our party had to leave. Dishes could be paired up as complementary textures and flavours but sadly, the chunky pork bone arrived last, long after the mushroom risotto and fries were cold. Rigid rules mean that when asked about feeding 3 people appropriately, the server twice repeated that two people could eat x amount. 😜 Mandu were two pieces for $19. Awkward for 3 customers to share and no ability to add a third piece for an upcharge.

The bar stools are uncomfortable, which makes the long wait for food even less enjoyable. Playboy Playmate wallpaper in the basement bathroom is a fun touch. Pharmacii has an interesting third-culture Korean Canadian identity, but at these prices, it needs more warmth, logistics coordination, and hospitality to truly succeed with Toronto customers -- or anyone driving in from more experienced eating...

Pharmacii is an asian-inspired restaurant perfect for getting pics for the 'gram. Their creative drinks, fun presentations, and constant change in menu help them stand out from the crowd.

Their portions are a bit small for what you pay for, but really if you're going here you probably are doing it for photos anyway so it is worth it.

Flavour-wise, their Shaken Fries are super good. They give you some lightly crisped fries in a bag with the spice and wasabi aioli on the side. You then mix the spice into the bag of fries and shake it up. They're really good and the sauce is a perfect mix with it.

I also tried the mini and jumbo KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) which were great - just small portions. The meals don't come with any sides so you have to order something else or else you'll be pretty hungry after.

The drinks were really great and creative. They even have a machine to make a smoke bubble on top of your drink!

Overall, I would say that this place is worth trying but I did give it three stars because the prices were really unexpected, they don't offer takeout, have no menu online (but I took photos), and because they were really pushy with us to finish the food on our plates when we said we had eaten enough. It just made us feel really...

First time here and won't be the last! Matt was our bartender and he was brewing up some delicious, unique cocktails for us! Finally found one of my all time faves, delirium in Niagara region (gives me a taste of our old stomping grounds in the GTA). Had the mango bubble shot - mango tequila (not pictured) and Beware My Power - a vodka based cocktail that I mixed the buckwheat in for a smokey flavour - all up to par! For dinner, we ordered ceviche, steak tataki, and bulgoghi jeon 👌🏽 Hats off to the chef/owner Brian for bringing some GTA vibes to the Niagara region... we need more of this around. Your food reminded me of a proper night out on King Street West or even Queen Street West in the 6ix. What you and your wife who is the other owner that we had the pleasure of meeting (Ashley) have going on here is absolute perfection. All around impeccable service and experience. Ambience is welcoming and classy. Thank you for making our date night one to remember! Looking forward to our next visit. Depending on your personal budget, the cost may be on the pricier side for you. For us, we pay for quality food, quality drinks, quality ingredients, quality service, and an overall, quality dining in experience....