Grey Tiger — Restaurant in Toronto

This review is of a personal nature referring to the character of the owners of the restaurant. I am the daughter of their current landlords who they have misrepresented. I am in need of anti cancer chemotherapy treatment at Mount Sinai and Ryan and Becky are well aware of my situation having copies of my medical lab report. I was forced to provide intimate and private details of my situation to them because they chose to believe my parents were ‘renovicting’ them from the apartment rather than the explanation we had provided. Instead they wrote about how awful my parents are for evicting them at this time and chose to escalate this misrepresentation to blogTO and identify the house with a big sign and the street published in the article. They have yet to edit the article even after having all my medical evidence provided to them and after having committed to doing so the article remains the same. Our tribunal was April 1st during which Ryan, having all the information refused to concede that the eviction was not in bad faith. Because my mother had mistakenly put the wrong date on the document, the case could have been thrown out so we needed Ryan and Becky to tap into their humanity and just say okay let’s figure this out together. They absolutely would not. Furthermore twice Ryan and Becky were offered to make an agreement where we could all decide on a date for them to move out amicably. Both times they refused. They will not entertain an agreement so that I can get into a home in which I grew from childhood and now need to return for chemotherapy at Mount Sinai. I have to now drive over an hour each treatment and Ryan and Becky are choosing not to work with us at all. These are the people you are choosing to give your money to. I thought you should be...

There's no two ways about it: I love this place. But first, some background. I first came to Grey Tiger when a friend of mine invited me for a whisky tasting. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, so I was drawn to it right away. The tasting was a lot of fun, even with me being a bit under the weather. At the end of the tasting, my buddy told me to make sure that I come back sometime to try the cocktails, because they were truly something else.

And so, a couple of weeks later I did just that. Am I ever glad that I did. I was blown away. Each drink I ordered was layered, complex, and an experience in and of itself. Though not every cocktail was a match for my particular tastes, it is impossible to deny that each one was a work of art that was meticulously designed by someone who loves what they do. But let me tell you, the cocktails that did resonate with me were probably the most delicious drinks I have ever had.

Since that visit, I have been back many times, and I will be back many times more. Even though I now have a couple of favourites, I always try something new when I'm there - either from the aptly named Grimoire or the bartender's own original creation - because I know my taste buds are in good hands. Plus, the proprietors of this place, Ryan and Becky, are as much of a draw as the drinks and the atmosphere. Always friendly and professional, they are the heart and soul of Grey Tiger.

Even though I was just there yesterday, I am already looking forward to...

I have been a fan of this bar since before I even tried it. For years, tbh. It was always somewhere I considered to have one of the most unique and underrated bar programs in the city with such attention, creativity, and sophistication of ingredients.

I am just so glad it completely lived up to my extremely high expectations. 🙌

Not only is their menu artful in its visual element, the drinks are creative and tasteful without seeming gimmicky or over the top, like the trap so many craft cocktail bars fall into. And further, for such a place, sometimes I expect the staff to be snobbish. (It happens often.) But here? They were so patient and helpful. To be honest, it was like I was visiting an old friend's bar -- and I don't even know these folks. Just really legit positivity for their craft, their business, and their customers. My friends and I had such a good time.

Plus... the cocktails were absolutely superb! They were balanced impeccably, and when they list the ingredients, you can taste all of them. A hard and rare feat to actually accomplish. And the little taste guides in the menu are accurate! The complexity of the ones I choose was exactly what I was hoping for.

My only regret is that I had an appointment I couldn't be late for because I would have loved to stay all night and try each and every one.

It's baffling to me that they don't appear on more of Toronto's Best Of lists because they certainly deserve the recognition.

This cocktail bar is...