Poor Romeo — Restaurant in Toronto

With a small patio at the front, Poor Romeo is a haven for those who love direct sunlight. Maybe it was how the sun was hitting the restaurant on our July visit, but even with all the umbrellas up there wasn’t an ounce of shade. Not wanting to roast, we safely seconded ourselves inside. Here I was greeted with a chill bar environment with tables so crammed together that it’d be a Tetris feat to get yourself into a chair if someone was sitting behind you.

Luckily, it wasn’t busy on a Friday afternoon, so I jimmied myself into a highchair and settled down with a Gin Lizzy ($15). It’s a good first drink since it essentially tastes like a sparkling berry lemonade. The rhubarb reduction and lime make it go down so easy that you must remind yourself it’s not juice given it contains gin and prosecco.

Personally, even with a refreshing cocktail, I like them tasting stiffer. The El Diablo ($15) hit the spot as the tequila was pronounced but mellowed with black berry concentrate and lime. The ginger beer helped to add a twinge of spiciness and bubbles. This was a favourite amongst our table.

A couple of nibbles tied us over until dinner. The queso & chips ($12) arrived with plenty of warm crispy tortillas that were seasoned making them nice to munch on solo or with a sprinkling of finely diced pico de gallo. The queso was a great consistency coating the chip without being too thick and was perfectly seasoned so that it was flavourful without being overly salty.

The wild zero wings ($16 for a lb) were hot and juicy, tossed in an apricot glaze that gave the wings a sweet and savoury element, sort of like a Thai sauce but not quite as syrupy. And if they weren’t saucy enough, a generous portion of creamy dill arrives as well.

Poor Romeo is a great place for a quick drink with nibbles or a casual date. And if you’re in the area for an after-meal tipple, their version of an espresso martini is the Night Flight ($16). It certainly tasted of coffee, from a coffee reduction and Jägermeister cold brew, but mellowed out with vodka and a bit of creaminess from...

A really fun place in the up and coming Gerrard and Jones area.

It’s a dive bar at heart but it feels very classy and casual at the same time. It’s a great place to meet up with a few friends.

This time, we had the little bit of everything board which included:

cheddar jack “cheese” which was thick, gooey, addictive.

two chorizo gorditas sandwiches (two-biters)

perfectly fried chicken strips that were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The drink menu here is really fun and has some real surprises.

We started with a pair of manhattans that were made very well.

The drink that really got our tastebuds talking was the Heaven’s on Fire which along with dark rum and muddled pineapple, it had this fiery scot bonnet pineapple syrup that just put some serious heat in there.

The heat starts at the back of your throat and just slowly warms your whole mouth with a soothing heat sensation. It was such an interesting feeling and it grew on us as we continued to sip.

Overall, I really like the place and look forward to...

Opened by some of the same guys from Pinkertons, this has become my local hangout. Adam and Nick and Andy and the rest of the staff have setup a place with a relaxed atmosphere with surprisingly high standards of serves, quality of food and great atmosphere.

In the earlier evening I have no problem taking my young daughter for a burger and she loves it. The staff treat her like a princess and create pink fizzy drinks with fancy straws and she now knows a few of them by name.

Later in the evening I go and meet up with friends, and hang out with the staff who have become friends as well.

If you are lucky as I am to live in the east end or have the time to come to our neighborhood, stop in and have a...