SpiritHouse Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

My fiancé and I came by for a romantic Friday date night at Spirithouse — we were served by Andres(we think or slightly similar name, sorry if just incorrect!) and Jacob who honestly felt like friend and were so approachable ☺️. We love to see POC thriving and made us feel so comfortable! 😌

My fiancé forgot his phone charger and came by today. He asked permission from the bar to go to the back to get his charger. Jess was doing a bartering class, so he waited until she acknowledged him, but in front of everyone she chastised him & was extremely rude, displaying racist and apparent classist micro-aggressions. Please see our very raw and accurate review of Toronto School of Bartending that is held in the back room most days.

We talked to Sasha, a POC manger and who also works at the bartending school — she authentically validated our concerns and made us feel heard and understood. We are paying customers who just moved in the area and wanted to be regulars and maybe help with management in the future. I’m a law graduate & my partner is anti-racism educator, one of our dreams is to own a cafe or restaurant where people of all races and intersections will feel welcome. They gave us each any drink on the house which we appreciated, and we will be coming to spirithouse again for sure. Here’s the so refreshing & lovely pear & peach sangria and Moscow mule we received!

Also love the ambiance inside and out — at night with the distillery district outside string lights, fire lamps, vines, and lights by the patio, also some good music taste— just so beautiful and romantic.✨. Also amazing happy deals every day —check out this picture...

This place gives off a desperately hypermasculine vibe that's become somewhat dated- Mad Men and Movember and Daniel Craig, everything that clings to an outdated and shallow fantasy of manhood in these frought and uncertain times for the gender. Many of the drinks cross the line into the truly absurd (the Netflix and Chill being the prime example of mixology gone haywire), and the whole scene seems permanently poised to slip into Toronto's patented brand of King Street douchebaggery.

All that being said, I somewhat reluctantly admit that I love this place. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the bar is well stocked and the drinks generally taste fantastic, no matter how ludicrous their construction and presentation. And I even admire the conviction that leads to ever more ambitious displays of alcoholic opulence, even though the scent of desperation is unmistakeable. It's best to approach everything in Spirit House through a lens of mild irony- give them the benefit of the doubt that they're in on the joke, it's only a portion of their clientele that thinks it's all for real. They certainly take themselves less seriously than Bar Raval or Rush Lane.

My favorite place to get a cocktail in Toronto. Try the Mayan Remedy. Or, just an old fashioned....

So, drinks are good.. All with good presentations..priced almost reasonably(for that quality of drinks).. Food is pretty much what you expecte(if you have no over expectations).. They have "bar classes", you can book, with a group of people, a cocktail making workshop.. I would give that place a 5* ,but.. The server/bartender wasn't friendly at all, it wasn't busy, but when we tried to ask her about the cocktail making workshops and cocktails itself she seemed trying to get rid of us. When the bill came we were charged the full price for sliders( even there were posters, all over the place, saying sliders are on happy hour) , the bartendr/server said it was old information( why don't you take them off thn?) Also, were charged full price for the old fashioned. The menu said they were on happy hour, but the bartender/server said that only classic old fashioneds were on happy hour.. It was matter of couple of bucks..but I felt like I...