Trinity Common — Restaurant in Toronto

I premise this review by saying that I’ve come to Trinity Common many times over the years and have never had a bad experience. It’s a great spot to catch a game, have a drink, and even come out late to dance (they always have the best DJ’s playing). The reason I write this review is because of a particularly negative experience i had the other night, involving direct interactions with the owner of the establishment. After my partner and i unsuccessfully tried to show our friends a good time with Toronto night life at a few newer bars, we ended up at the tried and true Trinity Common. We arrived around 11:30pm - as expected, the music was popping, but for some reason the lights had not been dimmed. Anyone who parties (or is self conscious of their dancing, like myself), knows that lighting is a big part of setting the mood at any party. Naturally, my partner approached one of the bartenders to inquire about turning down the lights - a reasonable request that you wouldn’t think would be an issue. Most people would respond openly and work to find a solution right away. My partner came back visibly annoyed and shared that the bartender said he would turn down the lights when he felt it was appropriate, probably in half an hour. We were frustrated but decided to stay because unlike other bars on the block, there was no line to get in to Trinity (probably because it was the only dance floor with lights on). After about 10 minutes, i decided to approach a different employee to see if someone else could help with the lights. I approach one server who says he doesn’t control the lights, but that the owner was working the bar and could help me and pointed to the same person my partner spoke to. I approach him and at first he is amicable (even put his arm around me to ask what it is i wanted) - but as soon as i politely asked about the lights, he quickly and coldly responded, “i control the lights and I’ll decide when it’s appropriate to turn them down, i have a lot of things to manage here”. I ask nicely if it’s something that usually happens at some point (if not, that’s fine and we’ll know to give up and leave) and he says yes. At this point, it really feels as though this person has a power/ego complex and is prolonging the time he makes the call every time someone decides to inquire about it. I go back to the table and after a few minutes, i see the DJ - THE DJ - go up to the owner. He makes some hand gestures towards the lights which makes us think that he’s asked the same question (especially because he’s starting to lose a lot of people on the dance floor and we know it’s not because it’s getting late, as there are still long line ups at all the other bars on the street). My partner then approaches the DJ pretending not to know who controls the lights and asks him about it. We then learn that the owner also made a comment to the DJ about “telling him how to do his job” which is ironic given that the DJ probably knows best about how to run a party. At this point it was decided that the bartender/owner really just is on a power trip and the whole situation became ridiculous. I’ve never seen such a poor response to customers making a reasonable request that would actually improve the experience for everyone. I won’t say i won’t be visiting again - but it will probably be to see if i only have such a childish experience/interaction when this person is running the place. I truly am surprised given the great parties/experiences I’ve had here before and i do hope it was an isolated situation as i otherwise really...

Not a huge beer selection. Oysters stunk. Glasses and water looked unsanitary. And customer service was pathetic. For instance, the waitress forgot our oysters and tried to make us pay for it when I asked for the bill. By then we already finished our drinks and wanted to leave. It took an hour for the oysters to come out. Clearly she forgot about them and still wanted us to pay for it. The nerve. She also said we weren't allowed to leave without paying for the oysters. She got way too close in my face for comfort. I then asked to speak to her manager and she said, she was the manager. And then when I asked to speak to her manager, she said, we're all managers. It seemed as if she was lying. And I doubt she was earning a manager's salary. Anyhow, I said I would compromise and meet you halfway on the oysters. They say $1 an oyster in the front, but make you buy at least 12, well, according to this waitress that is. But when she said, I had to pay for them, I felt as if she was trying to force me into paying for something she forgot to bring out and I told her I'm not paying for anything, especially considering that it took an hour for the oysters to come out and she only remembered to bring them out when we were ready to pay for the bill an hour later. Mind you, we only had one drink each (2) and it doesn't take long to hand-pick oysters and put them out. I didn't see anyone else eating the oysters either. The place wasn't even all that busy, especially considering all the waiters. Besides, they looked small and had a bad smell to them when they did come out.

The Beer was descent and nothing special even the seasonal beers. Definitely had a student-hipster vibe like the rest of Kensington. You also smelled cigarette smoke come inside the bar from the front of the open patio. Nothing special. Oh yeah, and the water was disgusting! If you go to this place, please inspect the filthy glasses. They were not properly washed and the water...

Bartender refused to serve during last call because my friend didn't tip him:

Last night, I visited this establishment with a friend and a co-worker around 1:40 AM for a few drinks after work. The bar was relatively empty, and I ordered drinks for myself and my friend, though he was the one who settled the bill. Unbeknownst to me, he did not leave a tip. When I attempted to order another round during the last call before 2 AM, I noticed the bartender, who had a distinctive skull-and-crown tattoo on the right side of his neck, repeatedly ignored my attempts to get his attention. When he finally approached, he informed me, quite bluntly, that he was refusing to serve us because we had not tipped him earlier. Despite offering to correct the oversight and tip him, he refused service and responded with a dismissive smile.

As a bartender myself in Kensington, I can appreciate the importance of gratuity in our line of work. However, I was genuinely taken aback by the refusal of service in this instance, especially since I wasn't the one who paid the initial bill. While I understand his frustration, this level of unprofessionalism is surprising and concerning. In my experience, refusing service over a missing tip would be grounds for immediate termination. We only had one drink throughout the night, caused no disturbances, and left feeling disappointed by...