One18 Empire

The departure of the Auburn left many of us with a big question mark as to where to go for a drink after the theater. There’s the bar in the Palliser, the bar in Le Germain, the bar in Ruth’s Chris, the bar in the Hyatt. Then One 18 opened and our choice has become more clear. They have a massive whisky list — bourbon & scotch — more than several choices of each. They also have a selection of small desserts. Perfect for after theater. We’ve also had dinner here a couple of times and I’d say it’s «OK». Portions are large so be careful. Splitting a couple of items probably works better.

A great spot for cocktails and light bites, whether as a couple or hosting an event (we’ve been here for both). We think they have the best Old Fashioned in the city. The small plates range from delicious fresh pretzel bread to house made charcuterie and pickles (which adorn the walls) to seared duck breast and potato tapas. Pretty much everything we’ve had had been a hit. I’m going to assume the main courses are of similar caliber but we’ll have to try them and report back with an update.
The professionalism and genuine friendliness of the staff is also noteworthy. We’ve had drinks comped because they took too long to come out, and have gotten history lessons about the area on other occasions. The lighting is low and many of the seats plush, giving One18 Empire a relaxed lounge atmosphere even when it’s busy such as happy hour.

Really glad to finally have an opportunity to experience One18 Empire. Got to come for a quick drink as part of a Unilocal Elite Event. Had no idea that their space could be divided into separate rooms for event spaces — such a great idea in a restaurant without having to be sent to a weird back room with low lighting! This would be a great space to have a party or event. It is a hotel bar but more like a lounge bar than hotel vibe.
We got to their old fashioned or a gin sour — both were delicious. Love that the glass for the old fashioned gets smoked before the drink is added, and comes with a giant round ice cube. Little details make all the difference. Really appreciated that our server took the time to explain some of the history behind the location and how they got their name, very informative and a nice touch.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to try any of the food but a buch of options looked great. Know they have a week day lunch special of «Pick two for $ 15» and there are some great options there.
They have daily happy hour from 4pm to 7pm which means that you dont need to run there for 5pm to try get one drink before happy hour is up. Like cocktail time for adults! Proces at happy hour are 6oz wine on tap at $ 5, selection of daily Handcrafted Cocktail at $ 6. You can see their daily cocktail special in advance on their website to pick your favourtite day to go.
Looking forward to going back and having a meal on another occasion.

Great location, wonderful staff, and GREAT whiskey and rye selection! The food was good and the speciality hand crafted drinks were great. Enjoyed a couple old fashions with different Ryes both very good. Had the opertunity to enjoy the express lunch, the soup was great, found that entrée to lack flavor. All in all, I would be back.

I’ve been here several times and overall I’ve liked this restaurant a lot! Aside from their great mini cocktail and whiskey workshops I’ve had dinner here a few times. Service has always been impeccable with really friendly and kind staff!
Food:
The scallops have always been great! Sweet and perfectly cooked.
The steak is less consistent! Sometimes amazing, sometimes just meh.
The Calamari is unconventional but super good! It’s not fried but grilled and in larger sections (I posted a pic) really well prepared though!
Deseret is a also hit or miss, if you love dense cake it’s really good otherwise I always recommend sharing their desserts!
Drinks:
The whiskey selection is why you should go! They have happy hour specials that change daily (look on their website!) sometime there are 50% off certain whiskeys (really great deal!)
Overall:
highly recommend going plus try their vast whiskey selection!

I booked this restaurant for dining on Halloween night through Open Table simply based on the location. My wife and I were attending the CPO’s performance of Nightmare Before Christmas and we wanted a nice dinner before the show. ONE18 Empire is nice and close to Art Commons.
Our reservation was for 6:00pm and we arrived nearly 15 minutes early. We expected to wait but they greeted us immediately upon arrival and sat us right away. It wasn’t very busy at the time so I’m sure that helped. All the staff were wearing stylish masks for Halloween. It was a nice touch and added to our Halloween experience.
We got water and menus almost immediately after sitting down and our server greeted us with the drink specials. I took her up on the Old Fashioned, it was delicious and made me feel like Don Draper!
After a short while the drinks arrived and she took our food order. We went for the calamari and hot pretzel as starters. For our mains, my wife ordered the portobello mushroom dish and I got the ribeye steak.
The food all came out as expected and we were both very impressed with our main dishes. I have to say the steak was pretty darn good! The mushroom dish was very flavourful and would be something I’d order for myself the next time. Dessert was equally awesome.
All in all, this was pretty much the perfect dining experience except for a minor mix up on our bill which was rectified quickly and easily. Our server was super friendly and efficient, giving us just the right amount of attention.
Our bill was just over $ 110 which was very reasonable for 2 appys, 2 mains, 2 desserts and four drinks. Very affordable and we got more than our fill for the price.
I highly recommend giving these guys a try, we’ll certainly be back when looking for a nice, affordable dinner downtown.

Lunch express was really living up to the time they say you will be in and out the door — so that’s impressive. Service was impeccable and friendly. The food though is average at best. I guess I was expecting more and was underwhelmed. Nevertheless, we might give it another try next time just to see if there is improvement on the menu selections.

Beautiful place in a great location… In addition the food and the wine were very very good and the service very friendly and on time… I went with a group and we ordered appetizers to share and they were all great… The dates with bacon was my favorite dish, but the scallops were delicious too!.. The calamari was excellent! We also had a dip that was very good and the pretzel was not bad… Regarding the wine: I had Riesling per glass and it was good… I would definitely love to go back there!

If you are fine food and whiskey lover, and if you can afford it, definitely One18 is the place to be.
They have some of the most exquisite cheese and charcuterie selections as well as some fine bartenders.
Definitely worth a visit.

One18 Empire is located at the bottom of the Marriott Hotel and a close hop, skip & jump to Stephens Avenue & the C Train.
On Fridays they have happy hour specials as well as food specials. A private room off to the side offers whiskey tastings for the public and events.
Visited for my second time and brought hubs back for his first time. We shared a few snacks with friends & enjoyed a few cocktails on a Friday afternoon. It’s a great date place and we both enjoyed the ambiance and how comfortable it is to just «be» there.
From small bites to burgers, to a few bigger bite options it suits all hunger levels and budgets.
A place we keep coming back to.

Came here during happy hour on a Friday. Great drink specials on wine and certain Appetizers. I believe around $ 5 for certain wines and $ 2 for house made chips. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered the steak sandwich, which was just ok. Not as flavorful as I would like and steak was a little tough. The steak sandwich cost $ 24. Highly recommend this place for casual drinks and appy’s during happy hour but unsure about dinner.

I like hotels, and I like bars. But somehow I don’t usually get too excited by hotel bars. I like a lot of things about this particular hotel bar. Firstly, it’s within the Marriott hotel and while it does have a little bit of a hotel bar feel to it, it also feels a bit like a lounge bar. They have a variety of seating, I particularly like the couch section by the windows. Secondly, while you can access it through the lobby, it has a separate entrance on Centre Street as well.
The things I really like are their food menu and their happy hour. They have a good range of food items that range from $ 2 (yes, they actually have a couple of items that are $ 2 and $ 3! I particularly recommend the spiced nuts) up to $ 35. A lot of these fall within the $ 8-​$ 15 mark as well. One of my favourites is the pretzel for $ 8, which has a generous sized fresh pretzel, mustard and cheese. Happy hour is from 3:30pm — 6pm on weekdays and includes local pints for $ 5 and draft glasses of wine for $ 6 with other rotating drink specials (I have my eye on Mondays and Tuesdays for half priced cocktails!). Given that the local pints are around $ 9 (!) happy hour makes for a good deal.
One comment is that the service has been a bit hit and miss. The first time we had the most lovely server, who was so friendly and attentive (if she mentions she’s from Vancouver it might be her!). The second time, the service was pretty average — or below average — and the place was almost empty. At one point we weren’t seen for over 30 minutes and missed the end of happy hour by five minutes as a result which didn’t go down too well.
They also have wifi and several tables set up right next to powerpoints if you need to charge your phone or work on your laptop (but you should probably just be enjoying the happy hour!).

The service, atmosphere and food is amazing here. This restaurant is perfect for a night out, business lunch or just hanging out with friends. I had the smokes chicken sandwich with kale Cesar salad and it was delicious. The dressing is made with lemon preserve and it was spectacular. Everything is made I house so it is fresh and devine. The smoked chicken came on a pretzel bun and I wanted to take a bag of them home! I highly recommend this place!

Why One18 in a place whose address is 110? Well, before a fire in 1920 destroyed the building and claimed two lives, this was the site of the Empire hotel, located at, you guessed it, 118 9^th Ave (Atlantic Ave?). There you have it — One18 Empire.
This was one of several stories our enthusiastic server told us with an excited interest in both the heritage of the area and the prohibition era foods and drinks the menu incorporates into an old fashioned, Canadian/​New Whisky/​ey bar.
Located in in the Marriott Hotel, One18 Empire provides enough differentiation from the other establishments in the area and is a great enough deviation from the «Hotel Lobby Bar/​Restaurant» that, as a local, I would definitely entertain coming here. It meets the needs of the area, as well as the often corporate needs of the hotel.
Their whisky/​ey selection is very approachable and impressive to both the pallet and the wallet. Interesting whisky starting at $ 6/​shot and going up to $ 130 if you are so inclined. They have a whisky menu to satisfy the high rollers, but they definitely aren’t pushing you in that direction. Regardless of your price point, they seem to have put effort into building a menu that will have a scotch or bourbon for you.
The food menu is very approachable by both taste and price-​point, containing modern spins on western classics — small snacks at $ 5 or so and many appies in the $ 8-​$ 12 range. I went with their pretzel ($ 8, I believe), served with a grainy mustard and cheese sauce — Definitely worth your while for fresh bread to pair with you local beer, whisky, or traditional cocktail.