Bar Fancy

3.5.
Service was… a little inattentive. But fast! Professional. Not much in the way of communication, no explanation of the drink list etc. Would have loved to have heard their thoughts on that. Ambiance is tops. Very low key, happy and kitsch. Food: olives, $ 3, fine. Some weren’t ripe and didn’t have a lasting impact. Fried chicken, amazing. Brined to heaven. Coated and fried super crispy, glorious. Salty without leaving your mouth parched. Could not recommend more.
The dirty nachos, wonderful, spicy and flavourful, the liquified cheese is a lovely surprise and much more edible then shredded cheese. The guacamole is just formed, so it’s akin to eating a chunk of avacado which is how it should be in my books. Not the establishments fault but boy did our table get some glares from waiting patrons. Sorry not sorry I beat ya here! I shall be returning many times! In fact i was so enjoying myself i didn’t even take any pictures! Overall… chicken blew me away, love the prices and ambiance. Rest of the food was good/​fine. Service was a little lacking in the sense of rapport. But the bathrooms are the absolute largest detracting factor. Clean! Super clean. But terrifying. If you are tall… good luck! I felt like someone was going to lower a basket with moisturizer to me while synth beats blasted above my head. Shudder.

Small place, but service is great.
This place though makes an amazing fried chicken… you cannot go wrong. One of the best i have ever tasted! And if you come during happy hour, the price can’t be beat either! Oysters are ok, and properly shucked as well.
Other than the entrance being a pain to find, if you are looking for the best fried chicken in the city, do come here. Not much more I can say :)

Wow! The instructions on how to enter this place were no joke as I was a bit confused on my first visit here. My tip is: just head towards the bright neon lion-​head and walk slowly past it to the actual entrance. Our group of 5 had a laugh when someone commented that the way to go into Bar Fancy looked like a «mob door»
The small menus allows for easy decision making but our primary focus was of course the fried chicken and during their happy hour it was $ 2 per piece (maximum of three pieces) if ordered with an alcoholic beverage. Other items that were picked from the menu were the Dirty Nachos, Queso Fundido and the Spicy Salad. I also got a dill dip for my chicken and we were also given the complimentary hot sauce. I wish we had asked what type of pepper was in it because it definitely had a burning kick to it.
Due to the dimness of the lighting in our section it was a little hard to make out how crispy the chicken was but they came out piping hot from the fryer. I did come in hungry and normally I still control the speed at which I eat on an empty stomach. Man, did I wolf down the first two pieces within 30 seconds of each other! Adding the dill dip and the hot sauce to the meat also enhanced the flavors which is probably what made me eating them quickly. And the meat was so warm and moist, and the juice from the meat dripped onto the dish during the first two bites! I’ll shout chin-​licking goodness! My queso fundido which was a very warm cheesy dip accompanied by several (brand name) crackers was just as good. I think I also dipped a piece of my chicken and the cheesy taste also paired well with it.
The Nachos and the Salad which looked like the Chef’s own take on a Thai salad were also praised.
Service was pretty decent and no fuss, and the guy who was our main server seemed elated when we all agree how much we liked the chicken.
Oh yeah and all that the washrooms need to complete their look are a pair of hand-​cuffs near the flusher and maybe one near the sink LOL.
So now I’m a fan, but add a small selection of desserts to your menu and I’ll be a bigger fan.

Believe everything that people are saying about the fried chicken at this place. Unless they are saying its bad. Don’t believe those people — they know nothing.
The fried chicken is delicious. Its crunch and juicy and has both a savoury and sweet vibe to it. Its just magical. I will dream about it until I have more.
Also ordered the oysters (fresh) and the dirty nachos which were so simple yet so good — the best part is that there weren’t those lonely, cheeseless nachos at the bottom — every nacho was smothered in the delicious cheese sauce (think movie theatre cheese but real).
everyday 5 – 7 pm gets you half priced oysters ($ 8 for 6 oysters) and $ 2/​piece of chicken.
go now.

I ordered Über Eats from Bar Fancy today so I can’t speak to the service or restaurant but the fried chicken sandwich on coco bread that I had was awesome. The chicken was obviously prepared fresh and even though I wasn’t sure about the sweet pickles, I actually liked them on the sandwich, they didn’t taste weird and gross like sweet pickles from the grocery store.
I will definitely be checking out the Fancy hour!

Two words: Fried chicken. I will forever be dreaming about this fried chicken and holding all other fried chickens to this standard. Not even exaggerating, I would build a shrine to this chicken and pray to it every day. I don’t know what they put in there — some kind of alluring concoction of spices and crack, but it is MAGICAL… all these wonderful flavours bursting in your mouth, I don’t even know… sweet, salty, tangy, this is like everything. Plus each piece of chicken is decently large, (the actual chicken, not because it’s coated in 12 layers of batter), super moist and juicy and tender. I’ve been here twice to take advantage of their happy hour menu (between 5 – 7 PM) where you can get chicken for $ 2/​piece and half price oysters. I also had a fish sandwich here once and it was also A+ quality, although not quite at the level of the chicken.
The name is a bit misleading, because Bar Fancy is not fancy in the least, and to get inside you actually have to go down this little alleyway and enter from the back. But the place has character, and is a very cool, low-​key place to chill at whilst enjoying your chicken. They have a small selection of beers and a delicious rose hibiscus beer here.
CHICKEN!!! Go and get it, your life will be forever changed.

I had supper this evening at Bar Fancy, which is in our ‘hood.
I took advantage of the Fancy Hour special and got chicken pieces (just $ 2 a piece from 5pm to 7pm). I’ve had it there before and enjoyed it. It was really tender and juicy! The coating was yummy. There were spices (salt? cinnamon? sugar? cardamon?) sprinkled on afterwards.
I had a couple glasses of white wine. The first glass served by one guy was a bit low (especially for $ 11). The second glass served by someone else was more reasonable and generous.

Love this bar. The drinks and service are both excellent. There are big open windows at the front and some palm tree plants here and there. It’s a bit loud but the music is good. I had a delicious Rosee draught beer from Quebec and a wine from a family vineyard in Nova Scotia. Our server was extremely attentive for a Friday night. Well done!
I wouldn’t recommend coming here for a meal but late night snacks are appropriate.

Yet another place in this neighbourhood I’m enamoured with. It’s a little hidden (go down a narrow alley about 10 steps and the entrance is on the side of the building) which is kind of quirky but no biggie — though I can’t imagine they get much casual walk-​in clientelle unless you know it’s here (most strangers won’t go poking around an alley looking for secret restaurant entrances).
Inside, I was a bit surprised that it wasn’t busy at all — this was 6pm on a Wednesday, in the heart of the $ 2 fried chicken happy hour. I didn’t need a crowd so this was actually a pleasant surprise. The place is tasteful and has a reasonable amount of seating, though if it was packed it could become an issue.
Got the $ 9 dirty nachos and happy hour $ 2 fried chicken. The nachos, although meatless, had nice soft fresh chips (at least they seemed like it — for all I know they could’ve been reheated) and plenty of nice toppings. Probably the best vegetarian nachos I’ve ever had (and that’s coming from a carnivore). The $ 2 chicken was worth ever bite. Nice and crispy on the outside, oozing with moist tender meat on the inside, and with the perfect amount of seasoning. If you like fried chicken, you need to come just for this. Great value for both dishes.
Their only downside from what I can tell is their drinks are a bit on the pricey side, but since I was on a tap water option that night, it didn’t really matter. There are a few other items I’d like to try on their menu next time — until then, still thinking about that chicken.

Happy hour from 5−7pm! $ 2 per piece of fried chicken and a half dozen oysters for $ 8. No drink specials though.
The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The oysters were good but got some bits of shell, so it wasn’t shucked perfectly.
Wine is $ 10 and up.

The hubs and I were walking the street and noticed a dimly lit bar that looked kinda cool, so we stepped in. I think I should mention that we aren’t locals, and were going to be in TO for just this one evening, which we decided to spend bar hopping!
we walked in to this comfy little bar, and since I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to drink — I told the bartender what flavors I like and asked him to make me something of his choice. He was right on. the cocktail he made me was delicious. We tried another one of his concoctions, but didn’t indulge in any of their dishes — though I will say that the fried chicken looked delicious. The bar is quite small and was busy for a late Wednesday night, but we were able to find a couple seats at the bar. Bar Fancy is a neat, unpretentious, intimate spot and definitely worth checking out!

I love how the entrance is off to the back lead by the neon tiger. We didn’t even know Bar Fancy existed — we just kind of popped in and we were pleasantly surprised!
Beef Tartare — cubes of raw beef with a egg yolk on top — came with a side of seasoned Korean nori to wrap and eat with. It was so yummy. This dish was genius — it tasted like something from a hotel restaurant.
The ambience is decidedly Queen West — hipster, cool, low-​key vibe. Loved it. Great to pop in for a snack and some drinks. Prob not for a full meal.

Some would say that you cannot go wrong with a piece of fried chicken, but boy, have they had a piece of Bar Fancy fried chicken? Light crispy skin, subtle five spice flavour, the perfect house made spicy sauce paired with a lime, and most importantly — Juicy fried chicken! It will send you out of this world.
I’ve went with my friends a few times and the chicken is so good that it became part of our daily conversation and go-​to place. The beer is cold and the cocktail is great, what more can you ask for? Place is small and get packed quickly so arrive early to avoid disappointment for happy hour 5 – 7 weekdays.

Food: 8.5÷10 (note: based on one food item so take with a grain of salt!)
Atmosphere: 6.5÷10
Service: 6.5÷10
Overall experience: ⁶⁄₁₀
Popped over to this place this past weekend with high hopes. The glowing tiger (?) in the alleyway that leads you to the entrance is very hipster and makes you feel like you’re a part of a secret club.
There were a lot of things that contributed to an overall unpleasant experience, some of which were in their control and some not:
— large cold draft where I was seated at the bar
— large, rambunctious crowd beside me that edged so close they managed to spill beer on my coat
— staff member gave me a point blank «no» and then an even blanker stare afterward when I asked if they could make a special cocktail. No worries if not — but it was literally «no» and then silence…
— same staff member was seen on his phone at multiple times of the night (you can swipe right after your shift bro)
The cocktails were fine/​normal. We had an order of the fried chicken which was really really good. Another person came to take care of us who was a lot nicer. But unfortunately, the experience had already been soured. Neither of these two elements were able to make up for it.
THE BOTTOM LINE: fried chicken is really good, everything else Iggy Azalea would most definitely pass on.

Bar Fancy is quite the mixed bag, pseudo-​hidden on Queen a bit east of Ossington.
On my visit the absolute winner and total loser was the fried chicken. When it finally came, the fried chicken was expertly breaded and cooked. However, due to some problems with their fryer and subsequently forgetting our order (despite a few inquiries), the fried chicken came 1 hour and 15 minutes after we had ordered it. Nothing is worth that kind of wait.
To make up for our incredibly delayed chicken, the bartender offered us a round of beers on the house, although in the end only one of them ended up comped, and we were too exhausted to argue.
Drinks are just way too expensive. Beau’s (not one of my favorite microbrews) is $ 9 per pint… wowza, we’re approaching Air Canada centre prices.
The beef tartare was the strangest and least visually appealing beef tartare I’ve ever had, served on a greyish orange plate, slathered in a very heavy sauce, and topped with a sea of daikon. If they were going to do something so non-​traditional, the menu needs to include a description. When one sees «beef tartare», one assumes that it will be hand-​chopped beef, well-​seasoned, and perhaps topped with an egg, this resembled that as much as I resemble Michael Jordan.
The ambience is definitely hipster: silly moustaches and wallet chains are almost a part of the dress code. I think I only got in because I had a beard, a cute boyfriend, and two lesbians with me.
Overall, the visit had some major hiccups and the value was pretty bad. If I come back, it will be for their happy hour special, which has $ 2 fried chicken pieces from 5 – 7 PM.

Fancy is literally a hidden gem. (entrance trough the alley, lookout for the Tiger neon sign)
I have been here a couple of times. The first time around was mainly to try the food which I was not overly impressed with. The menu was advertised as «Cheap and Cheerful» by a Toronto Life review. I could not disagree more $ 18 for fried chicken is not chaep ={
On the other hand I really enjoy the atmosphere of the bar and their beer selection is quite good.
The bartender was kind enough to let me test one of their draught beers and even offered my friend and I a complementary shot. Free shot is gold!!!
I will be back for more drinks for sure.

Not a lot of space and gets really busy 5−7pm because fried chicken pieces are $ 2 a piece but our host, Johnny (suave Asian sir with sweet frames), greeted me like a homeslice and took me in like his own. Sipped some DDC Rosée D’hibiscus while I waited for a bar seat and devoured the fried chicken like I hadn’t seen food in years. The fried chicken had some sweetness which went phenomenally well with my Rosée D’hibiscus. The atmosphere is loud and a little hard to hear your partner but who cares about conversation — Bar Fancy is all about the fried chicken! THANKS JOHNNY FOR AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE, YOU ARE SO AWESOME, LOTS HAPPY, SUCH DELISHUS, DO WANT, MUCH BEER, WOW

Hard to find. Speakeasy-​ish. Wouldn’t have found it if Elle R hadn’t walked us to the door. Really warm comfy atmosphere inside. It was packed and loud-​ish.
Server was so on his game. Beer selection was decent. Nachos were above average and BF enjoyed his oysters.
Nice for a date but not more than 4 people as it’s small and would be hard to hear each other. Wouldn’t travel to come here but nice if you’re in Liberty.

A hidden bar/​foodie spot near Ossington and Queen. The big black front door is literally on a side alley.
The space is cozy, probably holds no more than 40 people sitting but it’s nice. The atmosphere is hip, trendy and mature (late 20’s up to mid 30’s). Locals come here for the fried chicken. It’s perfectly spiced and some of the best fried chicken I’ve had — ever! The skin was peppery flavoured and the lime juice made it perfect.
Pro tip: happy hour is before 7 pm. $ 2 per piece of fried chicken. Order 3 pieces for a snack, 4 or more for a «meal».
Drinks are OK, nothing special. The reason for the 4 stars is for venue and food. The menu looks standard with nothing too special. It was fun trying to find where the entrance is, but may be confusing if you’re drunk.
–Trendy and fresh. Come for the KFC and a pint.

When I heard that Bar Fancy won the fried chicken contest at the Drake, I was curious and invited some friends to join me. I had noticed the gold trimmed exterior for several months before and was curious as to what the space looked like on the inside as well.
We had gotten there before 7 pm on a Saturday, and they still had the happy hour menu which meant $ 2 pieces of fried chicken, and half price oysters. We got both, and also an Old Fashioned to wash down the chicken.
The chicken was indeed crispy on the outside, super moist on the inside, and spiced in a uniquely Asian way. The best part of course, is still the skin, and the batter they use is not as thick as other fast food places, and still has a lighter hue which means they use fresh oil. The chicken pieces are generously sized, and are indeed super moist when you bite in.
The menu is quite small owing to the mini sized kitchen right next to the bar area, but I was impressed at how they managed to make all their food in such a small space. Will definitely drop by again soon for more happy hour chicken.