Goodnight Bar

I tried calling the number listed here (and listed in numerous other places online) but it seems that the number has been re-​assigned. Does anyone know what’s going on or what the correct number is?

4.5 stars
After hearing the word for months, a conversation with Unilocal sensei Vivek S served as the final nudge necessary for a skeptic to checkout the pillar of Toronto’s emerging speakeasy scene! A short tour of NYC’s ever bustling speakeasies will teach you that these watering holes can either serve as a not-​so-​cheap cheap amusement for tourists or rallying point for professional drinkers (ie Death&Co). Goodnight makes every effort to be part of the latter group despite what the hipster heavy crowd might have you thinking.
We were led to the bar area by a phenomenal barchef I’ll hereby refer to as bigD (to avoid Unilocal serving as a vehicle of namedropping!). While there is a good bit of seating, I’d have to agree with Vivek that Goodnight is a standup and mingle kind of place, so don’t expect seating, especially if you arrive after 1030.
For our main course, Big D selected the 3 cocktails I tried and with the exception of the third round which was a bit too adventurous, his suggestions were absolutely spot on! In addition to what we ordered we were also asked to sample an as yet off the menu cocktail, and this just went on to show Goodnight runs its trade with some serious passion! The first cocktail was the classic Moscow Mule ironically using the Polish Belvedere as the base. What makes this cocktail especially fantastic at Goodnight is the use of an exclusive and highly sought after ginger bitter that gives the mule a pretty distinctive kick!
The second cocktail we tried was something similar to Pimm’s Rangoon, with a very refreshing cucumber aroma, and slightly citrusy smooth taste. This would be a perfect summer cocktail!
What really made Goodnight a near 5* experience for me however was the service. Aside from the helpful suggestions, I was able to learn about the history of the bar and the ongoing attempt to reinvent and lead the Toronto speakeasy scene through keeping up with some of the big players in NYC.
The discussion did have some sad news as Goodnight is set to close sometime in the summer to make way for development/​new condos in the area. The owners will likely move the bar closer to Bloor St. and all I can hope is that nothing changes!

I honestly don’t get all of the hype. I went for a very large birthday party, and the small, cottage like interior, which was also not terribly aesthetically impressive, barely permitted much movement. I only managed to get one shot of absinthe which was not enough to gain a sense of the quality of the drinks they had to offer. I tried to order another drink, but the line-​ups were way, way to long.
I’m giving this place 3 stars instead of 2, because my unfavourable perception of this place was largely due to how busy the party was (of which I was an attendee). I would like to try this place again to see if it improves my opinion of it based on the actual quality of the drinks and service. Although I was not wowed by the too laid back ambiance either. The biggest plus though: you don’t have to yell over the music in order to have a conversation!

With all the hush surrounding this speakeasy, what with the sketchy alleyway, the password and the blank door I was pretty excited to see what the fuss was about.
The staff is extremely knowledgeable about drink offerings and offering suggestions as requested. The bar menu is pretty sound with plenty of pricey options. I went with a Manhattan, though my orange peel was slightly sad looking, and not of the zesty fresh peel you’d expect.
While there is a rather ridic $ 100 minimum on credit cards, (maybe they should just go cash only?) Goodnight Bar is definitely worth another return for it’s cool ambiance and random stairways leading to nowhere.

Thanks for Vivek for making a reservation. seems like even on a Tuesday night, we still need a reservation and a secret code or something to get into Goodnight Bar!
One of the Unilocalers in our group was freaking out when we turned into this dark, dirty alley with all these graffiti I have to say this one of the most secretive Speak Easy Bar I have been to in Toronto…
No Photos! All the other Unilocalers warned me… I would not embarrass them… so I was a good girl… just enjoying the vibe and the roomy interior. The interior is really dark anyway, I don’t think any of my photos would have turn out even if I did take any!
The prices of the drinks are in line with the Speak Easy bar I been in NYC, in the $ 15 price range… They were quite good and well crafted as cocktails but just lack some creativity!
Thanks Steph C for buying me my birthday drink Blue Moon ($ 13)!
BTW, make sure you bring CASH! In order to pay with your Visa or Mastercard, you will have to have a total bill of $ 100 and over! I don’t think I can drink $ 100 here since I would have to have at least 5 cocktails. and trust me, you don’t really want to see me after I had those 5 drinks!
Goodnight Bar is a great place for date or a small group get together! Just make sure you make a reservation!
Shhhhh… I did take 2 blurry photos at the entrance… I hope I am not in trouble…

Ended up at Goodnight with some friends on a Saturday night. At 10:30 the place was chill and a cozy environment for a drink. It started filling up around 11:30 with 19 – 25 year olds out to enjoy the music and probably check each other out. Except we were about 10 years outside of that age range so it ended up becoming a night of watching young partiers. The fashion style ranged from hip-​hop/​hipster look for guys to girls with ultra short dresses to pants that went up to their armpits. Talk about a dichotomy of style! The place feels warm with lots of wood and candles about… except for the ghostly pictures that hang in the sitting areas. A couple of drinks runs about $ 20 w/​tip. And the music is hip-​hop played off a macbook.

With their virtually blank business cards, and their virtually blank website, and their virtually blank entrance situated in the bowels of a filthy alley at Richmond and Spadina everything about this place screams (well, whispers really), we’re not here.
But of course, they pay rent and offer drinks in exchange for money, so they have provided a few ways to get in. You need a reservation, which consists of calling their phone number and asking for one. A reservation grants you entry to the bar, not a table, as some other reviewers (like Brandon M) have misunderstood. This is stand up and mingle venue more than a sit-​down and huddle over a bloomin’ onion kind of place.
I liked the décor. It’s one large dark space partitioned by walls made of broken down shipping pallets. Antique touches abound: daguerrotype photographs, sewing patterns on the wall, and the plain ol’ wood bar is stacked on top of old radiators. Many people (like Brandon M) might notice that the crowd is «hip PR and media types» and well, frankly they’re right.
They serve capital-​c Cocktails here, and they are priced to boot: expensive. While they were definitely made well, and packed a wallop, $ 18 for a drink is pushing it. (Especially for the wallets of the «pathetically salaried» clientele, right Brandon M?) But it’s definitely a cool spot; good for small group meetup or date.
Obligatory Title Pun: I gotta feeling…
Menu Readability: Cocktails chalk-​written in that swirling hipster calligraphy that is so popular these days.
Need to mention: This review is dedicated to Brandon M. (I almost wish I had written it in broken english, for his benefit.)
What this place teaches me about myself: I’m not nearly cool enough to drink wherever I please. (But I will anyway.)

This is a first for me – I have *never* given a review of a place without actually drinking or eating there, though I was so put off by the 5 minutes I spent here that I feel compelled to post (which I’ve done elsewhere on the web).
I was looking forward to checking this place out (as I’m a fan of barchef and places like Franklin in Philly and PDT and Milk & Honey in NYC) and wasn’t put off by the reservation policy. However, when we showed up for our 10:30 reservation, the place was full and we were left to stand clueless and looking lost in the middle of the room. We were ignored completely for several minutes until I asked one of the staff where we were supposed to sit. He motioned towards a booth that already had a couple in it and said, in broken English, «Maybe you can ask them to share.» Needless to say, we left shortly after that since they didn’t seem to give a crap about us.
If you’re going to be a bar that exclusively takes reservations, you should at least honor them and not ignore people who show up for them. Attentive service is a requisite when I think about a high-​end cocktail bar and clearly that is not at the top of this Goodnight’s list… but hey, if they want to ignore me while serving «hip» media and PR types blowing their pathetic 50k salaries on $ 14 cocktails, all the power to them. I prefer to spend my money at bars that actually serve me.
5÷28÷11 — Edit: Everyone in the bar had a seat except us, so yes, this did seem like a «sit-​down and huddle over a bloomin’ onion kind of place.» Completely embarrassing to just be standing there ignored. It seems the only people who really like this place are Torontonians. Moreover, my comment about broken English wasn’t xenophobic, but a «host» should be able to communicate with patrons effectively. A terse, surly response isn’t very accommodating.

I was hankering to give this one a go with reviews showing up in NYC publications and BlogTO. Vintage cocktails, alleyway entrance, conversational atmosphere and reservations via texting day of are the prohibition style allure (ok, except for text messaging… probably a password instead). I’m a fan of this style patronizing Bourbon and Branch in SF, Manifesto in KC and the Violet Hour in Chi. Our Toronto incarnation wins points for location and friendly staff but could use some improvement in matching the cocktail quality of other cities. The other options are a bit more creative and crafted sometimes even named. We went early at 8:15pm as we were pre-​gaming the ‘shoe so we were the first to arrive. I will definitely try to make it back another night.