The food was outstanding! We came here for my pre-birthday celebration with my partner and were completely blown away by the food, ambiance, and service. Mikaela, our host, was incredibly warm and attentive, recommending several tapas that were as beautiful as they were delicious. Our favorites were the hamburguesa, jamón cebo, stracciatella, and boquerones.
To make the night even more special, they surprised us with an extra tapa and one of the best cheesecakes we’ve ever had on the house to celebrate my birthday. From start to finish, it was an exceptional experience and truly deserving of its Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. We will definitely be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stayser Eats
Getting lost in the curves of the wood and the soul of the snacks. 🪵✨ @bar_raval
There’s a reason Bar Raval is consistently ranked as one of the best bars in the world. Beyond the world-class cocktails and tapas, the space itself is a work of art. Inspired by the Art Nouveau style of Antoni Gaudí, the entire interior was hand-carved from mahogany, creating a flowing, organic vibe that makes you feel like you’ve stepped straight into Barcelona without leaving College Street.
Whether you’re standing at the counter for a quick pintxo or lingering over a Sherry cobbler, the energy here is unmatched. Toronto, if you haven’t leaned into the Raval experience yet, what are you waiting for? 🍷
Drinks and small plates are good but be prepared to spend big if you want to be full. Even the tenderloin and octopus are on the smaller side esp when shared, and the drink menu is so good you’ll definitely want more than one.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
melika jamshidi
The speakers and lighting setup here are excellent. I really enjoyed the quality
Ru Hampton
Drinks were so good, super thoughtful and tasty. Atmosphere was really fun and the service was the best, really felt taken care of— thank you Adriana!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danielle Crawford
I was actually pretty disappointed with this place. I had such high hopes for it.
I feel like if you are just coming here for a cocktail and because it looks cool inside then you’ll be happy.
However, the wine menu is not great. They only offer 5 ounce glasses no option for 8 ounce or 9 ounce.
The tapas style menu is something that I love. My friend and I shared a bunch of Items.
We ordered the leeks with anchovies, and I do have to say that this dish I did particularly enjoy.
Next was the shrimp. The shrimp were not taken out of their shell. So you have all this delicious topping that they have created but then as soon as you go to open up your shrimp, the topping ends up on your fingers instead of on your shrimp. It was also extremely oily.
Then we had the potato. It was not good.
Next was the cuddle fish with jalapeños and sausages. The fish was good however the batter was only so so And you could still kind of taste the flour. The sausage had a weird texture. And the whole dish was extremely oily.
The beat dish had the potential to be good, but then they mixed it with a deli meat and cheese, so it became a very strange combo. It was almost like it was supposed to be two separate dishes. It was just very strange.
I have eaten at a lot of Michelin star restaurants. I have also eaten at a lot of tapas style restaurants. There are way better options out there.
I feel like Barbara Raval has a good idea and their head is going in the right direction. They just need to fine-tune their menu. Way too much oil used in most of their dishes. Their seasoning is off and overall it’s just not amazing.
We had the cheesecake as well as the almond cake for dessert. Both of which were only OK. The cheesecake was actually quite boring. You just felt like a plain hunk of cheesecake. It could really do with a coulis or something more exciting to jazz it up. The almond cake was quite good, but the pears on top were way undercooked they needed to be cooked more to have more caramelization on them. The way they were they just kinda tasted like raw pears that were cut up and put on top.
Oh! And they gave you the world’s tiniest plate. Which I’m totally fine with. But they don’t even offer to change out the plate for you between dishes. So once you eat something and the sauce and what not goes on your plate now the next thing you eat is going to have that same sauce touch it so now the flavors will all become muddled together. It just kind of ruins the experience of trying different flavors.
The server was nice enough. However, she did seem a little bit unenthusiastic about her job.
I feel like if they dedicated a little bit more attention to the menu fine-tune some things and liven up their staff a little bit this place could be pretty great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
G Gisselle
I came for the croquetas de jamon and they did not disappoint at all. I also tried their shrimps a la planxa and WOW!! Also the cocktail was 10/10. Loved the vibes and the staff is super friendly. I was on my own and they made me feel so comfortable. I will come back, this time with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alaleh - FoodyTO
We made a reservation on a weekday and when we arrived, our table was ready. The bar has both counter tables inside and heated patio. We were seated inside and enjoying the beautiful wood carved decorations.
The drinks menu offers great variety of cocktails, wine, beer and liquor. The food menu includes great tapas options for sharing.
The staff are friendly and the service is fast.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Chris Podmore
Absolutely delicious cocktails. However the lack of sit down seating and high menu prices led us to have a quick drink and find food elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Melodie MacLennan
Danny’s next door really let us down, thank god Mira was working at Raval to make it a night we’ll never forget.
Beautiful bar, delicious, creative cocktails. Excellent experience. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
scott ewen
Incredibly beautiful and creative bar Original food , goes beautiful with wine. Very friendly staff . Highly recommended.!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ari
Low key this place is worth the hype, that toast with the pepper and anchovies slaps. Lots of good options as well if you don’t drink alcohol. Very noisy tho if u go during peak hours.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
laxman ronny
Drinks are awesome and amazing octopus
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Viktoriia
We visited this bar on a Monday. It was quite busy, but we managed to take the last available spot and sit down.
The atmosphere felt a bit strange — not everyone can actually sit. Some guests are seated at tables, while others are standing, which creates a slightly uncomfortable experience.
The food was very average. Portions are extremely small, while prices are quite high. Unfortunately, most dishes did not justify their cost. We tried nine dishes in total, and only two of them were genuinely tasty. The rest did not meet expectations in terms of flavor, portion size, or value.
There was also an unpleasant situation with the service. We ordered one bruschetta with liver just to try it, but the waiter decided on his own to bring two portions because we were two people. The same thing happened with another dish. We only noticed the double charge later when we received the bill, which was unexpected and disappointing.
The cocktails were also underwhelming. The glass was filled almost entirely with large ice cubes, and once the ice was removed, the drink itself filled only about half of the glass.
Overall, this place has potential, but there are clear and fixable mistakes: portion sizes, pricing, communication with guests, and balance in drinks. At the moment, I wouldn’t recommend this place for a visit.
The food was outstanding! We came here for my pre-birthday celebration with my partner and were completely blown away by the food, ambiance, and service. Mikaela, our host, was incredibly warm and attentive, recommending several tapas that were as beautiful as they were delicious. Our favorites were the hamburguesa, jamón cebo, stracciatella, and boquerones.
To make the night even more special, they surprised us with an extra tapa and one of the best cheesecakes we’ve ever had on the house to celebrate my birthday. From start to finish, it was an exceptional experience and truly deserving of its Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. We will definitely be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Getting lost in the curves of the wood and the soul of the snacks. 🪵✨ @bar_raval
There’s a reason Bar Raval is consistently ranked as one of the best bars in the world. Beyond the world-class cocktails and tapas, the space itself is a work of art. Inspired by the Art Nouveau style of Antoni Gaudí, the entire interior was hand-carved from mahogany, creating a flowing, organic vibe that makes you feel like you’ve stepped straight into Barcelona without leaving College Street.
Whether you’re standing at the counter for a quick pintxo or lingering over a Sherry cobbler, the energy here is unmatched. Toronto, if you haven’t leaned into the Raval experience yet, what are you waiting for? 🍷
#TorontoCocktails #TorontoFoodie #6ixGrams #TorontoNightlife #MixologyToronto
📷 @StayserEats
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drinks and small plates are good but be prepared to spend big if you want to be full. Even the tenderloin and octopus are on the smaller side esp when shared, and the drink menu is so good you’ll definitely want more than one.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The speakers and lighting setup here are excellent. I really enjoyed the quality
Drinks were so good, super thoughtful and tasty. Atmosphere was really fun and the service was the best, really felt taken care of— thank you Adriana!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was actually pretty disappointed with this place. I had such high hopes for it.
I feel like if you are just coming here for a cocktail and because it looks cool inside then you’ll be happy.
However, the wine menu is not great. They only offer 5 ounce glasses no option for 8 ounce or 9 ounce.
The tapas style menu is something that I love. My friend and I shared a bunch of Items.
We ordered the leeks with anchovies, and I do have to say that this dish I did particularly enjoy.
Next was the shrimp. The shrimp were not taken out of their shell. So you have all this delicious topping that they have created but then as soon as you go to open up your shrimp, the topping ends up on your fingers instead of on your shrimp. It was also extremely oily.
Then we had the potato. It was not good.
Next was the cuddle fish with jalapeños and sausages. The fish was good however the batter was only so so And you could still kind of taste the flour. The sausage had a weird texture. And the whole dish was extremely oily.
The beat dish had the potential to be good, but then they mixed it with a deli meat and cheese, so it became a very strange combo. It was almost like it was supposed to be two separate dishes. It was just very strange.
I have eaten at a lot of Michelin star restaurants. I have also eaten at a lot of tapas style restaurants. There are way better options out there.
I feel like Barbara Raval has a good idea and their head is going in the right direction. They just need to fine-tune their menu. Way too much oil used in most of their dishes. Their seasoning is off and overall it’s just not amazing.
We had the cheesecake as well as the almond cake for dessert. Both of which were only OK. The cheesecake was actually quite boring. You just felt like a plain hunk of cheesecake. It could really do with a coulis or something more exciting to jazz it up. The almond cake was quite good, but the pears on top were way undercooked they needed to be cooked more to have more caramelization on them. The way they were they just kinda tasted like raw pears that were cut up and put on top.
Oh! And they gave you the world’s tiniest plate. Which I’m totally fine with. But they don’t even offer to change out the plate for you between dishes. So once you eat something and the sauce and what not goes on your plate now the next thing you eat is going to have that same sauce touch it so now the flavors will all become muddled together. It just kind of ruins the experience of trying different flavors.
The server was nice enough. However, she did seem a little bit unenthusiastic about her job.
I feel like if they dedicated a little bit more attention to the menu fine-tune some things and liven up their staff a little bit this place could be pretty great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
I came for the croquetas de jamon and they did not disappoint at all. I also tried their shrimps a la planxa and WOW!! Also the cocktail was 10/10. Loved the vibes and the staff is super friendly. I was on my own and they made me feel so comfortable. I will come back, this time with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We made a reservation on a weekday and when we arrived, our table was ready. The bar has both counter tables inside and heated patio. We were seated inside and enjoying the beautiful wood carved decorations.
The drinks menu offers great variety of cocktails, wine, beer and liquor. The food menu includes great tapas options for sharing.
The staff are friendly and the service is fast.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Absolutely delicious cocktails. However the lack of sit down seating and high menu prices led us to have a quick drink and find food elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Danny’s next door really let us down, thank god Mira was working at Raval to make it a night we’ll never forget.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Beautiful bar, delicious, creative cocktails. Excellent experience. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Incredibly beautiful and creative bar
Original food , goes beautiful with wine.
Very friendly staff . Highly recommended.!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Low key this place is worth the hype, that toast with the pepper and anchovies slaps. Lots of good options as well if you don’t drink alcohol. Very noisy tho if u go during peak hours.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drinks are awesome and amazing octopus
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited this bar on a Monday. It was quite busy, but we managed to take the last available spot and sit down.
The atmosphere felt a bit strange — not everyone can actually sit. Some guests are seated at tables, while others are standing, which creates a slightly uncomfortable experience.
The food was very average. Portions are extremely small, while prices are quite high. Unfortunately, most dishes did not justify their cost. We tried nine dishes in total, and only two of them were genuinely tasty. The rest did not meet expectations in terms of flavor, portion size, or value.
There was also an unpleasant situation with the service. We ordered one bruschetta with liver just to try it, but the waiter decided on his own to bring two portions because we were two people. The same thing happened with another dish. We only noticed the double charge later when we received the bill, which was unexpected and disappointing.
The cocktails were also underwhelming. The glass was filled almost entirely with large ice cubes, and once the ice was removed, the drink itself filled only about half of the glass.
Overall, this place has potential, but there are clear and fixable mistakes: portion sizes, pricing, communication with guests, and balance in drinks. At the moment, I wouldn’t recommend this place for a visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
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