20 Best Bars in Waterloo

“Fantastic, intimate venue to experience live music and feel close to your favourite musicians. I was pleasantly surprised by how much air circulated throughout the space pretty much the whole evening. There are two bars with fast service and absolutely acceptable drink prices.

Two things to note; if you're a smoker, you most probably won't be able to go in and out, but there is a small vestibule/balcony where smoking is permitted. Secondly, and this is super important, it's a 19+ venue, regardless of the event itself. We found it out the hard way, because two teenagers who wanted to see Cat Empire with us today had to be driven back home by their parents as a result. So keep that in mind.

Otherwise great location, will be back as soon as some other great band books the venue!“

“Spacious, good food (limited selection of food, good for a big snack), and it wasn't too loud. Good selection of games for our group of 9. For "Telestrations" I went up to ask for working dry erase markers and the server was able to help. Telestrations is always good for a laugh. All in all a good experience.

I had the tortillas with (temperature) hot nacho dip and jalepeños on the side. The dip was also spicy and good. My total spend was just over $20 with 15% tip and tax (Nov 16, 2024). We also played "Hues and Cues" and "Taboo".“

“Visited the restaurant this week and what an experience. Lights outside were gorgeous, food was delicious and our server Nicole brought it all home with her service. She was fast, attentive, polite, and sociable. We will definitely be coming back!“

“A high end restaurant around here used to be a business casual dress code, featured a lightly seasoned steak, a prime rib dinner, a dynamite caesar salad, a pasta dish, a seafood dish a few other signatures with an extensive wine list. All the food was made from quality ingredients, expertly prepared and the service was professional and caring. All of this is still expected in high end dining but one thing I felt was absent for a while was originality. I still fancy the local favourites but it was hard to find something unfamiliar. In the last decade, Waterloo has been invaded with delightfully unique higher end dining ventures. Steaks served with aggressive and colourful sauces. First course flavour explosions served out of a micro spoon. Exotic treasures from the sea like octopus or blow torched fish instead of grilled. The palate of the Kitchener-Waterloo region is expanding and in my opinion, for the better. The latest addition to our fine dining core is Babylon Sisters, a wine bar where simplicity done well is taken seriously, like a tuxedo. A black and white colour scheme, accented by silver, button bound leather bar stools softly lit by candle light. The Art Deco ambience is quietly stated above the sight lines. The long narrow venue is subtly divided into a bar, to a high top seated dining room and then into a retro 70’s high back vinyl booth seating area. The patio is vibrant, connected to adjacent venues. It’s very southern U.S. or Caribbean in it’s street social vibe. The two menus consist of two things: One is Wine. One is food to compliment the wine. It’s a bold statement to start your wine menu off in Canada with Ontario wines if you want to be recognized as a wine bar. Too often Ontario wine is poo pooed but to me, it just tells me whoever does the menu here has taste because Ontario has world wide award winning wines. Beyond the local selections, lots of old world wines, not the usual's you see on menus in town and offered in three ounce portions. A great concept to anyone who desires the variety of different wine flavours but doesn’t want to spend a fortune on higher end wine. Not to mention doesn’t want to drink two bottles worth of wine just to get variety. I went with the classic accompaniments with my wines, olives and cheese. A great mix of pitted olives. Queens, kalamata and cocktails, oiled up with a garlic clove. They were salty, fresh and firm. The cheese was a mix of brie, camembert and blue. I thought it was going to be mild, mild and explosive blue cheese but alas, the camembert and brie were far from mild. Normally I find those cheeses bland but they were carefully selected and well prepared. The camembert was woody and earthy. The Brie was almost whipped. The texture of the cheeses when topped on the bread turned the chewy bread into a supple ball of joy. When mixed with either the honey preserve or onion butter it was out of this world. The combination of the olives, cheese, pastes, wine and ambience was nothing like anything else in town. Oddly, across the street I could see Streetlights, another newer venue in town. A fruity coloured place that lives where Chainsaw used to be and it’s something, again, unfamiliar. All of this felt like an escape. I went in and out of Babylon Sisters expecting a nice drink but instead felt like I had a vacation. This is what I always want from a venue. Something unique. Something to take the rest of my day away so I can just enjoy the moment. Hats off to this brilliant new place.“

“I took one semester at the university and went to this jazz club almost every week during that time. It’s the most amazing place with GREAT, varied music, good food and drinks and awesome vibe! I especially appreciated that it’s a non talking venue and the amazing artists and crowd always delivering great atmosphere and quality jazz. I miss this place so much now that I don’t live in Canada anymore, I hope to be back one day!?“

“Great food, and service! Everything was hot and very tasty!! The price is right for the quality of food!“

“This on campus site on University of Waterloo is really good!
I’m not a fan of the pricing but for portion served I think it might be reasonable
The taste is fresh and great
I had a Chicken Tikka Pizza and it tasted so good
I recommend this place to everyone it’s cozy and a nice place to have a chat with a friend
the food here is good ☑️

Vegetarian options: Across the menu there is one veg option offered in each category“

“I went here last night for a much needed date night with my bf. The owner was friends, his place is very clean, the table are great. Can’t wait to come back and beat my bf there some more.“

“Had a deal going on $15 wings/fries and vegetables for $20

late night dinner and was impressed, Been going here for some time now and it’s a great local spot.

Good food and good people all the time

recommend checking it out if you are in the area or looking to get some good food and drinks“

“Great golf simulator and excellent service?“

“Very polite baristas, quick service, yummy pastries, the best coffee in town or if your looking for a extra boost they sell red bulls! Great price and relaxing place to do work :)“

“A friend of mine and her son went to eat here Monday night. My first time at that location. It started out badly, very badly, the young, long haired, blond bartender was rude and unprofessional. Peyton, Bob and Theodora turned it around for us and with their eager to rectify approach helped turn a very negative experience into a positive one. Peyton was understanding, tentative to my concerns and genuinely wanted to help. Bob was amazing. He came to us with a genuine approach, listened to our issues. We felt heard and respected, in the end, found a reasonable solution we all were happy with. As we were leaving, Theodora held the door for us as she was coming into her shift with a bright beautiful smile, respectful and genuinely nice. These 3 are a great representation of amazing service that should be emulated by the ENTIRE staff, as well as IMO, a lot of establishment's are lacking. Thank you guys and I specifically want to thank Bob again.“

“The games are really cool. Jenga is really cool. When they run karaoke, it’s also really cool. This place might just be really cool, it’s also sometimes kinda gross tho. Food and drinks are a little pricey but it’s so affordable to play games there that I don’t mind. Much love to pin up, I’m gonna keep coming back until I can beat the basketball high score.“

“Had a great time with our crew of 7. Was a dinner for my son's 11th birthday and they made it so special. Honoured my request to have his favorite drink waiting at the table. Our server was incredible. Went above and beyond. Thanks, Emma!!“

“Famous charcoal outdoor Korean bbq. Best Korean frozen Soju place in the city.“

“My husband had steak I had Vegan and both were fantastic. The baked Brie with the pesto, insane! Our server Logan was very friendly and attentive.“

“Went here for the first time a couple weeks ago. I can't speak for the food, we popped in late after seeing a movie for a drink. I can say the cocktails are great and the vibe is cool and unique in the city. Check it out, I should've gone there sooner.“

“I must tell you about Phils! It's hands down the best nightclub in Waterloo. As a student at Laurier, hitting up Phils is practically a rite of passage for every Golden Hawk. The place offers cheap drinks, a friendly staff, and an awesome atmosphere that's perfect for everyone. In my book, it's the ultimate bar in Waterloo!“

“Awesome spot, fantastic service :)“

“Service was a little slow and staff didn't understand english but that didn't become a problem until it came to splitting the bill (ordering was done by writing menu numbers on a piece of paper). I got the YuanYang fried rice and it was very very good.“