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All About Toronto:
Places to have a drink...
Babylon Martini Bar (553 Church Street)Martinis are my Achilles' heel. So when my cousin brought me to Babylon for the first time, I thought I was in heaven. Boasting over fifty different types of martinis, Babylon offers an intimate environment and friendly staff. All martinis are mixed professionally, and if you're hungry, Babylon also has a food menu (though not an extensive one).
The building, which is a converted house, has three floors complete with couches and fireplaces. The top floor has a DJ on weekends, spinning trance and techno. On those nights, it's sometimes a long wait for a table, but well worth it. The owner can usually be found serving drinks and a smile. He took a real liking to my cousin, which I constantly teased him about. But with those kinds of connections, we always managed to get a table. The table by the window is the hardest to get (despite the connections, we've never scored that table). Five or six nights out of the week it's usually reserved in advance. The couches are also hard to get, and rightly so. There's been so many times when we've sat on those cushy couches for hours and hours, playing "Who is the Better [insert our last names here, as we both have the same last name]?" For the record, I am the better one.
Babylon is a great place to have an intimate gathering, a romantic date, or a girls' night out. It's always dimly lit, creating the most perfect atmosphere. I am addicted to their fireplace, but when it's on it does get kind of hot on the face. Every time I've left, I've been a happy customer. Of course, every time I've left I've also been drunk out of my mind, but we'll save these stories for another time.
Panorama (55 Bloor Street West, 51st Floor)
I can't help but love Panorama. It isn't so much the drinks or the scant food menu (which just screams "overpriced" to me - don't try the Hot Rocks, you'll be very disappointed). It's more because it has one of the best views overlooking the city skyline, besides the 360 Revolving Restaurant. It's worth footing the bill just for the view alone. In the winter, you can still see the skyline from inside, but it's the summer and their rooftop patio that draws the customers.
Panorama has a loose dress code consisting of no hats or too-casual attire (so leave the leisure suit at home). On weekends, they might charge the occasional entrance fee. On weekdays, expect the Bay Street business types gathering for an after-work drink (did someone say "Christine's Happy Hour?") On weekends, expect a younger, trendier crowd, and a long wait for a table.
It's a great date spot, but you don't have to be on a date to drop by. The music is just loud enough that you can hear it, but low enough that you don't have to scream. The staff is usually friendly, and the drinks are delicious. The best time to visit is in the early evening, where you might be able to catch the sun set. The beauty of Panorama is that when you run out of things to say, you have the skyline to fill in the silences. ¤ C.Ho.