lounge for drinks and nibblies?

[Zengarden]

My friend is returning home in December and has asked me to recommend a lounge where all of her friends can meet and have drinks and nibblies. I'm so not up with the places where we can go and actually do this AND hear each other speak.

Can anyone recommend a spot? I was thinking of the following spots but have never been there so it would be great if you could give me your feedback:

Colborne Lane
Kultura
?

Thank you.

[dancingTimmy]

a) Mirabelle
(http://www.mirabellewinebar.com 2112 Younge south of eglinton
)It's a "wine bar"with a good selection of starters and share plates. They have a casual lounge area with a few sofa's (how many friends do you have?) that you can park in. They actually do understand that you just want some drinks & nibbles and do not want to sit down for a formal meal.
It is about 2 blocks south of eglinton.
b) Resevoir Lounge
http://www.reservoirlounge.com/ on wellington east (about 50?
)This is really a lounge and not a bar or a restaurant. Only been once, before the theatre & they looked at us a little funny when we said we would be gone by 7:30. Food & service was still very good.

[szrah]

Avenue at the Four Seasons in Yorkville.

[kawarthagirl]

Ahhh... my happy place! ;)

[domesticgodess]

beer bistro is fun not sure I would go to the Park Plaza though.
The Rice Bar....in Kensington is now licenced. I had a kick-ass fresh watermelon martini in the summer. The food is fresh and the setting is funky.
One more thought...Mill St. Brewery (back to beer again..LOL)
Have Fun!!

[Googs]

Oh wow the apple martini. Luscious and to die for. No wonder you're happy.

[BeeRich]

Consort Bar, street level, King Edward Hotel
Beer Bistro, Yonge & King

[Zengarden]

What's the sound level like for Beer Bistro? And Consort Bar sounds like a neat spot.

[JamieK]

I found Beer Bistro to be quite loud.

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Beer Bistro
18 King St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 1C4, CA

[dinin and dishin]

yes I agree. I was there for lunch and it was deafening. I can't imagine what it is like at the height of the evening.

[dinin and dishin]

You could also try The Laurention Room in the old Winchester Hotel - Parliament and Winchester. There is a small lounge area, but you can call and see if they'll give you a table if you are just ordering nibblies. Sometimes they have music.

[caddie]

Haven't been to Colborne Lane but have been to Kultura many times. I think it could work provided you are able to reserve one of the seating areas downstairs (U-shaped bench with a very low table in the middle) and you are expecting say 8 and not 25 people. I'm not sure if they accept reservations for these areas though. Not sure how old you guys are but I'd stay away from the Rooftop at the Hyatt - I think of it more as a date place than a place I'd go to catch up with all my friends. Good luck finding something!

[millygirl]

I'd have to agree with d and d in that The Rooftop would be a perfect spot for a bunch of girls to have some drinkie poo's and nibblies. Especially at this time of year!

[caddie]

Sure - for an older crowd IMO, which is why I mentioned age as a factor. Not sure where the all girls bit came into play though. In any case, it's not somewhere I'd invite all my friends to go hang-out and catch-up but maybe that's just me! :) I agree that it might suit the OP's needs depending on the group! But fair warning that the vibe is COMPLETELY different from Kultura! :)

[millygirl]

Fair enough Caddie, and yes for some reason, rightly or wrongly, I assumed this was a girls thing.

[Mila]

There is the Foundation Room at Church and Front with nice middle eastern nibbles. Good loungey seating and snacks are good for sharing.

I can't quite figure out why it is crazy busy sometimes and really quiet other times.
But I like both vibes in the room.
http://www.foundationroom.ca/

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Foundation Room
19 Church, Toronto, ON M5E1B5, CA

[laurelmcg]

Karen's Wine Bar in Yorkville is nice. I've never been, but this place looks cool too: http://www.cafetaste.ca/

[Wahooty]

One warning about Cafe Taste - if they have live music on the night in question, it can get quite loud. It's far too small a space to have the amps turned up to 11. But if there's no entertainment, it's a nice, cozy spot for a chat and a nibble.

[dinin and dishin]

Rooftop bar at the Park Hyatt corner of Avenue Rd and Bloor. Great view. Nice ambience and nibbles.

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Park Hyatt
Toronto, ON, Toronto, ON , CA

[xtal]

What about Laide?

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Laide
Toronto, ON, Toronto, ON , CA

[LTL]

What are cocktail prices like there? Website doesn't list them.

[OnDaGo]

Fancy Martinis are $11 - $16
Bar shots $6
Fancy Cocktails $8 - $9