Reservoir Lounge
Reservoir Lounge
4
About
This perennial favorite is a modern-day speakeasy. The cramped space -- it seats only 100 -- is below street level, yet feels intimate rather than claustrophobic. Live jazz, whether Dixieland, New Orleans, or swing, belts out 6 nights a week. The epicenter for the swing dance craze in Toronto, this is still the place to watch glam hepcats groove.
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Address
Neighbourhood: Old Toronto
How to get there
- King • 4 min walk
- Union • 8 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
125 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
37
Average
8
Poor
4
Terrible
10
LondonLockwood
Loughton, UK929 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Coming from UK we just don't have these type of jazz/ blues dive bars and it was an awesome experience. We just rocked up on the night and paid 15 Cad entrance fee .. all of the tables were taken so stood at the bar .. The first thing you get is this incredible jazz vibe ..Everyone there was obviously having a great time. The band were sensational..the cocktails even better .. It was a pleasure to be there . Just brilliant. !! Highly recommended.. Bring your dancing shoes. !
Written May 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dianne L
3 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Not worth your time. Cancelled our reservation giving us a short amount of time to try and book somewhere else while visiting Toronto. They booked a private party so I guess customer service means nothing. Do yourself a favour and book elsewhere.
Written May 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella 1
Glen Huron10 contributions
Jan 2024 • Friends
We had a spectacular night. Louie was the highlight. He treated us like gold. He would make a great host. The music was phenomenal. Lady Mary , the pianist, the sax player, were all amazing. Oh and the chocolate Martini!!! Out of this world!!! Best chocolate Martini anywhere
Written January 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Goldie R
Toronto, Canada2 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
I encountered the rudest and most unmannered manager I have ever seen in my life in this resto-bar/lounge.
I have been going to The Reservoir Lounge for at least 7 years now, and I have always left the place with great memories.... that is, until a few weeks ago, when an incident happened with the manager that totally changed my mind about the place, and the kind of service that the staff provides there.
I strongly urge the owner(s) to take this issue up with the manager, as his service and attitude was too cheap and vulgar for that place.
So this is what happened:
My friend had reserved a table on the phone for 10 people. From what my friend says, the manager had told her that we had to spend a minimum of $100 if we were to reserve a table for that many people--a proposition that made total sense given the number of people. Once we were in the lounge, we started ordering drinks and a couple of pizzas (which by the way were too salty). We talked to our server about giving half of our table away (a couple of friends had not been able to make it). Our server directed us to the manager.
The manager then "reminded" my friend (who had reserved the table) that we were to spend $100 on "food" alone. He repeatedly mentioned that that is what he had said on the phone (at this point, our server came along and mentioned that we actually had to spend $120 rather than $100, thus contradicting themselves!!!). And when my friend told the manager (and I was witness to this), that that is not what he had said on the phone, he told her that she was LYING! Just like that. A manager of such a reputable restaurant tells a customer that she is lying. Furious with what I had heard, I tried to butt in and tell him that according to his standards, he could be lying too, because who was to confirm what had been said on the phone!
We did not want to have much food that night. We had planned to go there to have lots of drinks and some finger food to celebrate our friend's birthday. We might have spent at least $300-400 on drinks alone that night, but less than $100 on food (by then we had spent more than $100 on drinks alone)! I have never seen a restaurant force food upon its customers. And worse than that, to call its customers LIARS.
I told the manager that I had been going to The Reservoir Lounge for a long time, and had never seen such a bad attitude from its staff, at which point he said to my face, "WELL, YOU SHOULD NEVER COME BACK."
I told him I would never go back and I would write a bad review for the place on yelp; he encouraged me to do so! Then using a really bad tone, he said, "YOU CAN LEAVE NOW, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE YOU, AND i DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
And that is how a night that had started so nice changed into a horrible memory, not only for me, but for the whole table. I left, of course, but my friends HAD to stay to order more food to follow the orders of the manager.
I have never ever seen such bad service anywhere. The manager should either be fired, or be seriously reminded of his job as someone who should oversee the provision of good service and the resolution of issues in the calmest and most respectful way.
I have been going to The Reservoir Lounge for at least 7 years now, and I have always left the place with great memories.... that is, until a few weeks ago, when an incident happened with the manager that totally changed my mind about the place, and the kind of service that the staff provides there.
I strongly urge the owner(s) to take this issue up with the manager, as his service and attitude was too cheap and vulgar for that place.
So this is what happened:
My friend had reserved a table on the phone for 10 people. From what my friend says, the manager had told her that we had to spend a minimum of $100 if we were to reserve a table for that many people--a proposition that made total sense given the number of people. Once we were in the lounge, we started ordering drinks and a couple of pizzas (which by the way were too salty). We talked to our server about giving half of our table away (a couple of friends had not been able to make it). Our server directed us to the manager.
The manager then "reminded" my friend (who had reserved the table) that we were to spend $100 on "food" alone. He repeatedly mentioned that that is what he had said on the phone (at this point, our server came along and mentioned that we actually had to spend $120 rather than $100, thus contradicting themselves!!!). And when my friend told the manager (and I was witness to this), that that is not what he had said on the phone, he told her that she was LYING! Just like that. A manager of such a reputable restaurant tells a customer that she is lying. Furious with what I had heard, I tried to butt in and tell him that according to his standards, he could be lying too, because who was to confirm what had been said on the phone!
We did not want to have much food that night. We had planned to go there to have lots of drinks and some finger food to celebrate our friend's birthday. We might have spent at least $300-400 on drinks alone that night, but less than $100 on food (by then we had spent more than $100 on drinks alone)! I have never seen a restaurant force food upon its customers. And worse than that, to call its customers LIARS.
I told the manager that I had been going to The Reservoir Lounge for a long time, and had never seen such a bad attitude from its staff, at which point he said to my face, "WELL, YOU SHOULD NEVER COME BACK."
I told him I would never go back and I would write a bad review for the place on yelp; he encouraged me to do so! Then using a really bad tone, he said, "YOU CAN LEAVE NOW, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE YOU, AND i DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
And that is how a night that had started so nice changed into a horrible memory, not only for me, but for the whole table. I left, of course, but my friends HAD to stay to order more food to follow the orders of the manager.
I have never ever seen such bad service anywhere. The manager should either be fired, or be seriously reminded of his job as someone who should oversee the provision of good service and the resolution of issues in the calmest and most respectful way.
Written October 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ashleyantoniuk
Toronto, Canada1 contribution
Feb 2017 • Friends
Some people will not be interested in my big long rant, so I will keep it simple for those who do not want to keep reading - I have never been treated so rudely and chastised in a service establishment in my whole life as I was at this place. My complaint rests on the door man who was the most unwelcoming door man I have ever met (if the owner only knew!). I will never be coming back to this place ever again and would not recommend it to anyone because of the experience I had below.
I had been to the Reservoir Lounge a few times before and it was a great time, which is why I was excited to check it out again on a Saturday night. I tried to make a reservation as I knew it was a busy place, however, when I called the message service said reservations were only allowed if you were having dinner. My friend and I decided to go anyway and worse came to worse we would stand (which is what I had done when I had been there before). When we arrived around 9pm we were told by the guy working the door that there were no tables (just as we expected). What caught me off guard was how rude and unwelcoming the man was. We asked if we could go into the establishment to use the bank machine to take out money for cover - he allowed us to, however, upon returning to the front to pay he was very quizzical with us saying, "you sure you want to come in, there are no tables" I replied saying we knew this and he said, "no seats by the bar either." I was so caught off guard by him hesitating to take our money and let us in that I questioned leaving right then but simply replied, "we know, we'll stand."
My friend and I found a spot by the bar, ordered a drink, and tried to stay as out of the way as possible as people continued to filter in. After about an hour, I noticed an older couple at a table with two empty chairs across from them. They seemed like a kind couple so I went over and asked if we could sit on the chairs and turn them the opposite direction to face the stage. The couple happily agreed and so we sat down. After about 10 minutes, the door man comes over to our table and tells us that we cannot sit at their table. I told him we asked the couple and they were ok with it. He then challenges me and says, "no the man told me he was not ok with it and has complained to me." I was shocked as the man seemed so sweet and strangely enough had not left the table once since we had been sitting there. At this point, the couple overheard our conversation and asked what the problem was. The door man said "they cannot sit here," and the kind old man said, "no it's ok, we are ok with it." I looked at the doorman, who had just lied to me and blamed it on an innocent old man who was just being nice. At this point I was thinking what have I done to upset this guy so much???
The doorman defeated walked away, however, it wasn't long before the waitress and her snarkiness told us we would need to move our chairs because they were in the way. Important to note, we were not the only chairs on this side of the tables, but we were the only ones being told to move. The older lady whose table we were sitting at overheard the waitress and said, "don't worry, we are leaving soon you can take our table." So they closed up their bill with the waitress and my friend and I moved our stuff to the other side of the table, pushed the chairs in on the opposite side and sat down. Not a minute later the waitress comes and sets a "reserved" sign on the table and says, "you can't sit here, this table has a waiting list." It was at this point - I was done. Not only were we never told we could put our names on a waiting list for a table but the unpleasant and rude attitude she displayed was shocking and upsetting. We got up and left.
I am still stunned while writing this review at the bullying and mean attitudes we experienced from both the door man and the waitress. I will never be returning, nor will I recommend this place to any of my friends or family. In fact, I will have this horrible experience to deter them from ever going there themselves. I would like to say a very kind and appreciative thank you to the older couple we sat with, they too were shocked and appalled by how badly we were treated.
I had been to the Reservoir Lounge a few times before and it was a great time, which is why I was excited to check it out again on a Saturday night. I tried to make a reservation as I knew it was a busy place, however, when I called the message service said reservations were only allowed if you were having dinner. My friend and I decided to go anyway and worse came to worse we would stand (which is what I had done when I had been there before). When we arrived around 9pm we were told by the guy working the door that there were no tables (just as we expected). What caught me off guard was how rude and unwelcoming the man was. We asked if we could go into the establishment to use the bank machine to take out money for cover - he allowed us to, however, upon returning to the front to pay he was very quizzical with us saying, "you sure you want to come in, there are no tables" I replied saying we knew this and he said, "no seats by the bar either." I was so caught off guard by him hesitating to take our money and let us in that I questioned leaving right then but simply replied, "we know, we'll stand."
My friend and I found a spot by the bar, ordered a drink, and tried to stay as out of the way as possible as people continued to filter in. After about an hour, I noticed an older couple at a table with two empty chairs across from them. They seemed like a kind couple so I went over and asked if we could sit on the chairs and turn them the opposite direction to face the stage. The couple happily agreed and so we sat down. After about 10 minutes, the door man comes over to our table and tells us that we cannot sit at their table. I told him we asked the couple and they were ok with it. He then challenges me and says, "no the man told me he was not ok with it and has complained to me." I was shocked as the man seemed so sweet and strangely enough had not left the table once since we had been sitting there. At this point, the couple overheard our conversation and asked what the problem was. The door man said "they cannot sit here," and the kind old man said, "no it's ok, we are ok with it." I looked at the doorman, who had just lied to me and blamed it on an innocent old man who was just being nice. At this point I was thinking what have I done to upset this guy so much???
The doorman defeated walked away, however, it wasn't long before the waitress and her snarkiness told us we would need to move our chairs because they were in the way. Important to note, we were not the only chairs on this side of the tables, but we were the only ones being told to move. The older lady whose table we were sitting at overheard the waitress and said, "don't worry, we are leaving soon you can take our table." So they closed up their bill with the waitress and my friend and I moved our stuff to the other side of the table, pushed the chairs in on the opposite side and sat down. Not a minute later the waitress comes and sets a "reserved" sign on the table and says, "you can't sit here, this table has a waiting list." It was at this point - I was done. Not only were we never told we could put our names on a waiting list for a table but the unpleasant and rude attitude she displayed was shocking and upsetting. We got up and left.
I am still stunned while writing this review at the bullying and mean attitudes we experienced from both the door man and the waitress. I will never be returning, nor will I recommend this place to any of my friends or family. In fact, I will have this horrible experience to deter them from ever going there themselves. I would like to say a very kind and appreciative thank you to the older couple we sat with, they too were shocked and appalled by how badly we were treated.
Written February 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SandraLynnNewYork
New York1 contribution
We were visiting Toronto and went the the Reservoir Lounge on a Wednesday night! What an unforgetable experince! Great people, great drinks, excellent food. The band was Bradley and the Bouncers and they were SO good! The singer was very charming and entertaining and had a very unique voice! He even came over to our table to say hello and pose for some pictures with us! What great memories we have! Thank you Reservoir Lounge.
Written April 26, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Connie G
Springwater, Canada79 contributions
May 2018
Dinner included tapas and other dishes that we shared (crab cakes, scallops, pot stickers, pizzas, etc.). The food was good and pizza impressive. We had the sexy Italian and a mushroom pizza, nice thin crust.The service was attentive, prompt and friendly. The band came on 9:45 pm as expected. The music was the cherry on top of the evening. As mentioned in other reviews, everyone stands around two feet from the band making it impossible to see them--it's an odd phenomena but it didn't damper the evening. Party goers were friendly and bubbly. Can't wait to return. $10 cover was worth every penny.
Written May 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D
Toronto1 contribution
Apr 2013 • Friends
This place had the worst service I have ever experienced. The service was appaullingly slow. A 30 minute wait to see a menu after having to get up and ask for it is pathetic. And to top the night off, this credit card or cash only venue had a broken ATM for its valued customers. When my friend tried to explain the frustration of not being told the ATM had run out of money and would now have to walk down the street in the cold to get more money the poor excuse for a manager had the nerve to say "So you're not going to put any effort into paying your bill?" Even worse, when we tried to go to get cash the manager ask that I stay back and informed the staff I might try to run out on the bill. Like I said, horrible treatment. From this issue, Ray, the manager was less than helpful and had nothing more to offer than a rude tone. It's criminal how the staff this evening treated us at such a low level. It was BEYOND disrespectful. The manager among the rest of the staff tonight were completely useless. That includes the miserable hostess, our slow waitress and especially the incompetent manager. Its unfortunate these people get paid to offer such low grade service. They were successful however in ruinining a great birthday evening.We will NEVER be back.
Written April 21, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sphere1966
Durham, UK126 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
Food good and the place is a nice location for jazz, on our visit the band were just ok, although the place was packed and lively. would advise booking a table, otherwise you will be standing. How good your experience is will depend upon the act, or if you are not to bothered about actual jazz and just out for a lively night and dancing then this would be the place for you.
Written April 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kaiw0ng
Austin, TX3 contributions
May 2018
An intimate place to enjoy jazz music and a beer and a short wallk from Younge St. A safe area for walkers.
The layout is music stage next to the front door and a rectangular hall to the back. A long table is in the middle and the bar is on the right side. The corner of the bar is the best spot for enjoying the music. A band from Germany was playing that night.
The layout is music stage next to the front door and a rectangular hall to the back. A long table is in the middle and the bar is on the right side. The corner of the bar is the best spot for enjoying the music. A band from Germany was playing that night.
Written July 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Would this be a wheelchair friendly place?
Written September 5, 2018
There are about 6 stairs when entering from street, the venue itself is all one level. They may have back entrance, you might contact them direct.
Written September 5, 2018
Sorry it's past Saturday....To your question, weekends are busy as you can appreciate. If you are there by 8p.m. you will have no trouble getting a seat or a table, or better yet reserve your spot in advance. if you come between 9 and 11 for example it will be standing room only, although the crowd thins out after 1130 or 12 midnight.
Written September 14, 2015
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