Bar'kada

Walked in on a Sunday evening and was able to get a table alright. There was no staff member attending to the host/ hostess stand so we were awkwardly waiting there for a bit. A staff member who happened to be sitting at the bar and not on their shift was kind enough to show us to a table and had to call someone over for us. There were only a few tables at the front, which made the place seem really small for seating capacity. Wondering if they closed off the rest of the dining room past the bar with curtains for some special reason. The music was chill with some R&B music at the start of our night, but progressed into what sounded like pretty aggressive club music that was a mix. Didn’t really feel like music to eat to in my opinion and felt a bit off with the dining experience. Definitely had to raise my voice to talk over it. The mango cucumber salad was a bit misleading because you expect those two items in the title to be the main components of the dish, but really it was more a kale salad with mango and cucumber slices along with other ingredients like onion (which is almost just as much as the mango or cucumber). The half dozen oysters were alright. The fried chicken had good seasoning on it, appreciate the crispy skin and moist meat without being overcooked. The mashed potatoes were also flavourful and came with a good gravy. Wonder if the gravy could be a bit less thickened because it was a bit clumpy. The fried rice was also flavourful and had some good chunks of duck. I see a lot of these dishes as being nice to share, and the plates you get on the table for yourself to bring food onto are very small. Could rethink the sizing on those because otherwise it’s easier to just eat off the main dishes.

The food was delicious and very well presented! I will say the spicy burger wasn't at all spicy, but still a very great smash burger. Everything else we ordered was pretty good as well! The aesthetic of the place was really nice with the backyard patio being a nice place to sit and enjoy if the weather permits. Loved the cocktails too! Would recommend!

Great spot for Filipino based menu. Very tasty apps and shareables. The main entrées where flavourful and the right temperature a lot of restaurants serve semi cold food in this place with bang on with its quality. Cocktails were amazing. The atmosphere of this restaurant and lounge is very inviting but subdued. Service was friendly and accommodating. One minor thing, though is that the server we had, although very pleasant, was not too sure of the menu items we asked about in regards to describing it. We would definitely be back as this place is unique.

I visited Bar’kada with friends last night, and we had an amazing time! The food and drinks were served quickly, and we got to try a variety of items. Special shoutout to the bartender, Julian, who made some incredible drinks. Every staff member I interacted with was very welcoming, and although I don’t remember the server’s name, she was fantastic, making sure we were well taken care of throughout the night. The overall hospitality was top-notch. If you’re looking for a fun night out with friends, great music, food, and drinks, I highly recommend Bar’kada. I’ll definitely be back! 🫶🏻☺️

This bar has a really interesting cocktail menu with imaginative (and pretty!) drinks i’ve never really seen at other places. Every drink I tried was delicious. The draft raspberry lemonade was surprisingly light and refreshing. The only thing was that the white sangria didn’t really taste like a sangria and was extremely strong. The bartender was nice and friendly and came up with great drinks based on requests. The open concept + purple lights made it a nice summer night out. Overall, had a really good time.

Popped in to try the happy hour. We shared the spicy chicken noodle dish and the oysters- both were delicious and our serve was friendly. Would come back!

I originally saw this resto on Tiktok. I wasn’t sure it was pet friendly so I called in advance before me and my boyfriend dined last night, and they the patio is pet friendly. That immediately raised a green flag for me as a fur mom since not a lot of restaurants are. Then I found out it is Filipino owned, which was why I enjoyed the food. The service was amazing as expected. I definitely recommend the Spicy Shrimp Noodles even though the portion is pretty big for a small person like me lol. I also tried the Mango Cucumber Salad and liked it, the only issue though were the peanuts. Even though I’m not allergic, my palate would prefer it without. My boyfriend liked the Duck Confit Fried rice and the Crispy Chicken Bites. The desserts were amazing and we liked the Cheesecake and Ube Ganache (although I found it a bit too sweet for my taste), but sad that I didn’t get to have the Leche Flan. I’m not going to give it 5 stars, since I know there’s still so much potential to grow and expand the menu. But would 100% come back here though.

A nice trendy bar with Filipino fusion items on the menu. It was super loud but I loved the music they played that night! The server was very attentive and the food was tasty. Certainly a great place to hang out and eat with friends.

Came here at night so this is more about the bar and atmosphere not the food. Super trendy place with a great vibe and awesome staff. Great drinks. Great music, some throwback, reggae and afrobeats. It also was not packed the night we went, which I enjoyed because it wasn't too crowded to dance or think!

My favorite among all that I've tried with my friends is the Duck Confit Fried Rice. I would highly recommend that. Staff were so friendly and make sure that your every needs are taken care of. Be sure to checkout when their house DJ is playing. He did an amazing set!

A perfect birthday dinner. The tapas were so good (pork belly lettuce wraps were a fan favorite) and the cocktails were delicious and strong. The vibe was fun for a night out to enjoy with friends.

Came for Sunday Brunch. Sampler Platter was delicious!!! Something for everyone. More than enough food for 4 people and it was delivered with sparklers. . Confit Duck Fried Rice was amazing and a large portion. The pork belly lettuce wrap was also yummy. Sat at the tables in front of the kitchen and it got a little smokey at one point. will opt to sit at the back patio next time.

I've been wanting to try this filipino-inspired bar for awhile so when I saw they were participating in Winterlicious, I was eager to make a reso. I wasn't disappointed! You get two appys, a main, and a dessert for $45 -- plus, if you go during happy hour, they have really great drink deals (including $1/oz wine which I happily indulged in). I chose the chop chop salad and patatas bravas - salad wasn't anything special but still refreshing, and the potatoes were a good portion and pretty filling. For my main, I chose the Short Rib Pappardelle which has calderetta sauce and I really loved it! You could really taste the calderetta. Lastly, I had the ube crème brûlée dessert -- this was definitely my favourite dish. I love all things ube, so to have it in crème brûlée form... I mean, I'm speechless. Service was also fast and friendly, and the overall feel of the restaurant is hip and trendy. Definitely recommend it for a night out!

I read the great reviews on Yelp and decided to try Bar'kada for their tapas. They have patio seating on the street. For the two of us we ordered the following: Crispy chicken bites - This was pretty good and came with a spicy mayo sauce Mussels - Easily the highlight for me. The bread that it came with was so good and the broth was delicious Oysters - Fresh and served with pineapple juice (which was interesting and refreshing!) and mignonette Garlic fried rice with pork belly - The rice was good but didn't really have as much garlic flavour as I had hoped. Pork belly was good so I'm glad we added that Crispy chicken sando - This was like a fried chicken burger. Wasn't really a standout dish for me personally Service was great. Even though we were seated outside they came to check on us from time to time and the food came out pretty quickly.

One month on, I still think about that duck confit fried rice (even better as a leftover tbh, and excellently paired with the papaya salad)! Great location, beautiful back patio.

Had a wonderful time at Bar'kada, really the food, the vibes and the people. I attended a friends birthday party as that booked off part of the restaurant for. The food came out a little slow because of full house but every bite made up for the wait! Everything was well seasoned and SO FLAVOURFUL i'm actually looking forward to going back with my boyfriend. The place was a little dark for my liking but It really fit the bar, night vibes, perfect for a Saturday night, there was also a DJ spinning. We ordered: Lumpia Chicken skewers (was my fav so good) Chicken sliders Pork belly lettuce wrap (order a bowl of rice on the side for this!)

1/2 price happy hour from 5-7 pm ! I'm talking about $10 cocktails - angry mango was so good, 1/2 oysters, chicken sliders and fries! Great ambiance to grab a few drinks and chat with friends

Good vibe, meh food. Standouts: Pork belly wraps (tender and tasty) and the service. Ok to try: lola's lumpia, shishito peppers, honey adobo wings (though couldn't really taste the adobo). Pass: grilled squid (a bit rubbery), manchego truffle fries (hardly any manchego and couldn't taste the truffle).

Amazing staff, amazing food and drinks. HH is fire, the ambiance is definitely there. Bartender was great, the chefs served us up some dessert on the house when they overheard our anniversary was today.

Walk by this place on a daily basis as it's a part of my stroll down Queen Street. The day I was walking by there was loud music playing and it sounded like they had some good tracks on. My friend and I really hungry and craving some thing different so we thought we'd pop in here and try the food out. I had the noodles with the pork belly which was delicious the broccoli on the other hand had a really weird taste to it and wasn't one of our favourites I don't eat beef so I didn't try it but my friend who had it wish that the servings were a little bit bigger. The first salad that they served us had a lot of a radish taste to it but mixed in with the other items it actually tasted really fresh. I had a drink which is equivalent to the dark and stormy I felt I had too much ice in it that you couldn't taste the alcohol. Server was really friendly and attentive and make sure she checked in after every dish that came out and was relatively quick to bring the drinks out as well which I appreciated it.

Found the food medicore, had small servings for items i expected to have higher quality items in the dishes such as kalbi short ribs, scallop ceviche, or pork belly wraps Excess of crackers and crunchy bits, but stingy on the items you want like the actual meats, or lettuce for the wraps. Atmosphere feels like a club environment with a live DJ, but is a restaurant by nature of the menu. Too loud to talk to people, but no where to dance or enjoy the bar vibe. Rather odd... place has an identity crisis. Staff were a bit cold and not really interested in serving you

My boyfriend and I were really craving Filipino food and stumbled upon this place and the food was DELICIOUS!!!! It's not entirely traditional Filipino food but their twists and fusions were great. We ordered drinks, garlic fried rice, and 2 plates of meat (can't remember exactly what was ordered and forgot to take a pic) but every single dish was scraped clean. If ever we're back in Toronto, we would definitely come back here.

Came here for their Sunday brunch party and the ambiance was perfect! The DJ was great and the servers were friendly. It was a shame no one was dancing, maybe people usually do and this was just an off day. That being said, our food was a mostly a miss. I started with the chow chow salad which tasted very earthy. I think it would have benefitted from more salad dressing because the cabbage taste was very sharp. I tried to like my salmon benedict but the poached egg yolk was firm which was the weirdest sensation ever. I was not expected such an overcooked egg, now that I think about it, I should have honestly sent it back. I enjoyed my side of plantains though. My friends got the lumpia which were great and the jerk waffles which ended up being more of a crispy barbeque chicken tender on top of a half stale waffle. We sat at the bar so I got a view of the breakfast items being made and it seemed like most things were prepackaged or premade ahead of time which made me wonder what was being made on site? The churros were good but way too sweet for my liking. I was so excited to try this place but was ultimately let down by the food. I'd come again for the drinks and DJ though!

We came here for Sunday brunch while visiting Toronto for the weekend and so glad we did. This place is beautiful and the food is SOOOO good. It was honestly last minute and the best meal I'd had in Toronto the entire weekend. Our server and even the host were great. I'm now looking for a place like this back in my hometown bc I want to go back!

Fun atmosphere at this bar. It is unfortunate that covid has to cap the level of socializing, but the food and the music is still good and would make for a good night out with friends. The lumpia that is hand rolled by THE grandmother a.k.a lola is a must have. Just out of respect, and they are quite exceptional. The rest of the food is as you'd expect from what you read on the menu. No surprises. I would probably like to see a few more surprising and authentic Filipino items on there, just to keep it interesting, but I think that's just me.

Covid delivery review! Decided to try this new local restaurant in town. I made the right decision! I got some oysters and it was the best I've ever had. For delivery it came pre-shucked in an ice bed and was as fresh as if it was straight from the ocean! Highly recommended it! It's a little pricey but worth every penny!

Heard such great things about this place and being Filipino myself, it's awesome seeing some culture being represented in the downtown scene! This place is located just along Queen street West so it definitely gets busy and I recommend you reserve ahead of time. They're known for their tapas, or small sharing plates, so I recommend ordering and trying a bunch of different things. My sister and I ordered the: Kalbi BBQ Beef Rib, Sea Bream Ceviche, Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps, PEI Mussels, and Ube Crème Brûlée for dessert. Here's my rating of all 4 dishes + 1 dessert: Kalbi BBQ: 4/5 - delicious sweet and savoury marinade and superrrr tender meat. Sea Bream Ceviche: 5/5 - probably our favourite dish! The fish was fresh and paired well with the coconut milk and acidity from the pineapple. The flavours reminded me of ginataang tilapia, which is a coconut milk tilapia stew my mom used to make! Very nostalgic flavours with a yummy modern twist. Pairs really well with the light and crunchy sesame crackers too! Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps: 3/5 - here's the thing, the dish itself was okay, however, the menu described it as 'sisig' in brackets, which ultimately led me to deduct some points. The pork was braised and not crispy the way sisig would be, and it also tasted exactly like adobo. Would've been better to call it adobo lettuce wraps instead. PEI Mussels: 3/5 - this dish was pretty filling as it came with some slices of grilled pandesal. I loved the concept of grilled pandesal because it added a nice smokiness. I wasn't a fan of the tomato sinigang base the mussels were in, but my sister loved it. There were also barely any pieces of longanesa crumble. Ube Crème Brûlée: 2/5 - the sugar coating on top was very thick and wayyyy too burnt. It left an unpleasant bitter taste after each bite. There also wasn't a strong enough ube flavour in the crème. Honestly just tasted like a normal crème brûlée with a soupy consistency. Overall, I think this place is a great start to introduce some Filipino inspired flavours into your palette. It's a very hip and busy place that's perfect for going out with friends. The food was good but I think there could be some improvements to the prominence of Filipino flavours in certain dishes, better descriptions, and refining textures.

Came here for Sunday Brunch, and we enjoyed everything! Service: 5/5 - staff were really nice and accommodating. Vibe: 5/5 - we were on the back patio, and it was perfect! Heated, covered and cozy. They had a live dj, so music was on point. Food: 5/5 - only the Sunday brunch menu was available, which means we'll need to return for dinner to try all the other stuff! Lol For today's brunch, we ordered: 1) charred shishito peppers. They were tasty and perfect! 2) mussels were a good size. It initially looked small, but was filling! 3) oysters- they were big and fresh. And I liked the sauces that it came with 4) longo moco - longganisa, rice and egg. Standard. Probably my least fave, compared to everything else 5) UBE CREME BRULEE!! I could eat this good stuff every day, all day. Lol Can't wait to return again!

Just popped by on a whim for drinks! We had no reservation but got accommodated at the bar. The drinks were super tasty and the restaurant and food smelled amazing.

Okay, so this one is going to be short: it's loud in here at the current moment. I mean, loud. Not at all my scene, but you know what makes up for it? This adorable bartender making my fire drinks. So let's begin. Food: popped over here for a last minute RESY Global Dining reservation at half last midnight. I just wanted a late night snack. Enter the chicken wings, served with fermented honey garlic hot sauce. It'll do quite nicely. Drinks: on to what we're all waiting for. I started with an angry mango--specialty drink with dark rum, mango juice, lime juice and ginger beer. Come on, we all know once I hear ginger beer I go a little stir-happy. Light, refreshing. Gorgeously balanced. I then convinced myself to get the Cafe Filipino: a pick me up with coffee. I LOVE this drink. It tastes like an iced coffee and a viatnemese coffee had a baby: a beautiful baby indeed. Topped with cinnamon, this baby went down like a champ. Smooth. That's all. The NOISE though, might be the one thing that will turn me off of returning here. But the drinks might bring me back. As always, happy eating and drinking. MMG

Let's start with the good 1. DRINKS are great and well priced. We ordered the cocktails on the menu to try them out. The lychee watermelon vodka drink was great. 2. ATMOSPHERE was fun. We were at the back patio and it was a great vibe. 3. SERVICE was OK. The waitress didn't really know their drinks and walked through the menu on my phone with me. The waitress didn't offer a change of plates after we had 2 dozen oysters and a ton of chicken wing bones. We had to ask for it. 4. FOOD. The score is the lowest here. Chicken wings were overly salty and flavourless. The pancet was overly sweet and not great. The rest were just ok. Fries were good but not really something you can fuck up. CONCLUSION: come here for a drink and snacks NOT the food

Stumbled upon this place on Queen West, and this might be my new place!! Amazing service, music, vibe and decor!!! To make it even better they have Happy Hour 5-7 pm everyday with $6 Heineken pints. I ordered the Shishito peppers and a Heineken and they were great. Staff, music and vibe were amazing! I highly recommend this spot

So freaking good! Ordered the Adobo Chicken Wings, Longanesa Carbonara, and Ube Crème Brûlée-- all were mouth-watering. I wish I could taste this in my dreams

I don't know who the bartender was but he made my experience 10/10. Felt super genuine

Had an amazing time with friends last night. Our server was awesome. Killer cocktails! Food was perfect, I had the octopus and the branzino. The portions were bigger than I thought which really impressed me and the flavours were sooo good! The Dj brought the vibes I will definitely be back for sure!

Went for my birthday and the food and service - such a fusion!! All was great! Highly recommend!

Ordered online in advance for pick up. Ordering system is easy and you can pay online or at the restaurant. They're currently offering a 3 course meal for $30.00. Service was good, food was hot and fresh. :)

Decided to check out Bar'kada over the weekend. And I'm glad I did. I ended up ordering a bunch of dishes including: braised beef, pork belly adobo, lumpia, chicken wings and fried okra. I would classify their dishes as Filipino fusion and a contemporary take at many traditional Filipino dishes. Don't forget to order your San Miguel with your meal! Highly recommended.

I've been a regular customer here for a while now. The food and customer service is great! The only thing is that the music is way too loud; you can barely hear each other talk. Other that, no complaints!

Came here for dinner during the week with a friend visiting from out of town. Cool back patio area and enjoyed the food but unfortunately had terrible service. Large party took up the attention of the servers and we were left for over a half hour after our food was served with no one coming to check on us. My friend had to eventually stand up to go find our waitress and ask for what she wanted. Other than that we had a great time and would still recommend.

Amazing food and drinks. We had few cocktails before dinner like calamnsi gimlet, smoked bourbon and manila monarch. And all the drinks are amazing. :) We are all hungry and we decided to order the fries, spring rolls to platter. And everything are all great and we devoured all the food with bottle of wine. To finish up we order red horse.yWould love to come back with the rest of my barkada! :)

Currently seated here with a party of 7. Service so slow. Had reservation at 9:30, had to wait 20 minutes. Seated 10:00. Didn't get our order taken until 10:20. Waitress has been giving attitude when asked simply for the right amount of utensils and cups. It has now been 2 hours into our reservation and only 3 dishes have been brought out so far. Server assistants would come out to the backyard patio with the food in their hands not knowing where it is going. I've seen it happen now twice. They approached a bigger table beside and asked if they ordered it. Come to think it was our order. Let's say the big table took it and said they "did order" when they didn't, what then. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm Filipino and this resto is a shame. If I brought my lola here, she would hate me

Was pleasantly surprised by the menu items and service. The back patio is gorgeous, and the food was delicious. The atmosphere was a little too loungy but still an enjoyable time.

Food is overpriced and not good. They seated us in the outside patio that extends over to the restaurant next to it which wasn't why I was going. Overall do not recommend. Much better places with the same price point

So this place has decent cocktails and has good service and cool music /DJ BUT the food is overpriced and mediocre . Nothing to rave about at all . I wouldn't go back for food , only drinks .

Had a great time here, the vibe is immaculate. A lot of fun, great service, and great dishes, kudos to the chef! The Beausoleil oysters are to die for, loved the cocktails here. Fun and energetic are an understatement for how great our night was here. Was able to accomodate everyone, with some great recommendations from our server! Would go back every night if I could

The food is mediocre. The lumpia is the best thing on the menu. The service is terrible. Long wait times for food and the staff are overwhelmed. We didnt have plates or cutlery and no one even took our drinks. Never going again