The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar

I chose this place for a one (ended up being two) night stay in Toronto based on the price and location. Price compared to other hotels/hostels in the area. While the location is very convenient on Queen St., the place is VERY old and absolutely zero frills, although Staff at the front were friendly and helpful. Walking into my room immediately felt like the first time I entered my college dorm. The bed was clean, but the room was pretty beat up and very small. It worked as a place to sleep, but that was really about it. This is also an old building and only three stories (one floor is the jazz bar, and two floors or rooms). I was on the second floor and yes, could also hear the jazz directly below me. Wasn't too much of a problem since I was out exploring the town, but don't expect a quiet environment if you plan to sleep before 1130pm (2330). Additionally, parking is limited and you will need to pay to park at a nearby garage. I felt my belongings were safe, however the garage was $30 per day. Something to consider if you have a car with you. All in all, it was a bed to sleep in and the room was clean. But there isn't a whole lot else to say about the place.

I traveled there solo and this is an affordable option. The location is fantastic, and room is clean. Every staff I met is really friendly and helpful. Didn’t have time to check out their bar,but they offer great breakfast options too. Really nice experience!

Stayed here one night in the standard with private bathroom and it was great. It’s a decent place for the price, room was small but clean. Would be good if you’ll be out most of the time and just need a place to crash and are okay with stairs (no elevator). Being right on Queen Street is super convenient as there are tons of shops, cafes, and restaurants right outside the door. Can walk to the subway, just a couple minutes away. If you’re a light sleeper, just keep in mind that you might hear some street sounds (traffic, etc.). The jazz bar being right there was such a bonus, the band was fantastic, food was good, and the staff were very friendly, chill vibes all around!

Just came for the bar, did not stay at the hotel! But the drink was delicious, pretty average pricing for what is there, but overall you come for the vibe! We sat outside on the patio and you still could hear the live music which was great, and the patio area is nice! (Also great for people watching if you're into that 😜)

Why do I give this small, quaint , historic but edgy European style hotels a 5 Star rating?! Several reasons: superb location on a cool strip of Queen Street where TO’s best jazz bands play. These characteristics appeal to the urbane city visitor. Tours groups, Gex Z’s and senior travellers like my husband and I appreciate the clean, |comfortable beds, and other amenities like plenty of cleans towels.,Hotel is close to Transit, hips shops, and a broad selection of tasty eateries. Peter Pan is a favourite of mine.. Final point is the staff are terrifically welcoming and helpful and provide many tips for good exhibits shopping and a diverse choice of restaurants! Faye the weekend manager is a positive gem. Try to book rooms with a full bath but as rooms and facilities were recently upgraded - your stay will be very comfortable in any room! The Rex has basic tasty food as well as jazz. Oh and the prices are reasonable!! What is not to love?!

I literally cannot recommend the Rex enough. As a broke uni student the price was perfect to divide amongst me and a friend, based on the location alone they could easily be charging more but they aren’t that’s what’s so amazing, the jazz bar alone is hands down a must if you appreciate good vibes and great jazz. The room was comfortable and they are incredibly accommodating. We booked a private bathroom and it was super clean but the public bathrooms were well kept as well. It’s definitely not the Hilton or anything like that but for downtown Toronto and for an overnight trip in Toronto is has exactly what we needed and more. As a side note the jerk chicken is spectacular.

My husband and I stopped by The Rex before heading to see Shen Yun today, hoping to grab a quick bite. Despite the fact that they were preparing for their own show at 2:00, the staff was incredibly accommodating and made sure we were served quickly with our food. We really appreciated the fast and friendly service — it worked out perfectly for both of us! The atmosphere was great, and the food hit the spot. Thanks again for taking such good care of us! We’ll definitely be back.

We visited for a Sunday night Jazz show whilst visiting Toronto and it was a great experience. The food was great too - we would recommend the steak and the crispy chicken sandwich. There was a good selection of beers and wines, all at a reasonable price. The service excellent too.

Great jazz performances, but the food is not so great. Good selection of beers and cocktails, loved how they mixed my Negroni, not so much my Cosmo.

The place is a cool hang and went to see some cool jazz... but WOW this was CRAP... I am all about interpretive jazz but it sounded like kids at kindergarten. I even paid for 8 tickets for my friends but man it was like the whole band was on an acid trip and no one could get the car started. I am sure they have great bands there but this was NOT ONE you could vibe to or chill out. It was called Jonathan Kay's Subspace Interception. Take-away from this is before you go, now who you're listening too... It's not New Orleans!

And I'm back - four years plus but The Rex is still a great place for jazz, craft brews (love the Boneshaker) and eclectic menu. Even better with nice weather!

It was a nice experience. We got to the early edition show from 5 to 7, it was better than my expectations. They charge you 10 for it. Not sure if it's worth it or not. Food was ok, nothing to brag about. Got myself a shot of lagavulan 16 years. They charged me 22 for it but in a water cup. They didn't have proper whiskey glasses. If you charge 22 for a whiskey, better have nice glasses.

Ten years later, it's about time I updated my Yelp review. This is the now oldest and most legendary jazz room in Toronto. It's totally casual, unpretentious and well priced, and you're bound to catch some stellar talent on any given night. True, they don't book enough singers for my tastes (chances are you'll hear strictly instrumental performances) but overall, the Rex books a wide variety of jazz sounds, from traditional straight-ahead combos to more modern, experimental or mixed genre groups. They have nightly music with multiple sets, and even an early show (5:30 start), which is rare in this city. The place itself looks like a pub and serves pub fare - I recommend the nachos or sweet potato fries. But you're not here (just) for dinner. You're here to enjoy the sweet sounds of Canadian and international musicians in one of Toronto's most historic venues. Enjoy!

Pretty cool old school jazz club. If you want to come here I would strongly recommend getting your tickets ASAP and trying to sit near the front. We waited too long and wound up with seats near the back where two very rude people didn't stop talking LOUDLY through the band's set for well over an hour. They were yapping so loud it was drowning out the band and very distracting. I honestly don't know why the staff didn't ask them to knock it off or go outside on the patio area. They weren't even listening to the band - they were turned away and were super loud. Not cool.

An enjoyable evening. The music, drink selection, and the food were great. Staff was very attentive.

Love love love the staff here, they're all the sweetest and so great at their jobs, and the bands are always great. Never had a bad time at this spot, either solo or with friends. A lovely novelty amidst the downtown core of regular schmegular bars and restos.

I'm reviewing the Rex hotel. An old fashion building, two stories high, no elevator, narrow stairs. When I came it was early in the day, check in is at 3:00 pm, so the lobby was closed. I went to the bar, and was greeted warmly by the bartender. I went to lunch and came back later in the day and was promptly helped to my room. A small, but spacious enough room with a private bathroom. Very clean, with character. Later on I met Jordan at the lobby. Very nice young man. Location to me was the key in selecting this hotel.

Live music venue review only, no hotel liaisons up above. You are not doing Toronto right as a tourist if you skip a show here. Before arriving, this joint's webpage had a lot of useful, helpful information to select the correct kind of tickets for the evening. They explain the different sections and things you get vs do not get as you choose where you want to park it. This place is legendary in the good ways that tourists know about. Besides the Blue Jays and the AGO this was on the tippy top of my list of things to see and do in town. When I arrived the people at the bouncer's stand knew I looked to be a man about town with a mighty fine hat and they crossed my name off the clipboard and seated me upon mein throne. I like that it has that speakeasy vibe to it, it was delightful. Also it is smart, so two children in a trench coat couldn't easily show up and take my reservation out from under me since the fine people at the bouncer stand could quickly deduce something was amiss since if it isn't Sam Spade or someone that definitely looks like they exclusively listen to Corn and Slipnaught on their ipod, they should not be wearing a trench coat under any circumstances. The server was more than lightly miffed I was not ordering food and alcohol. But I had checked on the webpage and there were no nine drink minimums or anything crazy like that. But still, I get it. I purchased a water bottle to keep the peace. It was at that point of the pandemic that live music was freshly back and everyone was just pretending like there was no covid any more, so I guess that was a little magical in its own way to be at a live music event again after two years and there were zero precautions about covid taken anywhere as musicians were just blowing spittle through the air at you, on you, and around you. That's how they used to do it back in 19-dickety-two. The live music was great. Don't just take my opinion for it, you could see many people walking down the street stop, walk over to the window, and look in at what was happening. I caught a show my first night here so I had not walked by it with a show going inside to know noise level from out on the street. But the following night walking back from the Rogers where the Blue Jays made an absolute unit of a spectacle I noticed how well you could actually hear the music from across the street while the (different band than I saw) was jamming, so the Rex is also in the business of beautifying the neighbourhood through sound which I think is a nice touch that they are sharing and bringing enough for the class, rather than keeping it all to themselves. This has nothing to do with my yelp rating of the venue, but I was personally impressed with the drummer drinking heavily through the entire first set and still doing the drums just fine.

Nice spot if you want to listen to some jazz. We paid $16 cover then whatever for drinks. I felt like the area we sat at could be cleaner and it wasn't the most comfortable, but I guess it's a nice little hangout spot if you want light music. Table service also feels non existent after your first round of drinks, so keep that in mind if you plan to drink more than one.

This place is a Toronto gem. It's large, with lots of seating, but it does get quite busy when there's live music - which is all of the time. I came here to see Big Smoke Brass, a local high energy jazz band. It was such a fun night. They have fliers with all of the bands they have for the next month or two. It's definitely a grungy dive bar - but I love that aspect of it. The only thing that sucks is that the table service is quite slow, and if you go to the bar to get a drink you can only get one drink at a time. So for our table of 4, we have to go up individually to get our drinks. We ordered some fries. I would skip on the food.

I ordered a pound of chicken wings with honey garlic sauce during ritual $1 eatsweek. It was pass 1 pm so the restaurant was not very busy. Having ordered through ritual you would expect the food to be there waiting for you. But not in this case. There were two guys, one at the bar/cashier area, and the other one on the floor cleaning tables. I reached out to the guy behind the bar and told him I'm here to pick up my ritual order. He said ok and then he went on to take orders from one table and then bring bill to another table. The other guy still was just cleaning table rather than preparing for my order. By this time it was already like 4-5 mins later than I'm supposed to pick up my order. Was pretty upset but what can you do. Brought the chicken wings to office and jeez were they so burnt you feel it's carcinogenic. Regularly at $12, 1LB about 7 pieces of chicken wings, fair price I guess, but definitely not with this quality. All chicken wings were so overcooked so burnt so dark so dry. It's total failure. The carrot and celery on the side was alright but the ranch sauce that comes with it was so sour and liquidity, not creamy at all. I guess people would come here at night or weekend for music (I don't know if they actually have it) but you should never come here for the food, especially don't order the chicken wings.

I used to hang out at the Rex regularly years ago, and was back last night after quite some time (Saturday June 15th), but was dismayed to find out that it's degenerated significantly. First off, the guy behind the bar was very noisy, young blond guy, to the extent that it interfered with the band on stage. Secondly, I ordered a chicken sandwich, $18, which comes with a side of fries included, but I said if I could get half salad and half fries, and the server said yes, and brought me the salad in a tiny cup, with a smattering of fries, and no ketchup or mayo etc, for $18!!! But here comes the worst part: I was shocked to discover that they had added $4 to the bill for the salad!!! I thought it was included in the whole deal, since I got half salad, half fries, but it wasn't. That was a low thing to do. It seems the Rex has degenerated into a trashy venue, with some of the staff being dishonest and noisy. The first server I had was great though, ginger hair and mustache, when I was there earlier in the evening, around 7- 8pm on the side patio, polite and gracious, and for my $7 drink, I gave a $10 bill, and told him to keep the change. Tip for the Rex: I appreciate good service, and would even tip extra for it, but get rid of the trashy, noisy staff, or you will lose customers and reputation.

We wanted to hear some Jazz so we googled our location and up came the Rex! There was a 19 piece band playing at 3:30pm so we hustled over there (well, as quick as the street car would go!) We walked in and wow... Not an open seat in the house. We strolled all the way to the back and managed to clear off the servers corner table so we could sit and hear the band. Once we grabbed a server's attention, things got better. Mikayla was very friendly and attentive. Music was amazing! We could hear the band all the way back where we were sitting. Order beer and Irish Coffee. Not bad! We were hungry so we also order a fish fry and poutine. The fish was a little dry, but ok. Poutine was great! I mean who doesn't love fries smothered with cheese and gravy!! We definitely want to go back, but will make it a point to get there early!

Good food (*tip for all- bring your own ketchup packets, they'll serve you 2 small 2oz cups for a murder burger and fries for your order). Service was decent and the place was fine that had a bar feel and not so intimate, so it's a meh' .. (see additional tip section).

This is more of a hostel than a hotel. The rooms range from shared bathroom to ensuite bathroom. That means if you want things like an iron or hangers in your room you won't get it. All the rooms are upstairs and there is no elevator. The room I had was also a bit worn, the floor was duct-taped, and there was lots dust on the shelves and the less regularly used spaces in the room. That said, the bedding was clean, the bathroom was clean, the staff were super nice, there is a jazz bar right underneath and the price was quite reasonable. It is a decent option in a cool part of town, if you understand what you are getting.

The real attraction for this Toronto institution is the live music. There are shows often and early, so it is nice to swing by after work to grab a drink and to unwind with some music before heading home. Check online for the sets! The usual bar options are available for food, but most come for a drink and the music.

The prices offered on their menu is too high for the setting of this restaurant. and you feel pressured to order something big with alcohol and if you order something small, they drag their feet for the whole serving process. The food take a long time to be served and it appears to come from Costco freezer section. The wings is overpriced and poor presentation.

Stayed at the hotel (so can't speak for the bar) and paid a little extra for an ensuite bathroom. Overall relatively clean. Shower temp took a long time to heat up. There was a TV in the room as well as an AC unit. The staff (even at the bar as they answer the hotel side when reception away) seemed super nice and helpful. They have storage lockers if you check out and can't carry luggage with you. Walkable to many things in Toronto. Recommend if you want a cheaper hotel option.

This place was amazing, no cover when I arrived at 7pm, the band I saw was killing it playing mostly soul and funk. They have food but we just had drinks and enjoyed the music. Much of the seating are at large community tables, kind of nice you get to meet new people. Very good vibe in this place!

Great corner location on Queen st. First place I ever had a drink served to me. 30 years later, it's almost packed at 630 on a Thursday. I don't really like jazz, the band is very good.

This jazz bar & restaurant is more spacious inside compared to some of the other jazz bars in the city. They have a lineup of live jazz performers in the evenings, and the vibe is really chill, relaxing, and laid-back. It's a great place to grab drinks and unwind with some live music. The food is also surprisingly pretty alright for a jazz bar.

Food was the worst I have had for a long time. My chicken wings were overcooked dry and reheated. My friend's fries were very dark brown and dry like they had been sitting around for hours and refried several times. Band was playing at too loud a volume. We will never go there again. The only good thing I can say about the food is that we didn't get sick.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself while I sat back and listened to the sounds of their talented jazz band. The drummer, bass player, saxophonist, etc. had every cell in my body jumping while I enjoyed a cold drink with friends. Good music along with good company = great times.

Very nice place to hang out and listen to jazz, food is limited but very friendly staff. There is cover after 8pm.

My wife and I had reservations and both are vaccinated but my wife only had the paper proof and not the QR code and were denied entry. You were just following orders weren't you? You could not make an exception? Goodbye forever.

Nice place to be.me and my wife came here for "blues" and we enjoyed! The prices are nice. We ordered beer poutine which was fairly good!

For hotel- would stay elsewhere. It is definitely 2 star. Staff is fine. Just other better options for the price.

I love Rex, this is my favorite jazz club in downtown. Most of musicians performing there are very good and you can feel real connection with the performer thanks to the way how the place is setup (unless you arrive late and end up sitting at the very back). My husband and I have been going to Rex for ages and we love the laid back, relaxed atmosphere of the place. You can listen to jazz and still have a conversation - just try talking during a performance in Jazz Bistro and everyone will be looking at you like you are some kind of criminal. It's not the lack of respect to musicians, people just seem to forget what jazz club is supposed to be, they think of it as a concert hall where everyone has to keep quiet. Back to Rex: the drink selection there is excellent, the service is quick and friendly and the menu goes beyond your typical pub fare. Most of performances in Rex don't even have cover charge, there is a tip jar going around between the sets and everyone pays as much as they can. The picture is from last night performance by Whitney Ross-Barris' quartet. She is an amazing singer, we had a blast yesterday!

Hightly recommend you give this place a try mid week! My girlfriend and I ended up in here on a Tuesday after a long week (HA) and even then there was a decent amount of people, full jazz band playing and no cover to get in (just opportunity to make a charitable donation which you should do otherwise your a bad person who doesn't deserve the excellent jazz). Anyway, the music was great and there food/ daily specials are great - with these you can get a starter and a main for 20$ and it's great food, I had Italian sausage with fries. Also if your in the mood for a cocktail go for the whisky sour, good price and hits the spot! So bring your mid week (not the best) bumble date here and if there boring at least you got the jazz!

Dropped by here after hearing about it from a friend - people have raved about this jazz bar. I was a little irked at first that this place charged cover on a Thursday ($7) - I can get charging for a club, but why in the would would you charge me for entrance to a bar/restaurant? Somewhere I'm going to definitely 100% spend more money on food and drinks? We ended up sitting on the patio, where there was no cover. We could still hear the live performers on the patio - they were all very good, but they weren't spectacular. The beer pitcher we got, however, was pretty spectacular. I was already pretty tipsy at that point, so I had no idea what we ordered, but it was pretty light and came with orange slices. Very nice, orangey taste. The full pitcher came with tiny cups though, especially for beer. Not sure what they were getting at with the small cups (drink in moderation?). We also ordered the large nachos, which is enough to feed 4. It was mostly chips, and was pretty skimpy on the toppings though. Solid jazz, and great patio atmosphere. Would absolutely recommend.

One of the best place in the City to catch a free Jazz performance. The Rex been around for a number of years and the vibe is quite chill. Walked in on a Tuesday night and enjoyed a jazz band playing while ordered some beee, Montreal smoked meat sandwich, portobello mushroom burger on a nice mountain of sweet potato fries. The fries were amazing - thick cuts and totally hit the spot. Service was very nice, not too pushy - it is a jazz joint after all. Definitely a place to check out if you ever visit Queen West.

I was very pleased to learn my dear pal Brian Charette, the esteemed Jazz Organist, was engaged here at the Rex while I was in Toronto. BIG and most pleasant surprise. Made choosing the place for dinner quite easy. We got there late the first night, and I didn't really want a big meal, so I swung with some Falafels, and they were yummy. The second night, I went whole hog and did their Burger with Onion rings. A superb Burger indeed. The cocktails were a bit skimpy in size, and a little overpriced, but tasty and well-made. It didn't matter. Charette and his Trio tore the joint up. All-in-all a most pleasant couple of evenings. The place has charm and vibe... Go there!

I'm reviewing this strictly as a hotel. I stayed for nearly a week back in August. Excellent location and price. Was an easy walk to a lot of great restaurants and attractions around downtown Toronto, and public transport was easily accessible for further away places. The nightly price was about half of what any other available hotel I could find in downtown Toronto costed. The Irish girls working at the front desk were very nice. I was worried noise from the bar would be an issue, but I don't recall the music playing after 12:30am on any of the nights, and most nights except Fri or Sat the sound was hardly noticeable anyway. And even though I'd read complaints about having to share the 2 bathrooms and 1 shower with the rest of the floor, I never had an issue with having to wait to use the shower or bathroom. The room AC worked well enough. As for the downsides, the wifi was painfully slow on most nights I was there. And I think it would have been a lot more convenient if the hotel had provided a cheap bathrobe to wear to the bathroom or shower and maybe some disposable slippers to deal the occasionally wet bathroom floor, as were provided when I stayed at a cheap hotel in NYC with shared bathrooms. I don't sleep fully clothed so every time I had to use the bathroom at night and in the morning I had to get dressed again or risk being seen half-naked by other guests. Overall, great value for the price and I wouldn't mind staying again.

This is a unique hotel, which I like. The unfortunate thing is that if you have a room on the 1st floor, it is right above the bar where I am currently experiencing a ton of bass and sound from the band, even well after midnight. With the volume, I'm assuming the 2nd floor gets a lot of vibration too. If you need to start early the next day, do not book here. I need to get up at 6 a.m. and the music is so loud and the walls and floors allow way too much sound through that I am barely sleeping. If you are going to be up all night, I'm sure there isn't much of a problem for you. I addressed this issue and the response I got was, "I'm sorry, there's nothing else we can do for you". It costs $175 per night, which isn't that bad considering the location with how close things are, but if you can't sleep at night it's not even worth $50. Plus, the rooms are tiny and you share a shower with the ENTIRE floor. There really needs to be a separate yelp page for the hotel apart from the bar, because the average stars for this place is way too high. I'm sure the bar and music (i mean it kept me from sleeping) is great but the hotel part is just terrible. The only reason I have rated it two stars instead of one star is because I expected the room and the lack of amenities. I booked very late so it was my last choice for staying in close to town. If I come back to Toronto, i might have a beer here, but I will certainly not even consider staying in this place again.

It's always kind of incredible to me when I visit a restaurant and the food is, to put it kindly, mediocre. And I'm talking the kind of mediocre where it's clear that the chef simply didn't put any effort into the meal. (It's an entirely different story if the food is bad but ambitious.) We were walking along Queen and heard some pretty decent music coming from within the Rex, so we decided to sit on the patio and enjoy the band. The menu is pretty basic, so I went with the burger and fries (to which I added sauteed onions). The food arrived a short time later and...it wasn't the best. The burger consisted of a fairly garden-variety frozen patty that you could easily buy from the supermarket. Actually, it was somehow worse than a supermarket burger, since it was entirely lacking in a beefy flavor. It tasted more like a sausage that had been shaped into a burger patty. The fries weren't much better, as they were way, way, WAY too greasy. With every bite, I could feel pockets of oily grease exploding in my mouth. And there was even something awry with the ketchup. It was vinegary to an unreasonable extent. I'm sure the Rex is probably a fine venue for music, but would it kill them to put just a *little* effort into their food?

Nice food, reasonably priced. Lovely live music - often without a cover, you just tip the act. Friendly service - good selection of drinks. Veggie choices in the menu. What's not to like. We had a veggie burger and a grilled tofu sandwich - both very reasonably priced around 10 bucks with fries included. Beers on tap for around 6-8 dollars. Dessert was an amazing white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Thanks for a great night out

Best place to go for live music! If you arrive before 7 you have a better chance of getting a seat close to the stage. If you arrive after 9 on the weekend you will probably have to pay for cover and might be standing. Their food is not the best but this place is not known for it's food. It's a great date night if you enjoy music. The bands are quite good here.

This place is like a hostel. We were in a room without en-suite bath. 1 of the 2 bathrooms on our floor was Out of Order during our entire 7 day stay. We were told on Day 1 that someone was coming on Day 2 to fix the problem. Squeaky bed. They changed out to new beds while we were there, and while the new bed didn't squeak, it was less comfortable and we both woke up with lower back pain. Beer delivery guys don't care how loud they are (of course the deliveries are early morning). Obviously you can hear the music and people talking outside, in your room. Even if you are on top floor. Our room and the bathroom needs a really good cleaning. When the shower curtain has black mold...time for a new one. You can buy cheap ones for a buck. WiFi. On a scale of 1-10, it ranged from 0 to 1. Yep, mostly never even connected on any of our 4 devices. Lady at the desk said no one, ever, has told her the WiFi doesn't work. Really? Please don't lie to me...cuz, I know you're lying (or this is your first day of work). WiFi does work in the bar. NO (in case you want these things) Lotion Hair conditioner Separate shampoo (there is 1 soap in the shower for both body and hair) Coffee maker, frig or microwave in the room Clock Phone Tv And the bartender won't even give you any ice* * it was hot and we were being environmentally conscious and turning off/keeping high our A/C when gone. After his refusal...let 'er rip, on super low, 24/7. Included is breakfast of (one of) coffee/tea/juice and toast. Coffee was tasty. Butter on the toast was the minimal amount the cook could put on and still technically say it was buttered. I asked for more. I could hear the cook and he wasn't happy about this request. The waitress said it was for "hotel people". Which brings up.... The very poor service from the waitresses. Hubby tends to over tip, which he did our first 3 days. On Day 4, still being ignored, and getting our own coffee, I told him to tip based on the real quality of service. I suspect that possibly, the wait staff doesn't like hotel guests, so they ignore them...thus they don't get a tip, which reinforces them NOT liking hotel guests. But, we have proven, they still don't like you even if they are tipped. I suggest to the owner...just have a pot of coffee by the reception desk for hotel guests. We used our bfast time in the bar to use WiFi, which was strong in the bar.

I was truly looking for a reasonable priced hotel that I can afford and also be near public transportation. In terms of location, the Rex hotel fits the bill. Its on the Dowtown entertainment district and near a lot of bars besides offerring its own nightly jazz concerts (bands). The hotel itsel contains only two floors above the jazz club. If you can not walk up stairs, this is not the hotel for you. Based on photographs and sparse reviews, I didn't know what to expect but also did not think I was going to a chain hotel like Marriot or Hilton. The room is sparse, remodeled bathroom, no amenities except soap. With travelling these days requirig minimal amount of toiletries, I wind up buying some cheaper items in a mart in Eaton Centre (several blocks east from the hotel). Another missing ingredient to my hotel stay was a hair blower and dryer. To my friends, you know I have thick beautiful long hair envied by all including Tarzan himself! I am very happy to report that the hotel has ac and I managed to snag the top room but it faced Queen street which made for noisy evenings if your ac is off and the windows open. My view is of CN tower which is not bad considering I am staying in downtown entertainment district. Would I stay here again, on a pinch yes. I prefer to stay where comfort is simply easy to access. Was the stay bad? No, I enjoyed finding a 24 hr market across the street for the cool water and drinks and snacks before going to bed. Was the area safe, true as most cities can be safe. For you couples travelling without your hmmm necessities, there is a Condom Shack store across the street for your nightly ribbed or unribbed pleasure. Rex Hotel you are not perfect but you will do! P.S. apparently when my room gets cleaned, my card for the door is not working as well so I have to go downstairs to rekey (not inconvenient since they are open late (mybe even 24 hrs).

Visited them a few nights ago at around 9:15 pm on a Wednesday night. The 9:30 pm show was about to start so the place was full to capacity. 10$ cover charge to get in. The show goes on till midnight with 30 min break in between. The show was okay. This was our first Jazz club experience in Toronto, we have had a much better luck with many different jazz clubs in Montreal. Maybe we came on a off day but we don't subscribe to their claim "More Great Jazz than anywhere else, all the time!" The beer selection was good. The food was sub-par and pricey, for what they serve. I would very much love to visit the other jazz venues to try my luck as I hope that Toronto would have so much more to offer.

If I could give zero stars I would. My coworkers and I like to explore different bars after a long days work. We went to this place in hopes to enjoy the live music. Instead we were met by the worst customer service ever. We ordered drinks. I ordered a Long Island ice tea, but I was given regular ice tea in a dirty cup. I waited to make eye contact with the waitress, who kept avoiding our table. When she finally came I asked for a straw as it was dirty. She said with much attitude we don't have straws would you like your bill. Waited twenty minutes for my bill. Worst experience ever, will not be going back to this place

Amazing bar and great band. I heard they always choose the best. This time was the band from my home state. San fransisco. The food was really good even though it was a bar food. I'm glad we visit this bar in our stay. Hopefully be back soon in our future vacation.

I came here with a date and it was a really great experience. On a Friday night the cover is $10.00 (I'm not sure about the cover on Saturday). The Rex always has a live band playing and a good crowd (Mid 20's to 30's) The band playing was really good! The musicians were really passionate about the music they were playing and my friend and I had a really good time. It was a little challenging to find someplace to sit (we arrived after 10:30 pm) but once we found a table the waitress found us immediately and took our order. We ordered some drinks, which were good. This bar doesn't have a blender so the drinks are pretty basic but the atmosphere and experience is really nice. From everywhere within the bar you can here and possibly even see the band. The bar is laid out so everyone can have a good time. If you want to go someplace where you can just relax with friends while listening to a band I highly recommend the Rex. It's also great for dates as you can sit and get to know one another in a cozy environment, which beats your typical Starbucks.

The Rex is sort of a Toronto landmark and I have walked past it and peeked in countless times and there always seems to be a solid crowd and some good music at any time of day. I'm actually surprised that I've lived here so long and hadn't been to the Rex until this weekend! I finally went last night when my friend and I were looking for a chill, unpretentious place to have a post-show drink. I'm not a huge jazz aficionado, but I like some jazz and have been to a few jazz clubs before. It seems like a lot of them (e.g. Opus on Queen West) have closed in the last few years, so it's nice to see The Rex is still going strong. They have at least 3 shows daily, 7 days a week, which is quite impressive! Last night they were having a CD launch of this big band group. Cover was a very reasonable $12 (and on weeknights there is usually no cover). The space is quite large, although tables at the back wouldn't have a great view of the stage so try and find a seat near the entrance. Drinks are very fairly priced. They have house red/white wine for ~$6/glass. We got some chips & salsa ($4 for a pretty big basket). They have a full menu with typical pub food. Our server was great. She checked in on us periodically, without being too intrusive. The crowd is really mixed. This place has zero attitude and the vibe is just really relaxed. There were all these cute older couples, as well as some teenagers (I don't think they card people at the door... at least *I* didn't get carded, and I often still do at other places:S). The decor is pretty retro and they have some cool black & white photos of how the place looked back in the day and some artists who have performed here in the past. They also have some random French impressionist prints. The bathroom was kinda gross by the end of the night, but that unfortunately seems to be the case at most bars. Definitely a fun option if you are looking for a low-key night out, or really, if you want to hear live jazz any time. Check the website for listings.

Came here on a Tuesday night, was not very busy and there was some awesome live jazz music playing at the front. I really enjoyed how the music was not mind-boggling loud. My friends and I could actually have a conversation with each other without screaming which was a huge plus. And I'm no jazz expert by any means but the live music was great! In terms of the ambience, the bar feels super cozy and almost nogalistic. Me gusta. The food was decent - got the shrimp alfredo special with garlic bread for a bit less than $9 and some chips and salsa for around $4.50 which wasn't anything special but not bad. The drink prices are moderate, around $5-7 for a pint of beer. My friend got the raspberry, white chocolate cheesecake which was delicious! The service was okay, our waiter was super nice but not that attentive (he didn't come around our table until nearly an hour after we finished our meals and didn't check up on us for drinks!). I would probably come here again but not in a rush and probably not before trying out other jazz/blues bars in Toronto!

One typically goes to a jazz club for the jazz but I had a really awesome Portobello & goat/feta cheese sandwich on a perfectly golden bread. The taste combination of the mushroom, feta cheese, and pesto was wonderful. And it was reasonably priced. I had the pleasure of listening to The Sicilian Jazz Project with Pilar. The place is big enough with tables up close to the stage and other tucked back. Efficient service. I would return to catch another live show.

Music playing when we went was not jazz, but very bad country with a loud singer (it was a pay-what-you-can performance, so not sure if the cover fee ones are better). The food wasn't good, especially the fries here are TERRIBLE, don't get them. They came cold and tasteless and felt icky in my stomach. House wine was terrible too. Really disappointed as I was excited about live jazz music. Maybe we were just there a bad night on the music, but I doubt it for the food. Will not be back to find out....