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Green Room
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
49 reviews for Green Room
Review Highlights
"...place, The Green Room's back alley entrance makes it feel..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The food was cheap, simple, and delicious."
(in 6 reviews)
"...candles), the delicious avocado and brie sandwich on thick..."
(in 4 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Tyler B.
Oakville, ON
2/7/2012
A 5 for a Dive...
This was a great start our night. This place is tucked away in a back alley behind a random plaza strip. The atmosphere and music are totally worth the 15 second walk through a sketch back alley. This bar is classified as a dive bar but gives off more of a trendy lounge feel. Also, there's a sexy upstairs part to this drive bar/lounge so it doesn't get too crowded.
Pro's
Fun relaxing atmosphere, very trendy and funky with couches, different colour lighting (green, blue) and nice use of levels. Music is a perfect volume; not too load so you can still hang out across a table a have a conversation, and not to quite so you can still sit back and people watch to a sweet beat. Service was styled like any pub, friendly and to your seat, but still leaving the option open to grab a drink from the bar at anytime.
Con's
Sketchy back alley way entrance. Drink prices are around $5-6 per drink. Couches are reserved for groups of 5 or more (I really wanted a couch seat).
Recommendation;
Don't ask the bartender to make you and your girl a surprise shot like a Banana Jack but different. The guy ended up mixing whiskey and Frangelico together ... all I can say is it was surprising... Surprisingly Gross!
This bar was a little tough to gauge but I still enjoyed it for a dive bar.
A 5 for a Dive. -
Review from Sara and Harold S.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2012
I hadn't been to the Green Room in probably about five years or so. It seems from some of the reviews that it has closed and opened again since they, maybe even more than once. It was however the exact same Green Room I remember from days gone by.
Met my friend here so we could have a short meeting to decide some details for the group we all volunteer for. Sitting on the couches, drinking wine and going over some information was just perfect. We even ordered a couple of appetizers which were surprisingly pretty tasty.
It did eventually get a little loud for a meeting, but luckily we're done by this time and just gabbing. I think the best part was the bill at the end. CHEAP! Great place to come if you don't want a huge selection of drinks but just want something cheap and cozy. -
Review from Payam Z.
Updated - 10/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
3.5 stars
The Green Room is open once again!
While they've done away with the candles in beer bottles, little else has changed with the Annex classic, and even the oddball crowd has slowly started to make their way back to the hideout! The 'hidden patio' is still packed weather permitting, and the cool artwork is still up despite the apparent change in ownership.
Drinks are still on the cheap though service is a bit slower than before! Hopefully this is the slow beginning of a revival, and things will start to look up again... or maybe nothing has changed and I'm just starting to grow up.
Give the Green Room a try if you haven't before and are into dark divey bars!Listed in: 30 Day Yelpathon
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/1/2009
AHhhhhhhhhhhhhh This place is SOOO awesome.
Although contradictory to Yelp philosophy, I wish less… Read more »
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Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2011
The Green room is a dive bar period and I have been going there for at least 11 years and I had a lot of fun back in the day. The beer is cheap, specially the pitchers however in all the times I visited this place, I never, ever dared to order any food. I mean, if you have been in the Green Room, then you know how the kitchen looks. Like a depressing, green-filtered kitchen you see in gritty movies like Fight Club.
Sure I like the Bohemian decor, the couches, the bookcases on the walls and the candlelit atmosphere on the second floor but during the day this place looks just like what it is, a dump. Bring a date who is not a student or covered in tattoos here during the day and you will never heard from her again.
Normally, I would have given this place two stars, heck maybe, in a flight of fancy even three. However, as many of you may know, this place got shut down for the extreme health code violations it managed to garner in just 2 years. Seriously it seemed as they were trying to collect violations as they were some sort of rare and precious Unobtanium! They passion for them seemed quite unmatched.
And if in one of your DineSafe Toronto reports, as recent as Feb./15/2011 includes among others, the nugget of:
"INADEQUATE PEST CONTROL"
You know for a fact, I won't be coming back. Although I am fair, so maybe if they stay clean (green) for a year or two, then maybe I will come back. We'll see.
I mean, what do people need to see in order to avoid this place? Cockroaches using your pitcher of Moosehead as a soothing Jacuzzi?Listed in: My Reviews, 30-Day Oct '11 Challenge &…
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Review from Emma A.
Toronto, ON
10/15/2011
If you told me a year ago that the Green Room would once again be one of my main hangouts, I would have said you were crazy. But new ownership (while keeping the bar exactly the same) means you can sit on the couches without fear of what bugs you're getting.
Absurdly cheap beer is basically the reason I go there - and because, when we feel like getting drunk and a little loud, no one cares. The food is not great, but it is super cheap and there's a lot of choice. They usually have fairly good beer on tap for way cheaper prices than anywhere else.
Pleasant ambiance, though the second floor is WAY too dark. Lovely patio. -
Review from Tiffany G.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 10/1/2011
Went to the Green Room the other day - and their prices have gone down! Pitchers of beer are now $13! However, service quality is mixed. We had this one server who got ALL of our orders wrong. Not once, but twice.
I ordered a burger with cheese and my friend ordered quesadilla's without sour cream. What did we get - a burger without cheese and quesadilla's with sour cream lathered on top of the quesadilla and on the side. When we mentioned this to the server - she played ignorant and said that she wrote it on the order. But, after our meal - we were still a wee bit hungry - so we then ordered the cheesy natcho's with chicken. They came without chicken. This time the server said she did not hear our request for the chicken. Oh, my.
So, thankfully there was another server who quickly took her place after that debacle and brought my friend (who was drinking rum and coke) a drink with not one ounce - but 3 ounces of rum in one glass to help make up for all the food order mistakes. If it wasn't for him, I would have had to brought the rating down to two stars.
On a side note: I saw Sebastian Pigott (or at least a very good look-alike) from Being Erica there - and he is as cute as ever! My friend and I sat 5 inches away from him and giggled like school girls the whole time. That may have been the real redeeming factor. Ha Ha. One may never know....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/14/2011
The Green Room has reopened!!!
I just felt the need to get the news out.
Ok, so the updates - food… Read more »
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Review from John V.
Toronto, ON
9/10/2011
Went to the Green Room with some friends...it's an alley bar off Brunswick near Bloor. This place is pretty funky....cool decor...chandaliers, mismatched furniture and the heavy scent of nincese in the air. From what I was told, this place has been there forever it looks the part.
It was full, but not overcrowded for a Saturday night. We managed to get a table on the back patio, but we had to wait for some people to vacate. We just got drinks, the prices are reasonable, but if you are looking for an extensive or exotic beer selection, look elsewhere. This place will have your standards at a good price. The waitstaff are friendly and accomodating. There is a food menu, but we did not partake.
All in all, it was a comfortable place to go have some drinks with some friends. -
Review from shyni y.
1/23/2011
I go here for cheap beers and big serving of nachos - if I had a choice there would be no stars, but alas that option is not available - and I should show some appreciation for the cheap food, so one star it is.
I don't expect service.
I don't even expect to be seated - some times if I'm lucky I may score a patio seat in the summer time.
It was a great joint - brought many groups(we're talking 10 or more) of people here to enjoy what little hopitality they offer- and well, no more.
I never had good service but I never expected to be grilled for tips.
Each and every time I went the server had the audacity to say to me, "That's not enough tip"... I worked in the hospitality industry for a long while and I tend to tip at least 10% even for the crustiest service, because can relate. But apparently the 10% tip is not enough for this place. A friend of mine once left a $5 tip on a $25 bill - which is close to 20% - and the waiter said to him, "are you sure?" to which my friend said, "Yeah it's all yours" and the waiter resonded, "No I don't think so. You know we live off tips, right? this is just not enough."
So he ended up with no tip.
I have not been back there since.
There are plenty of great places with great service that also service cheap beer and food - without staff that ask for bigger tip.Listed in: Best Happy Hour +
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Review from Rachel L.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 12/16/2010
I hate to say it, but this place has now closed. Check out Pour Boy at 666 Manning Avenue if you want to relive the good times.
RIP Green Room. You were a lot of things to a lot of people, but you were Toronto.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/5/2009
When I first discovered the Green Room, I was pretty pleased that I knew that you had to go through… Read more »
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Review from Annie C.
Kingston, ON
12/24/2010
Oh man. I know Rachel L. said the Green Room is no mas but indulge me.
It was a windy, snowy Toronto Thursday night and I was fighting my way through the streets with a few friends in the Annex. We sort of had a vague idea where we were going but due to the aforementioned wind hadn't looked up for awhile. Turn a corner, and bang we're at the Green Room. Perfect.
Super cozy and warm inside. Candles galore. Beers on tap that I'm into. A din of conversation and a really sweet two floor layout. Sort of felt like I was in an old friend's living room but bigger.
Clearly romanticizing, but seriously going to miss this place. -
Review from Emily C.
Toronto, ON
8/14/2010
Why do I go to the Green Room? Well, because it's close to where I live. And if anyone else lives in the Annex they can tell you: there really aren't many options. Or rather, there aren't really many decent options. Actually, there's really nothing decent at all.
Now, to the point: the Green Room is a reliable venue. You know it's always going to be there and it's always going to be busy. On Friday and Saturday nights it can be hard finding a table, and since the sound carries poorly, it's usually hard to concentrate or focus on any sort of constructive conversation with the person or people you're with. The good thing though: most people don't have constructive conversations after a couple of pints (though they always seem to think they do).
There are two floors, and of the two floors I prefer the first. Many people will probably tell you that the upstairs "is an entirely different vibe," and it is. Louder music, rowdier people. If you're into that, awesome! If there are no table downstairs, chances are you may-may-may be able to find one upstairs.
The best thing about the Green Room is the entrance, located in the alley. If you bring out-of-towers to the bar they'll probably say something like, "Are you taking me to get raped?" And you'll say something like, "No, I'm taking you to the Green Room." They like that. -
Review from Lauren M.
6/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Green Room is really meh for me.
I used to frequent it quite a bit in '07/'08 when I lived nearby. At first I loved the decor - student looking artwork, Christmas lights, old couches.
Nowadays, I'm usually subjected to the Green Room once or twice a year when my friend from BC comes back into town and insists on holding his reunion/catch up party here.
As mentioned in other reviews, the booze and food are cheap. The service is mediocre. The food, in my opinion, is pretty bad but OK considering the cheapness.
The management is terrible. I've been in a few times when it's packed and the Chinese lady manager can be a real nazi, moving patrons around and rudely dictating which specific table you are allowed to sit at.
I think if you're a student you will probably like this place. If you're 25+ I would just give it a pass and go some place a little more "sophistimicated"Listed in: Cheap eats Annex edition
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Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
8/16/2008 ROTD 8/16/2009
I always felt cool and very Toronto snobbish when I introduced new-to-town friends to the Green Room - as in "what? you've never been to the Green Room?" and then I lead them down an alley that you'd probably not go down otherwise. Boo-yah, I'm just *that* cool.
Inside it reminds me of high school and the 90s, old sofa's that just make me want to bust out my flannel lumberjack jacket and bell bottoms. Not to say this place is dirty (you can't tell, it's dark) but it definitely takes me back to my teen years, right down to the candles burning in wine bottles.
Of course, extra points of high-school-cool if you score your own little sofa area to enjoy some cheap eats and booze. My only issue is the sometimes too loud music that really interferes with conversation. They also have this amazing little patio which is so lovely and secluded on a summer day. All in all, I love the Green Room, I love the atmosphere, the memories it reminds me of, the food, and the fact that I feel like I'm in a secret club house!Listed in: Where do I drag groups of…, ROTDs
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Review from Perci N.
8/26/2009
I used to travel a lot to Canada for work. Toronto, save a few corners near Bloor, is my least favorite place in Canada. It's like the Chicago of Canada. The first night of the first time I visited Toronto, I ended up at the Green Room for drinks. The Green Room is responsible for me returning to Toronto. I say responsible, because there's apparently a no drinking and snogging rule in the Green Room -- the ramifications being all but forced out into the shockingly cold snow after three rounds of tequila. Or was it five? And for that chilling service, five stars and a god bless.
Let me back up. I went to college in Hanover, New Hampshire. Our mascot was absurdly named, "The Big Green." Green what? Green nothing. Just big and green. The school is famous for its fraternities. (Animal House was about our school.) Having lived most of my freshman year in the basements of Alpha Theta and Phi Tau, full of sturm und drang and free rum cokes, I'll tell you, the Green Room is the epitome of frat house party in all but actuality.
Wine, women, and a jukebox, if my memory has not failed me. Odd, unmatched couches, tables, and chairs are scattered about without rhyme or reason -- or taste. A song plays by the fireplaces and the pool tables above and below. The place is packed to the gills with bright-eyed, bushy-tailed college kids wet behind the ears. The urge to huddle away from home must be an innate defense mechanism in cold climes. They're draped along the walls or sprawled around the room like patients etherised upon a table, while alcohol fairies flit from patron to patron at a drunkard's pace.
My recommendation: come with company on an absolutely frozen night. Toss a coin and a prayer to the Parking Gods and find respite for your cold seats in a warm, plush couch in the darkest corner of the Green Room. Flag down a waitress and order shots of liquor, and lots of it. I assure you, the rest will be written in history. -
Review from Marie F.
7/7/2009 ROTD 12/10/2009
Call me tacky but I love a place that can pull off Christmas in July with lights strung along the bars in no particular way all year long. As a regular hangout for Annex yuppies and U of T student this place was pretty quite on a weekday, with ample seating compared to weekends!
The menu and drinks are super cheap (my friend and I had a beer, chicken sandwich and fries each and one salad...the whole thing came to $27!!!) The food was good with tons of veggie options and most items under $10, but I found the service was rather slow given how many patrons were there.
The music was great they played an entire Elvis Costello and Dusty Springfeild record while I was there....classic!
Great hangout place...beware it gets loud on weekends! -
Review from Kyle Y.
North York, ON
8/18/2009
Three years ago I would have given this place a 5 stars. I would have been raving to all my friends about going there a friday night, to load up on beers and enjoy the atmosphere before hitting another place. I would have held my birthday party there and took advantage of the patio. I probably would have been on first name basis with all the servers and bartenders.
Today, I honestly found the place too loud and the crowd too young for my liking. It is a college bar with a college feel. I met an old friend there for after-work drinks a few weeks ago. I could barely hear myself think. I couldnt concentrate on anything my friend said, she was even ticked off thinking I wasnt paying attention.
Bottome line, the drinks were a decent price and the food was pretty good. If I was 21 again, I would hang out there. But I'm not. And I dont think I will be back there anytime soon. -
Review from Kat F.
3/23/2009 2 photos
As other reviewers have said, this is a student hotspot (it's right in The Annex) and it's clearly very popular because it's always teeming with people!! Yes, the cleanliness of the place sometimes leaves a bit to be desired and the service can be slow at peak times, but you can't beat the prices (honestly, sometimes I have to do a double take to make sure they actually charged me for everything) and the location/atmosphere are great!
I love the massive bean and rice burrito (it's something ridiculous like $3 for one) and the colossal pitchers of sangria - or as my guy friends like to call it: MANgria.
Great place for very large groups and to really let loose - the place is loud and boisterous and everyone is welcome! -
Review from Andrea W.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2008
Am I seriously the first to review The Green Room? This Yelp Canada thing is insane.
Even though everyone knows the place, The Green Room's back alley entrance makes it feel like a secret club.
The ambiance inside is strictly casual, in a 'slump on the couch in a dim basement' kind of way. The upstairs layout is more like a standard pub. If the crowds and weather co-operate, you may be able to find a spot on the enclosed patio.
There's beer in bottle and pitcher form, plus cocktails and liquor although the drink menu doesn't provide much guidance. Hungry kids can order up decent Asian entrees, sandwiches and snacks. The prices are kind to student budgets.
The Green Room isn't really about specific drinks or dishes, though. It's about the atmosphere. This is The Annex condensed: eclectic music, ramshackle but cheerful decor, staff and patrons that defy categorization.
I was first introduced to The Green Room in Frosh Week and something crazy happens to me every time I'm here. Examples: running into a former flame I'm still pining over, being yelled at by the manager for making out in the corner, being sent martinis compliments of a mysterious stranger, being carded while the under-agers in my party are not, being dragged home by near-strangers (this one happened multiple times). What I'm trying to say is that 'things happen' at The Green Room. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2008
There was a dark time in my life when I was a hipster. Thankfully, the day I admitted that I had a problem was the day I started recovering, I knew that my condescension of everything was unhealthy and getting me nowhere. In those dark times there was a place for people like me, a place that thought it was so cool and underground it could barely contain itself. "Let's put up books we got at a used book store. Then they'll know how cool we are because we like to read books that no one has heard of."
That place was and still is the Green Room. I'm not trying to talk you out of going to the Green Room. I think that everyone should experience life as a hipster if only for a little while. I like to think of it as going to a foreign country, a place where Stephen Colbert (the indie John Stewart) is God, where obscure and good are synonyms and couches are the new chairs. The one place that the elitism apparently doesn't land is on the food, which is so mainstream, and un-hip it might as well be a McDonalds (and not in the ironic way, it's just boring). If you are in the mood for a big dollop of arrogance with a side of haughtiness (i.e. mediocre nachos or hamburgers) or you are having a cast party the Green Room is the place for you. If you are trying to impress a date who you think is cooler than you. I wouldn't recommend it they'll see right through you.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Briana M.
11/9/2008
This is my favorite favorite favorite bar in Toronto. The food is cheap and delicious, the atmosphere is cozy and artsy(reminds me of a more hip Brooklyn Tea Lounge), and the drinks are good. They're always playing my favorite music.
There have been a few tiffs with staff but nothing too bad (or completely unwarranted). I'm in New York now but I always wish I could magically beam myself back for an evening of fun.Listed in: I am a drunk.
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Review from Noel D.
6/1/2009
I don't want to hate on the Green Room too much because the upstairs is a nice place to hang out for some beer. But the fables (and recent closures) have made me think twice about coming here. I have only ordered the food once and even though it was decent it certainly didn't leave me with the impression of a "place to have dinner." There have been times I've been downstairs and have seen mice running around, which is never a good sign. The staff upstairs are friendly and nice, but efficiency is certainly not their strength. I was once there on a very slow night (maybe only two other tables upstairs) and the girl took our order (pitcher of beer) and then came back 20 minutes later and asked if we needed anything. Ooops.
Definitely a spot I liked going to when I was younger but now that I am almost in my mid-30s hanging out with a bunch of loud college kids with dodgy draft beer is not exactly an ideal decision for me. But if you are still in University and like cheap drinks and food (and not picky about cleanliness) then this is right up your alley. -
Review from Tamar F.
8/23/2009
I used to love the Green Room. It was a chill place to get together. Good for drinks, but also decent food. The rundown couches and mismatched chairs just added character. Then one time I went there when it was still light outside - and what a mistake. You don't want to see the place when it's light - we got to see mice racing each other under the couches and around the tables. And then another time they delivered our food to the wrong table, and when the table rejected it, they left it at the front. After not being served for 30 minutes, we inquired and they handed us the COLD food and seemed shocked that we'd ask for it to be heated up.
Overall, chill place, bad service (but that just adds to the charm, right?), and vermin. I'd still come back here, though I would never order anything fresh.Listed in: Where to Go in To-Ron-To, Toronto Pub Grub
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Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
11/12/2008
I agree with Melissa J -- this place is populated with way more university students than hipsters. Hipsters have their Ossington playground, after all. That said, as I get older, I feel like the clientele is a bit too young for my taste. It's kind of a wreck on weekend evenings when the place is overrun by U of T groups squealing and chomping on the substandard pub chow.
Nevertheless, it is a really fun casual place to hang out, and a great place to impress out-of-towners. Walking through the alleyway entrance and discovering a place full of students shows that you're hip, cool, and in touch with the youth of today, which is the red ribbon award everyone craves. Right?
But keep it to big groups. I've only come here with a group of four or more, and probably wouldn't go for anything less than that, given that it doesn't promote that sense of intimacy. -
Review from Jon S.
Toronto, ON
10/26/2009
I was at the Green Room last night for the first time in AGES. I was happy to see that it was exactly as I remembered it - ya know, business as usual.
It's a great place to just hang out with friends and have a few beers and what not, but when it comes to the food, I'm a bit leery. (Sticky floors and tables, makes me question cleanliness all around.) But, that being said, I got pretty hungry and wanted their Avocado & Brie sandwich, which I remember being pretty good, but alas, the kitchen was already closed. Bummer. -
Review from Andrea L.
York, ON
6/15/2009
Went to the Green Room for the first time. Had popped in before, but it was always so rammed that we couldn't get a table. This time, however, we were in luck. Got to sit on the patio, which has a garage sale vibe, but in a good way. The pond and trees are a nice addition to the patio.
The food was cheap, simple, and delicious. Stars off for slowish service and dirty tables. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
9/22/2008
The Green Room is no hipster joint at all.
They have cheap beer and cheap pad thai. This is where I used to go for endless coffees and cigarettes in high school. You used ot be able to buy singles from the bar and they rarely carded.
It's sort of a grandma's living room meets college dorm, meets quirky coffee house.
Great for students and anyonevon a budget -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2008
With cheap drinks and lots of space, most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights see The Green Room packed with the college crowd. Playing albums from all sorts of indie bands, this is a great hangout for people who aren't really into Top 40 or classic rock.
They have a surprisingly big menu, with sandwiches and Thai food, amongst other bar essentials. When you ask for the plain nachos (melted cheese and chips, that's it) you will get what I believe to be the cheesiest nachos in the city.
They also serve the most inexpensive breakfast I've seen. For $3.50, you can get a full breakfast including eggs, bacon, fries, salad and toast. It's not the best tasting breakfast, but very affordable and fun once in a while. -
Review from Catherine M.
ON
11/23/2008
My friends who grew up or went to school in Toronto have what I consider an irrational fondness for what I can only describe as the dive-iest bar in the Annex. When I get invited to a gathering there I often spend a lot of energy trying to suggest an alternative, but what can you do when people love a place and have been going there since high school?
Yes, the food is cheap and on a busy night it is stuffed to the gills with cute, young people. But the place is a mess - I can't even imagine what those couches look like in daylight - the food is awful (admittedly, I will share an avocado and brie sandwich under duress), the music is deafening and the service stinks. And that's not getting into the less pleasant rumors about the place.
For some reason the staff at the Green Room have been given the orders to maximize money per table, with no regard to service whatsoever, and the result is really some of the worst service experiences I have had in the city. On one memorable night, while waiting for a few more friends, my three friends and I were asked to move from a table for four to a table for two. When we asked if we could eat our nearly-finished meals, we were unceremoniously told no and then our waiter bused our food and drinks without asking first. On top of all of this it wasn't even that busy in the downstairs area where we were sitting.
Some people disparage the bar by calling it a "hipster" watering hole, but the people who attend aren't exactly scenesters, more likely people who got tired of going to Future Bakery/Labyrinth around the corner. The patio is nice although it is really just an extension of a back alley behind the building in front of the bar. In the colder months you can't move an inch without knocking over people's coats, scarves or mitts, and navigating the upstairs dining room is akin to taking on a maze of peoples' limbs and tables too-close together.
I guess I had the misfortune of moving to Toronto in my post-dive bar phase of life, otherwise maybe I would have a soft spot in my heart for the Green Room, too. -
Review from Kaye H.
Toronto, ON
11/29/2009
So I've heard a lot of hullabaloo over the Green Room since moving to Toronto. For the most part, I've heard great things about this "super hip hidden gem" near Bloor.
I'm sorry but I was royally disappointed.
Now, it must be said on the Green Room's part that I was quite intoxicated so a second opinion may be necessary but usually my impairment helps a venue's chances in gaining my love, and will swerve my opinion to that of a more favorable tone when I am on nightly outings, so it is not saying much for the Green Room that despite my intoxication, I still did not like the joint.
I did like the atmosphere of the place, kind of a Hogwarts, hole in the wall kind of thing going on there, but that's pretty much where the excitement stops. The waitresses were all really grumpy or depressed, or something, and granted, yes it was very busy, but then don't be a waitress at a student bar! The service was really slow.
And the worst part of the whole thing, devastatingly and quite unfortunately on my part, I partook in the consumption of a rather stingily constructed nacho plate. And just as my intoxication impairs my judgment of various venues when I am out, veiling them with a positive glow, it also impairs my ability to be sensible and logical when certain items of food are placed in front of me. The logical decision would have been not to scarf down those nachos which were quite disgusting. Sadly for the Green Room, my impairment was not enough to paint the memory of those nachos in a positive veil this morning.
Will have to go back to determine if I really can't stand this place. I can tell you one thing, I won't be ordering their nacho plate ever again. -
Review from Robbie K.
Toronto, ON
6/21/2010
The Green Room is perhaps one of Toronto's best kept secrets. I've been going here for many years, and felt it was time to write a review for them.
I've always found the service extremely friendly and pleasant, and usually also quite quick.
The menu is a mixture of Vietnamese/Asian/Pub food, in one of the best ways... You can come for a bacon and egg breakfast, Pad Thai, Sandwiches and fries, or even some mexican food...
Perhaps my favourite dish, and not to be missed is the Green Room Special - a plate of glass noodles, with Shrimp, Chicken, Tofu, Egg and Stir Fried Vegetables. This has long been my favourite dinner spot out, and it will continue to be.
Not to mention, the drinks are very cheap! Half litre of house wine is only $12, and many mixed drinks start at $5.
I would highly recommend this place, if you can find it... -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
4/25/2010
To be honest I was a bit skeptical coming here. After reading mixed reviews and asking some regulars, I expected a young-ish crowd, crap food, cheap drinks, and stuffy stinky atmosphere (a la Madison).
I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in thru the unmarked door and entered this small library hideaway.
It is true tho, the food is crap, but the drinks decently priced ($4.75 - 5.75 for a pint, 15.00 for a pitcher)
Stay away from the sangria, because it's just some juice, water and wine. there wasn't even fruit in it! But gave me enough for an asian glow.
We did make a reservation and had to get there by 8. I think it was smart we did that cuz we got a small corner to ourselves.
The place was cozy, but still felt spacious, and was noisy, but not noisy enough to drown out the people at our table talking. And they had some good tune in the background.
My only real complaint was the staff there. They all seemed stoned out of their mind, or incredibly not friendly. The one serving our table, spoke to us in a gruff voice, and really needed to buy some new clothes that fit her. And the bill was difficult to understand, as it was just some numbers scrawled on a piece of paper.
Minus 1 for that, really.
I'd come back. Yes, it's a young crowd, but I barely noticed and I don't have to mingle with them. Too bad they don't serve desserts.
I'd recommend it for people with large groups that just want a place to chill and catch up. There's not much else in the area.
oh and good call on wearing scantily clad attire for upstairs (previous reviewer), it did get very warm! -
Review from Plank D.
Scarborough, ON
4/12/2009
I don't really go anymore. Or rather, I haven't been in a while. But my memories are fond.
Yeah, there are a lot of cool things about this bar... You enter an alley way to get inside, it has two levels of very relaxed and eclectic atmosphere and one of the coolest patios, in my opinion in the city. It's a walled in patio, complete with a pond and a mettle stairwell...
I hope the Pad Thai is as good as I remember it.
A great place to get a cheap, cold pitcher of beer or sangria.
Just ignore the mice that scurry across the floor. Unless they have done something about that now. -
Review from Nick A.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2009
Green Room seems to be a place that is popular with students and I can see why. The atmosphere here is very nice, the food is cheap and delicious and the alcohol is reasonably priced.
Green Room is of the same family as The Red Room and Nirvana so if you've been there you have some idea what to expect. Mismatched tables, interesting art scattered on the walls and dim yet pleasant lighting. Unless it gets too crowded Green Room is a very comfortable place to eat and drink.
The food is probably the best part of this place. For a very low price (most dishes are below $5!) you can get a very good meal. My personal favorite is the spicy, pho-esque "Viet Soup". The only food item I've found lacking is the nacho plate, which is passable but bland. The beer at Green Room is not the lowest price I've found, but it's not bad either.
My main problem with Green Room is the very slow service. Considering how popular the place is, you'd think they'd hire a couple more people, but often I've found it taking a very long time to order or even to pay.
Despite this though Green Room is still a fun place to go, especially if you want a good meal to go along with your drinks. -
Review from Nav A.
Toronto, ON
5/24/2009
After going to the Green Room for about ten years, I now find I'm starting to feel a bit out of place on the busier evenings. The combination of cheap beer (which, I find, is more likely to leave you with a hangover than other bars) and a good 'bar-like' atmosphere understandably draws new arrivals from nearby U of T. It doesn't detract from the enjoyment, however, as the crowd is always mixed. It is occasionally hard not to feel a little old when the place is full of 18 year-olds, though.
My one complaint about the Green Room in the evening might seem silly, but it's that the music is too loud, and totally sporadic in quality. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's awful. I don't say that as a music snob either; it's just that it sometimes feels inappropriate for the setting. And as someone who tends to be soft-spoken, I just can't have a conversation here. Sometimes that's fine, but more often, it's really annoying.
During the day, however, this place is still quiet, charming and relatively empty, and the fact that you can have lunch with a pint for well under 15 bucks is great.
It's hard to shake the nostalgia of this place. I guess as I long live in the Annex, I'll keep heading back here. I just wish that, in the evenings, they'd turn the damn music down. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/6/2008
The Green Room, just like it's sister joints Java & Nirvana, offers great, cheap food and a really mellow atmosphere. Every time I've been there I've found it to be more of a university student hangout than a hipster haven.
They have a menu filled with super cheap food -- great sandwiches, some Asian dishes, and a random assortment of other food, I'd say almost all of it is good. Some staples are the Avocado & Brie sandwich (get it with soup, their soups are actually decent), the Deep Fried Tofu, and the Pad Thai. There is a bit of ketchup in the sauce but it still tastes strangely delicious.
I remember having a really hard time finding it years ago -- it's down a little alley and seems really intimidating at first, but just go in, sit down anywhere, and as long as someone sees you, they'll help you right away. A couple times the service has been slow, but not unbearably so, and the staff have always been polite and apologetic.
My one and only warning -- if you're on the patio in nicer weather, watch out for wasps. They love it there, and they're annoying as hell. -
Review from Thomas B.
North Bay, ON
5/21/2009
Well I can only reiterate what other Yelpers have already written. It's a great place. Not full of hipsters. Kinda dirty but it adds to the pub atmosphere. Not a great drink selection. Food is sub-par. Nice and cheap. Interesting atmosphere, definitely has that secret clubhouse feel to it. Love the lighting.
Be forewarned: there is in fact a creep old oriental woman who stalks around there AND there is no water pressure in the washrooms (bring Purel). -
Review from Yerik T.
Toronto, ON
9/14/2011
this place is open again.
-
Review from Matthew B.
Vancouver, BC
10/20/2009
Love this place. I have been there twice now. Once with 'friends' from work, and another time with actual friends. If you're looking for a classy place, this is not it. The entrance is in an alley behind the South-Side of Bloor Street in clear view of a bunch of dumpsters. If you haven't been scared away yet, feel free to enter into a dark room, which, in it's former days would undoubtedly have been smokey also. I will save you suspense - the room is not green. I have no idea why it's called that, but it doesn't really matter.
The downstairs is full of tables and the back wall has three sections filled with sofas. These are major low-riders. I haven't seen anyone pass out or fall asleep on them yet, but you can bet it's happened.
The servers are very nice, the beer is cheap as hell, and the menus are full of delectable pub foods. Each time I've went, our group has swigged pint after pint of cheap draft beer, followed by wings, fries and pita and hummus. The pita and hummus I would not repeat, but the wings are to die for!
I'm not a big wing person. For some reason, I hate eating messy things. Like if it gets all over your face and hands, it's not worth it. I like crispy wings that are not oozing in sauce. Their wings are right up my alley. But they come with sauce to dunk in, if that's your thing.
There is an upstairs too, where I have not spent any significant amount of time aside from numerous trips to the washroom.
Anecdotally, I must confirm what other reviews have said about "not looking too closely in shadowy corners." We were sitting on the sofas on Friday 10/17/09 and saw a mouse pop out... go back under.... pop out.... go back under. We were enjoyably buzzed by this point, and decided to find it cute. Outside on the entry, there was a poster saying Toronto Public Health had just inspected the Green Room less than a month before, and it had passed. Those city inspectors must be doing a bang up job. -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
3/4/2009
Student heaven with cheap food and drinks. I'd just opt for the latter as there is a reason why the food is so cheap. Food is better at the red room, and that's not saying much.
It's a great place for a large group to come and drink and laugh the night away, start the night, or finish the night.
Really, just an easy place to hang out and a very nice (oddly large) place with an unassuming back alley entrance.
The alley way smells of gross grease as does the entrance, which further derters one from ordeirng food, but if u were to order food just heed warning that even their pub food is no good (which is usually the type that is fairly safe).
go if your young, poor, and in the neighbourhood. -
Review from Angela L.
5/13/2009
I've been a fan of the Green Room for years, but haven't really frequented it as much as I used to since I graduated from uni. The clientele is known to be of a younger demographic, but I personally find that crowds are usually well and pleasantly mixed.
This is a great place to go with a large group of friends to celebrate a birthday on weekends. It's also a good place to go with just a few of you to catch up on quieter weeknights. The music is really loud, but the booths and tables are intimately candle lit and cozy enough to chat closely in. The music selection can be a toss up though. Some nights, the music is just perfect background noise, but on other nights, (like last night), it sounded like someone with quite eclectic taste put their iPod on shuffle - which is probably exactly what was going on. The abrupt changes from jazz to metal to pop was a little hard to ignore or enjoy.
There is one thing you can always count on though: the food is ridiculously cheap. I've been a fan of the Thai style stir-fried glass noodles ($6.50) forever. Many of my friends love the pad thai, but it's much too tomato-pastey for my taste. Drinks are also very cheap. I'm usually happy splitting a pitcher of sangria ($17.50), but opted for a litre of the house white wine ($21 on the menu, but $19.95 on the bill) instead. Enjoyable.
It's not all fun and games though. There was an awful rotting smell lingering near the doorway and last night was not the first time that I've noticed this. Oh, and the lock on the toilet stall door wasn't all that trusty. There may have been an awkward surprise door opening on me while I was going about my business (but that really doesn't need to be mentioned anymore beyond these cautionary purposes). Hey, you get what you pay for, but there are some nights when cheap and cheerful will do the job spendidly.
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