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The Drawing Room
- Hours:
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
16 reviews for The Drawing Room
Review Highlights
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"The drink menu offers martinis, wines, and drinks of all..." In 3 reviews -
"...these neat aromatherapy smoking dry ice things that set the..." In 3 reviews -
"Then comes the aromatic diffuser (2$ with cocktail." In 3 reviews
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16 reviews in English
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Review from Paul B.
1/14/2012
The drinks make this place. From the menu arranged in chronological order to the attention to not only the appropriate glass for the drink, but also the ice. The other reviews capture many of the excellent features of the place that is a blessing to the Halifax drink scene. My only addition that I would emphatically make is: absinthe! I have never seen this mysterious and deeply suspect drink until The Drawing Room. With a reputation to turn French artists crazy (or crazier depending on your point of view) I couldn't pass up this incredible opportunity in my home town. From the moment that the word absinthe passed my lips to the waitress to the moment that the last drop of absinthe passed my lips from the bottom of my glass - I felt special. Being a person who at home hand cranks my personal ice crusher for the perfect martini ice, I thoroughly enjoyed the display of setting up the drip fountain, the use of the dry ice scent and the placing the liquor on the table in front of me. One can see, smell and taste the Drawing Room's commitment to preparing excellent drinks.
Take my advice that if your doctor ever restricts you to one drink a day for medical reasons - make it a great one - head to The Drawing Room and start working your way through the menu. Life will continue to have meaning. -
Review from Sandra M.
5/11/2012 ROTD 5/25/2012
After a hard day off (wink), I picked up my husband as he got off work and we ventured downtown for a drink and appetizer.
After much debate, we decided to try the Drawing Room and I am very glad that we did.
Up the stairs in the Henry House, this room is classy, cozy, elegantly decorated and not over crowded. There are dark exposed rafter beams, wainscotting all around, Leather banquettes, dark wooden chairs and tables that have an old fashion more rich feel to them. There were windows all around with a nice view of the surroundings. The place looks well kept.
We ordered the Warm Spincach Artichoke dip which I am quite certain is the best I've ever had! We also had a serving of their hand cut fries that were perfect with malt vinegar. I had mistakenly asked for balsamic, but the server was keen enough to catch my error and bring me Malt. We were very pleased with the service here!
My drink of choice was Pimm's Cup. Gin with muddled strawberry and ginger syrup. It was garnished with a fresh strawberry half, a sliver of cucumber and sprig of mint. The straw was stainless steel with a stir disc on the end. I love a metal straw (no plastic waste). My husband enjoyed a 15yr Glenfiddich on the rocks and a Granite Brewery Peculiar. No complaints there.
The music was old style, jazzy. The bartenders seemed to know what they were doing and took pride in their artistry.
We would gladly go back again. Just the two of us, or as a small group, it is a great little hidden gem.
They are open limited days/hours.Listed in: Where to grab a Drink in Hali
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Review from Kathy J.
Halifax, NS
5/1/2012
Looking for inventive cocktails, a warm atmosphere, and great service? The Drawing Room has you covered. The dark chocolaty wood easily evokes a cozy atmosphere perfect for a romantic escape or drinks with the ladies. And those cocktails are incredible. Pricey, yes but I think worth every penny! I highly recommend the one with elderflower, mint, cucumber, and grapefruit. Shit yeah!
I've recently heard of a decline in both quality and service but I hope it's just a rumor. Guess I'll have to go have another drink to find out. Ah, poor me! -
Review from Robin S.
Halifax, NS
4/15/2012
Need a place for a special occasion drink? Check. Perfect for after-theatre, after-nice-dinner, hell, even after-a-night-on-the-bottom-floor-when-you-want-to -class-it-up. I love the cocktails here. They're real and strong and they don't taste like fruit juice. At first, the drink prices might make you balk a little. Then you realize it's not really a bad deal when you're drinking something twice as strong as you'd get elsewhere, and expertly made.
Going to the Drawing Room is like stepping into another world. It's just so unique, classy and atmospheric. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you climb the reportedly haunted staircase in order to get to it. OoooOooo.
Much like the other floors, service can be slow. At least in the Drawing Room, they have an excuse. Hand-crafting a fine cocktail takes longer than drawing a pint. And for the most part, it's worth the wait. -
Review from Joel K.
3/27/2012
The Drawing Room absolutely nails the atmosphere they're going for. It's cozy, super classy, and it makes you feel extra special being there. The drinks are good, and very reasonably priced.
I have the same problem with the Drawing Room that I do the Henry House, though: the service. The staff are very pleasant, and they know their stuff, but it usually takes a long, long time to be served. -
Review from Vanessa J.
Halifax, NS
The Drawing Room is Henry House's older, more sophisticated sister. It is located upstairs from the restaurant, and only open on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays.
The room is dark and cozy, and I love the drink menu, it's broken down into different sections, which helps narrow down all of the good sounding options. The cocktails are fancy, and some of the drinks can me upgraded with a dry ice smoking concoction, which is pretty cool.
Unfortunately the Drawing Room suffers from the same problems as down below" slow, sometimes unfriendly service. They also have a weird rule of no more than 8 people to a group and no moving chairs around. We were a quiet, group of nine, and they refused to serve us as nine, saying the integrity of the drinks would suffer. We mentioned we were happy to wait a little longer for drinks, but they still said no. So we broke up into 2 smaller groups... Bottom line, drinks still took the same amount of time, and it didn't shed a positive light on the place, so I don't know what the servers thought they were accomplishing...Listed in: 30 Day Challenge Lists
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Review from Kimberley M.
Halifax, NS
11/28/2011
Wow, guys. Wow.
This place is super duper, to be sure. Everything about the place screams "awesome", and I'm disappointed in myself for not checking it out sooner (the reviews have had you all raving). I love the amazing cocktails, the menu's focus on authenticity by decade, the music, the smell, the wood paneling.
Definitely pricier than other locales, but trust me one or two drinks will do ya - if you choose something traditional, like a Manhattan (yum!), you'll be a-sipping, not a-chugging. Keep it classy, folks.
I didn't try any food, but that can wait till my next visit.
I have read about some of the rules / quirks (seating for large groups etc), but not experienced them. However, I would say that this place definitely takes you out of Halifax and makes you feel as if your experiencing both another time period and another place. Very, very cool, and worth a look.Listed in: Date Night!
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Review from Hilary G.
3/21/2012 4 photos
I wanted to celebrate my birthday in style and I knew I had to go to the drawing room. This is a beautiful place to hang out with your friends that has quality bartenders and classy drinks. They do a proper absinthe drink with a sugar cube and dry ice which is neat but a little pricey at $14. You can get other cocktails like mojitos and manhattans that pack a punch. Don't be afraid to ask the bartenders to make something up for you - I am a rum girl and not too many of the cocktails had rum but he made something on the fly that was delicious. With the higher prices, you do get stronger and well made drinks. I highly recommend this place - and can vouch that the cheesecake is really good!
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Review from Jill M.
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Drawing Room is one of those places that I kept meaning to check out, and once I finally paid it a visit I couldn't believe I hadn't been there earlier.
The atmosphere here is what makes the bar. It's cozy, intimate and sophisticated without feeling pretentious or intimidating. It's the perfect spot for drinks and conversation with a small group of friends, or for a date.
The drinks are pricey, but worth it. They all feel special and out of the ordinary, so I feel good about spending $13 on a drink and really savoring it instead of knocking back a bunch of sugary Alabama Slammers at the Shoe Shop or something. Plus they have these neat aromatherapy smoking dry ice things that set the mood even more than the ambiance.Listed in: South End Favorites, It's Always Cocktail Hour, Barrington Bliss
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Review from R N.
Halifax, NS
1/30/2012
They know what they are doing, and honestly, i don't know why it isn't full (I suppose it might have something to do with the price of the cocktails). The barstaff are friendly and knowledgeable, and the drinks are really well made. The decor is dark wood paneling and a fireplace, the lights are low, and it is the perfect place for a date or to catch up with friends.
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Review from Mike B.
The Drawing Room has become almost a regular piece of conversation and an assumed destination for me lately, thanks to the discovery of this secret bar on Yelp a month ago.
Not yet is known about the upstairs-from-the-Henry-House bar yet other than it's wonderful decor and fancy drink menu. This isn't a beer-drinking spot, folks. This is where you go to feel important, share some drinks with a few friends and enjoy a couple hours of elegancy without feeling out of place. The Drawing Room has a timeless feel to it. You could be having a flashback to any period over the last hundred years and know that no matter what year you're in, you're enjoying it like royalty.
The drink menu offers martinis, wines, and drinks of all sorts. I ordered a Burie'd Mojito, which was white rum, an assortment of berry juices and mint leaves. It was fantastic! My second drink was a vodka-based green lime drink that was just as delicious. Mind you, the drinks are $10+ so unless your wallet is loaded, don't come here to join it. Of course, the Drawing Room isn't the type of environment to get drunk but the drinks are made strong so be wary of your perception because you may be surprised once you stand up. -
Review from Andrew P.
I am in love with this bar.
I was dying to go to the basement of The Henry House, pretty much since I moved here two years ago, but I had no idea that there was a little slice of heaven right here on Barrington.
Some friends had been whispering in my ear over the past week about a mythical place above the Henry House with a dark wood bar, lime green chairs and an atmosphere of a time gone by. So, by the time last night rolled saying I was feverishly excited for the Drawing Room would have been an understatement...
We entered from the side door, ascended a on old staircase, and entered the Drawing Room, where I was shocked.
I couldn't really put a finger on where I was. Was I going to turn the corner and run into Oscar Wilde and Bosie Douglas drinking absinthe together, or Coco Chanel and Charlie Chaplin having martinis. Or was it just halloween with all the smoke and candles? Who can say, and who really cares?
An absinthe fountain, dark wood, well dressed waiters, well dressed cocktails, and of course those pillars of my heart, the green velveteen chairs by the fireplace.
It was already a great experience, even before the drinks were ordered.
The first that I ordered was the whiskey sour (10$.) When it arrived, I couldn't help but exclaim that it looked exactly like those tumblers I had seen in my cocktail guides even with the artful swizzle suspended above the drink with a maraschino cherry.
The second drink was a classic martini (10$), with vodka, and an olive. The olive was quite bland, but the drink was quite wonderful.
These drinks were both flavourful and strong, so if you felt that you had not gotten your money's worth in the atmosphere (and if you didn't shame on you), you get your money's worth in the drink strength.
Then comes the aromatic diffuser (2$ with cocktail)... Two sticks of fragrance suspended in a bowl that dry ice is poured over, to give off billowing scented "smoke" (ours was pomegranate.) Please, please, get this because it gives that little extra something.
However, if this weren't enough, appetisers are also served. We ordered the hummus and french fries. I could not decide which was better, the crispy french fries in the tangy chili mayo or the lemony and full bodied hummus.
So please come on down to The Drawing Room for a trip back in time, but be quiet about it, this is a secret almost too good to share...
Shhhhhhh.... -
Review from Ben B.
Um....wow! Friends had told me about the new bar on the top floor of the Henry House a few weeks after it opened but I really wasn't prepared for how cool this place actually is. I couldn't really imagine how it could be much different from either of the two lower levels of the popular Halifax watering hole. But guys? It has me more excited about drinking than when I discovered Bacardi Breezers in eleventh grade.
The space is phenomenal. It's small, cozy, refined, and classy without even coming close to toeing the line of pretension. Original support beams of the old homestead have been refinished, custom hand-cut wall details have been created and painstakingly installed, tall wing-backed chairs are tucked into the corners, two candlelit fireplaces bring warmth into the room, and the beautiful bar plays host to alcohol icons including an Absinthe fountain. The pictures I tried to grab are pretty lousy given the low-light so you really have to see it for yourself to get an idea of how much time you could actually spend here.
I can't comment too much on the service since I coincidentally and entirely by accident ended up knowing the folks working that evening, but of course they are lovely, knowledgeable, much more attentive than the basement pub. They were quick to point out that "we don't move furniture here" which made me smirk when we tried to grab an extra chair, but given that their solution was to move us into the private room called 'the snug' in the back corner, I really can't complain!
There's a great selection of beers both familiar and more adventurous, a classic cocktail selection is expertly made with hand-carved ice for each glass, and drinks turn out to be much cheaper than expected. A dark rum and coke was $4.50 while the Old Fashioned cocktail was $9 (usually $13+ for anything with custom shaved ice...).
We didn't get to try the food but that's our excuse to come back next time. Hopefully we'll get to hear some more of the building's haunting ghost stories from the owner!Listed in: South Endery, Pub Crawl, New Restaurants 2011!, Livin' like a local!
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Review from Sue A.
3/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
If you love cocktails, you will be in heaven when you visit Hali's newest bar, The Drawing Room. Hidden away on the second floor of the Henry House, this elegant lounge has a sophisticated yet cozy vibe with one of the most extensive cocktail menus in the city.
I was there with a group of friends and we fit comfortably in the main room without being crowded. There is a tiny alcove with a few tables and chairs tucked around the corner, perfect for romantic dates or for a quieter conversation.
Although it's a brand new space it seems to be a throwback to the 1920's with a beautifully crafted bar. The night I visited the bartender reminded me of a junior version of Mad Men's Don Draper. You certainly get the sense you're in different era.
The cocktail list includes the standard martinis and mojitos but also classics like Rob Roy and Brandy Alexander. I enjoyed several intoxicatingly smooth Brandy Alexanders. For non-cocktail lovers, there is also a fine selection of Scotch, wine and beer.
The food menu is appetizers. It includes the de facto nachos but with the surprise topping of pineapple. The more sophisticated apps of mushroom crostini and goat cheese pizza were delicious, but not necessarily over the top. The standout app for me was the roast beef sliders, shaved roast beef on very fresh buns. Heavenly.
The only irksome point of the evening was the indifferent service. We were a group of five and only one of two or three tables in the place. Even though we were obviously there for the evening and seated directly across from the bar and our waitress, she rarely came over to see if we needed anything. At one point, my friend had to go to the bar to get another drink. At $10 a drink, I'd expect table service rather than self service.
In its infancy, The Drawing Room is only open Thursday to Sunday evenings. I'm sure it won't be long before the word gets out and it's a seven night a week operation. -
Review from Sarah L.
Halifax, NS
5/6/2011
I love a lot of things about the Drawing Room. The music (last night it was Frank Sinatra - win!), the decor, the wine, the tapas menu, *my* booth, and - the best part - the fact that it's stumbling distance from my apartment. But there is definite room for improvement. For instance, it closes at midnight - even on Saturdays - and the staff, while lovely, lovely people, are either stretched too thin or not paying close enough attention to their tables. (I've been there at least a dozen times, probably more, and never once has my drink been refreshed without me having to wave down a server or get it myself from the bar.)
Will I go back to the Drawing Room? For certain. Would I recommend you go? Definitely. But if you can, go in pairs and sit at the bar - your chances of keeping a full glass are much more likely that way. -
Review from Joanne K.
Halifax, NS
Beautiful surroundings, extensive drink menu, limited but serviceable snacks menu (nachos, calamari, skins, sliders etc). Food was good. No music, but acoustics seem to amplify collective conversation volume, so just as well. Service very friendly, moderately attentive (water must be requested, ditto for refill). On the whole we really enjoyed it and will be back.
