Great music and atmosphere! Drinks were great, and food was exactly as expected, definitely a step up from pub food. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the Julia D’ascanio Sextet and they blew me and everyone else in the room away. Such a great spot for live music. Staff was super friendly and charming!

Great experience if you're a jazz music lover. If not, plenty other places to quench your thirst. The staff are friendly. The drinks are good. Food not so much. We had wings and fries. Both were below mediocre and didn't feel fresh. Good place for sitting down, listening to music and having your drink. Otherwise, not a good public gathering as you won't be able to talk to your friends. That is after 8pm or whenever the show starts. Overall, there's nothing special about this place.

My second or third time out. Very cozy. Food is outstanding. Great drink choices, including quite the selection of whiskey. All staff, from everyone in the kitchen to wait and bar staff, are super nice and go out of their way to take care of you. This venue is an hour away for me, by transit, but we'll worth it.

If you ask a stranger, it’s a jazz bar. But ask even a semi-regular, and they’ll tell you the Emmet Ray is so much more than that. The venue is deliberately designed to feel like a lounge room. The best way to experience it is by relaxing into one of their many comfy chairs with a glass of your favourite drink, ready to see something spectacular. A dedicated local community guarantees this harmonious attitude, making it feel more like a great café than a stuffy club. They might operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, but even if you’re standing in the wings, you’ll be able to hear and see everything. It was my first time to visit and I came across this hidden gem while searching for a live jazz venue, my call was answered by Tom who’s knowledgeable and has a welcoming voice that calls you in, he was the one who also met us at the door when we arrived, the reservation is made through an email sent to Andrew who was not available during our visit but he responded immediately to my reservation request email with detailed explanations on everything we need. We were served by Jane and Mike, both are a true reflection of high ethics and understand the art of customer service, they both checked on us several times and did everything they can to make sure we are having a wonderful experience. The live band is a bomb, the music they composed and the way they play their instruments must be seen as no words will describe it fairly. We ordered their signature salad, tomato soup and their Emmet Burger with fries, a unique flavours that no way I can express in writing. They charge $10 per person to support the local band which I personally find reasonable and fair however I suggest they waive it in the future for kids. Their washroom is located in the basement and it was super clean and tidy. Overall, this is a place that must be seen and visited and it is an icon here not only in Toronto or Ontario but in Canada. Thanks Emmet Ray team, keep the hard work going on.

The Emmet has evolved their menu in the last month. We were there on a busy night and the chef personally apologized that our food wasn’t instantly ready (I didn’t think it was late at all) - and comped us an amuse bouche of the new Orzo salad, which has layers upon layers of flavour. The Out and In burger, brick chicken and the Cubana are DEADLY! Staff always super friendly. Might want to make a reso on busy nights. It’s a nice spot to end a crawl, too. Strict 2am cutoff but the people around at that hour are super nice.

Probably my favorite bar in Toronto. Mike the bartender is great. Live jazz every night. Great whiskey selection. Good food. A bar with a soul!

I've had a pleasure of playing a live show with my jazz quintet at the Emmett Ray during the lockdown last year, during a time when many small businesses were struggling and activity in the city was very slow but the staff and booking management here were so kind and accommodating,it now has a place in my heart from here on.

I've tried many fried chicken sandwiches, but this one has yet been my absolutely favourite! The service was great. The atmosphere is awesome. It's an amazing place for chill dates and friends hangouts. Wish I took a better photo of my sandwich (my apologies, I was too excited to take a bite out of it and didn't spend long for staging the photo LOL). There will definitely be a next time! I'm coming back! Update: Came back after a week! I was craving that fried chicken sandwich. It didn't disappoint at all. I was quite happy with my second visit!

A nice nice whisky jazz bar 💕

In my opinion this is a hidden gem in the neighborhood, though perhaps a well-known one to the locals. Good vibes, relaxed atmosphere. The food was surprisingly good and a great array of whiskeys and beer. Jen and Andrew saw to everyone's needs, were really attentive, and both seem to also be having a good time.

I have to echo what other 5 star reviews said. This is truly a hidden gem. Had a great time last night and absolutely loved the atmosphere. Service was great even though they were busy and food was good, too! My picky son enjoyed his burger 🍔. Thank you and we will come back for sure!!

One of the best hidden gems in Toronto. Amazing whiskey selection, new kitchen menu is great, and still doing live music after all these years. I've been here at least a couple times a year for over a decade (sometimes a lot more frequently) and have some great memories, especially since they are open when most other spots aren't.

Food was actually quite good. The atmosphere was very flat considering there was live music. Obnoxious service. I wasn't drinking as it was a dry January do I can remember the interactions perfectly. There was a Scottish server that was rude, tense, and extremely hostile. Simply not good enough.

Cozy and has that old pub feel. I was there when they had a jazz quintet and it gave it an almost speak easy vibe. definitely keeping my eye out for anymore jazz nights, but would come by on just a Wednesday for a drink

Service was excellent and the live music fit the restaurant very well! There isn't a huge variety of food here, but what they offer is well prepared and presented. I would recommend this place for a casual date, a small get-together with friends, or for a solid solo experience to just try a new place out.

Nice community atmosphere. Great place to experience young talent

I came with my friends from Kitchener, waited 2 hours for food , also server guy so rude , he brought me a wrong salad , when I told him didn’t order this, he blame me , and he was tooo agrasive, even didn’t poligize, finally he told me if you don’t want , I don’t care , music is awesome but not recommend order food specially from rude server , I’m not sure again will I go or recommend to my friends,

One of the best jazz group I listened in Toronto, the quartet, a big applause to saxophonist 👏

They make one incredible Reuben sandwich! Best I've had in Toronto actually. Great live music on Thursdays with Pawn Shop playing awesome funk and a wide selection of beers on tap.

An excellent facet of the community. Where else are you finding top notch live jazz EVERY night? Im so pleased to have a space like it.

The place is really nice, and the atmosphere is great. There's live music, comfy chairs, and good food. My only issue is that I ordered the hummus, which was listed on the menu for $15 and supposed to be served with either toast or side veggies. However, it was served with a side of pita instead. I didn't complain because I prefer pita over toast, but I was charged an extra $3 for the pita, and I didn't receive any veggies or toast with it. This left me feeling a bit salty, as I ended up paying over $18 for a bowl of hummus when I was expecting to pay 15$ and the server never mention an extra charge.

God I like this place. Laid back cool on the College Street scene with a wonderful selection of beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails ... Very friendly and welcoming staff. Great place for a date or small group. And definitely go see Opera Revue there ...

Great whiskey selection and classic cocktails. Food was fresh and yummy. Jazz band of the night helped create a welcoming and vibey atmosphere.

Amazing staff! I teased them about food order delay & all of us had a laugh. But they took stuff off my tab & even gave a discount, all without asking. This is very rare these days! Best is I spoke with 3 staff members & all were very friendly & polite & my Reuben sandwich was very good. I will go again.

Fantastic place with a great vibe and real heart. They accommodated our big group of 10 at very short notice and were so understanding via email, especially given it was a Friday night. Ace vibes, amazing Disney jazz tribute, super friendly staff that were really attentive despite how busy it was. Hope to visit many a time. You can tell they actually care about the artists and the guests. Highly recommend the kimchi poutine.

We went here because of all the good reviews but I should have paid closer attention. We went to the Friday night show and the entire band was too under the influence to perform. The drinks were also substandard.

Nice place with a great selection of Canadian whiskey and American bourbon and pretty good of Scotch, Irish, and international whiskies. They are offering good tasting options - selection of 3-4-5, - for some of them. Food selection is very limited, but what's really missing is coffee - even basic coffee could add a lot (no need for fancy options, just freshly brewed coffee).

I love Jazz bars and havent been to one since Covid. I was very happy to take a friend who shared the same love for Jazz. Decided to check out Emmet as I had never been and I wasnt in the mood for the downtown scene and parking. We had a great time. The service was par excellence. The food, WOW! So very tasty and very homey. The staff were also on point. Ill definately be back just for the food :-)

We all love it here! We had a group of 5 (+1 cardboard cutout person) and enjoyed the atmosphere, music and especially the food! The staff was also very responsive and helpful when we make the reservation through email. Highly recommended!

Food was average. But the service and jazz was great. Our server, a Scottish lad made the evening a ton of fun. He Recommended many great whiskey and scotch options that we loved. Whiskey menu was impressive. Prices fair. Will return.

One of the best bars in the city. Been coming here for years. The food is so, so good. Better than pub food should ever be. And the drinks are great too. The staff are all so warm and welcoming, and there is live music almost every night. What more could you want?

Amazing vibe and local favourite. Jazz music every night which always sounds so good (but you can also just chill up front if you choosers ). The staff is awesome and will easily remember the regulars and their orders which is a plus. Definitely check them out if you're in College/Dovercourt and want to see live music.

Great selection of craft beer, chifded to find the St Bernardus ABT 12 on tap. There was live music playing of a Sunday evening and the vibe was bery relaxed, definitely recommended

I visited here to get inspirations for my writing. I ordered double Irish whisky and it was such a nice time to enjoy the drink with lovely jazz music. I think I'll be loyal in the bar. 😆

Great jazz band. They’ve figured out how to have a live band without blowing everyone’s ears out. Very nice and attentive service!

It has a cozy pub feel to it. Live music was super nice. Basic pub menu you can’t go wrong with the food you choose.

I love this place so much. Great beers, awesome whisky, amazinggg live music. I tell everyone I know about this bar. Can’t praise it enough!!

Great bar, has vegan options on their food menu, and they have an excellent covid-safe setup for hosting live music inside the venue!

Has been a while since I’ve had one of the best Corned Beef sandwiches in Toronto. The fries tasted very fresh and the service was friendly.

As a local, I love the vibe of this bar. Patio is great, the vibe is even greater. Honestly love grabbing drinks here on the weekends.

Stopped in for drinks on the way home. Loved the music. Loved the Michelada. Will be back to try all the sandwiches.

The music was amazing!!! A huge drink menu and a very good waiter service. The burger was with very real beef. 😋 But the jerk poutine was too spicy.