ava Lounge often gets slammed for being too hipster-friendly, but we don't give a hoot about the crowd: If loving a place that sells high-intensity drinks is wrong, we don't want to be right. If you want a frothy, domestic beer or a simple glass of wine, then by all means go to another, more "proper" bar. For cocktails, though, you'll want a slightly retro place to match your lavish palate, and Lava Lounge - on the busy, lower part of the Main - fits the bill to the capital T.

The artfully deconstructed room is dark and eye-poppingly Afro -Asian, from the dark wood and no-frills tables and chairs to the long cocktail bar and uninspired carved-pillars. The music is an unusual upbeat mambo. And then there are the drinks. In this department, we find that Lava shows off a distinctive charm in drinks that are mixed up well and looking fancy just for you. The Mojito, for example, is one of the better mixes in these parts - the perfect blend of rum, mint, lime juice, and sugar. If you want a frill-free mixed drink, they can do that too. But why ruin the fun?

The bilingual staff is fun and helpful, and when your eyes get tired of exploring, have a meal: Lava’s chef Bertrand Labarriere gets more assured and more interesting the longer he spends behind the stoves. His menu is a wild mix of North American and European dishes with a tropical angle. Run-of-the-mill bruschetta ($5.00) and Nachos ($10.00) unfortunately, suffer from inconsistency. But a better starter is a tapas plate ($13.50) or the fried battered calamari on a tomato jus ($9.50) which are tender, not chewy.

A Presidential filet mignon dish ($28.00) was an average cut of meat, covered in thick toppings of mushrooms and wrapped in a crêpe, emerging from the kitchen blood-rare, despite our requests. A lamb pâté ($9.50) over pastry with lemon was an odd, but savoury mix. But of course, and yet somehow they've managed to pull it off, a blackened salmon ($18) is an unusual Cajun dish served with lemon sauce. However, we were truly won over by the Poulet Lava ($19); chicken in a disharmonious pairing with goat cheese and prosciutto on a tongue-lacquering risotto.

A gooey brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce ($6.75) is one of the better dessert options. But who are we kidding? You’re coming to Lava because you want to drink in a slightly wacky environment. Go for the crazy cocktails, stay for the mischief on the plates and leave your mom at home. - R.L.