 'm sorry - we're having a private party tonight," the host at the door sneers to a woman in a vintage Chanel knockoff.
"No, you're not," she says. "I'm in the middle of dinner. I stepped out for a cigarette. You even opened the door for me."
The host pretends to study a piece of paper. "Love your hair," the host says. "Have fun."
It's Thursday night, and we're at Amber. The subterranean room contains a slightly bourgeois crowd lingering over post-dinner cocktails, while beyond, and up a flight of stairs, a few dozen attractive people are mixing things up on a bleached-wood patio. A small crowd. Only a select few are getting in.
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119 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON
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12 Reader Reviews
This place gets 5 stars for vibe, drinks, and atmosphere... and negative stars for the jar-headed douche bag "security guards" and the less-than-attentive wait staff. Too bad... if they lost their pretentious and rude staff, it would be 5 stars all the way!
Gregg Cosic's Rating: 3 Stars |
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went with a group of well dressed young professionals and was told it was bottle service for $240 to get to the patio. it was 1230pm and we were going up to meet friends and have a drink, not planning on gunning a bottle of grey goose. but apparently that's the price of admission to this shithole. and when i say shithole, i mean it literally-the 2 dingy stalls in the ladies bathroom were full of it, and the bathroom was not usable. i saw nicer ones when i was travelling in a third world country, i kid you not. if you're going to charge me $328 (total) for a bottle of your finest greg goose, please hire someone to plunge your shithole. service also sucked, i dont think asking for water and lemon slices is a huge undertaking. maybe the server would be better off on bathroom duty.
Jimmy's Rating: 1 Stars |
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The ethnic door stuff seem to be on some serious drugs, and so are the people who they let inside. Very weird place. Nobody's good looking.
Toronto's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Disgruntled patrons below bash the place simply because they could not get in. They comment on the service, the decor, the fact that it's a basement etc. They completely miss the point. The owner is looking to create a vibe and an energy in the club and he has succeeded. I have been expelled from Amber by the owner but... when I was there it is unique in the city for the crowd and atmosphere it generates. If you want flash, tostesterone, etc go somewhere else, if you don't get it, you don't belong.
Jim Martin's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Fantastic spot with all the vaa-vaa-voom that a night out on the town requires. The servers are clean cut and courteous and the owner is gracious to all that come there. Smile and you will get a smile in return, but if you expect the snobbery that others profess of this place expect no less in return. Without question, the best bar in the city.
KitKat's Rating: 4 Stars |
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No thank you to Amber----not a good experience. I've lived in Toronto forever and have frequented Yorkville since I was a teenager. As a pretty/elegant woman in my mid-thirties, I was quite surprised and offended by the behavior of the door staff of this basement drinking room. There's an element of integrity which is missing when I'm told there's a private party and there's nothing of the sort. Didn't like the way my friend looked---too bad. Interesting that I'm the one who walks through lines and gets compliments left and right but some uneducated poorly paid doorman decides to ignite his ego by employing his POWER at the door and pick and choose. Forget about it and no thank you.
Corey's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Amber's pathetic excuse for a door policy makes it unworthy of any true urbanite's time. While the door staff seems to have the polite thing down pat, their undemocratic process of selecting patrons for entry would suggest they are missing the point.....to let people in who actually have money to spend, instead of those who can only watch people who do. Ownership clearly loves to play favorites here, and that policy will quickly lose them favor with the rich set who don't know the boss.
Do yourself afavor, slip across the street to the Hazelton, where the drinks and service are 5 star, as is the crowd. Much preetier people to watch.
Joelle Callof's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Yorkville should give this 'pathetic excuse for a bar' the boot. The owner must be paying off people who write about this place - it is an absolute hole that offers nothing but attitude (from door people who make $8 per hour), cheap taste in decor, and a healthy serving of people who think their shit doesn't stink. This bar or whatever its called is a social embarrassment to Yorkville! You'd probably meet more classy people at Firkin Pub.
D's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Absolutly GARBAGE, had a group comming in for a party, spoke to the "owner" days earlier where he told me that "you are the type of crowd that we want to see in here" and made it seem like we would be accomodated. Little did we know.....this hole in the wall was the worst experience of my life! For those of us who entered earlier (around 11) had to deal with the doorman who made it seem like he was doing ME a favor, sorry buddy, too bad for you the shit on my shoes are worth more than you! You walk into a club which is in serious need of repair, there is absolutly no class what so ever. The patio was disgusting, crap all over the floors and chair, dirty as ever, half the heaters didnt work ! To make the night even better, half of our party was not granted entry, after a long fight with the less than classy "owner", he told us our friends would be allowed in only if we were to purchase (at the door !) 225 bottles per 4 people. I have NEVER been treated like this at a lounge in this area, its like nothing ive ever seen before. Who wants to pay even 10 dollars to a lounge which lacks any sort of clientel appreciation and respect. Trust me it wasent the money, but who wants to dish out and drink in a club thats dirtier than a alleyway. Sorry not for me ! nor for the many other Yorkville Patrons
J's Rating: 1 Stars |
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This is an over-rated basement lounge - YES so-called Socialites BASEMENT LOUNGE - quite an embarassment in an area that is the HUB of the Fashion Mecca...............
We are FULL on the patio and the only way you can go up is "BOTTLE SERVICE", meanwhile there are ONLY 10 people on that pathetic patio!
As for the owner, he should be embarassed that it's written and quoted in an issue of TORONTO LIFE (for all to read) a few month ago that he DOES NOT BELIEVE IN BOTTLE SERVICE when infact HE DOES...........I'm disgusted at the attitude of the staff and owner of this small dive in the wall! Will not venture there again! This splace deserves a ZERO rating, it is beyond BAD!
RANDY & TONI's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Amber |
119 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON
416-926-9037
Yorkville
20 - 60
Lounge
Tuesday - Saturday
2:00pm - 2:00am. Sunday 4:00pm - 10:00pm
$$$$ (expensive)
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