Stayed at the Drake Hotel on Queen while in Toronto for business and was pleasantly surprised. I usually stay at larger hotel chains, but this place has a cool, trendy vibe with lots of character. Most importantly, it was very clean. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the restaurant was fantastic with a great atmosphere. Not much in the immediate area, but it’s close enough that a quick cab downtown is easy. If you want something different from the typical chain hotel without sacrificing cleanliness or amenities, it’s worth checking out.

Steak night @ The Drake on Mondays for $35. Great value for steak frites + a slice of cheesecake. Happy hour menu was also good with lots of affordable food & drink options. French fries weren't super to my liking, cut a little thick (I prefer more of a true, skinny fry) seasoned with something sweet? Almost cinnamon like? Steak was room temp and a little overcooked, medium instead of medium rare, but flavour was fine. Could have used some salt, which was absent from the table. Cherry cheesecake though was delish. Added a side caesar for $10 which was a good size & tasty. Atmosphere - gorgeous, they've done a great job renovating. I would think about returning for happy hour but can't necessarily say I would recommend steak night to others.

The atmosphere is really amazing and it is a great place for date night or brunch. Menu changes throughout the day so there’s a lot of variety. Went for happy hour and dinner menu. Steak tartare was $5 on the happy hour menu, great value and delicious. Lychee margarita was amazing if you like fruity and sweet drink! Presentation of the sushi is amazing. Everything came quickly and service was very friendly. Bonus: there’s an old school photobooth past the lobby!!

Had a really great lunch at The Drake for a friend’s birthday. I really like what they’ve done with the renovations—it feels a lot more cozy and warm now, just a very easy vibe to hang out in. The food was solid. We had the burger and fries and the umami bowl with salmon, both were delicious. Definitely save room for the coconut cake though; it’s really unique and worth the visit alone. We had some Prosecco too which was great. The staff were all super nice, especially Ryder who gave us excellent service, they also have a photo booth which was a cool touch for a birthday. Also, a heads-up if you’re driving: we found parking across the street for $4/hr through the Clicknpark app, which was super convenient. I’ll definitely be back to check out the live music for dinner sometime. Definitely recommend it for a casual catch-up.

i have to say, the $35 steak dinner is a deal that you CAN’T pass up on. our server was incredible, so friendly and personable - he has a beard and glasses - so good at his job. the steak was perfectly cooked, the fries were delicious, and the cheesecake to finish was the perfect ending to a great dinner. we also decided to hop on the half priced wine bottle special and the recommendation was perfectly paired with our food. atmosphere was amazing, decor was so cute, and the overall experience was everything i hoped for. i will be back!