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Renovated, revamped and reimagined. Ladies and gentlemen, WEST is back! This pioneering King West hotspot started out in the late 90’s before King West was…well, King West as we know it today.

WEST

The newly relaunched WEST (@WestbarTO) is brought to us by Marc Kyriacou (original WEST co-owner), Glen Baxter (Toronto fashion personality and journalist), Gil and Nina Huber (wealth management and interior design couple) and Steve Doussis (from Soho House, Spoke Club and Blowfish) who is the current GM.

The interior

They conceptualized the new WEST due to a lack of options for a mature crowd. “We have a fantastic group of talented partners who have come together to give people our age and demographic a place in the area that they can call their own” said Kyriacou.

The interior

“At WEST, we hope to further encourage and act as a catalyst towards the sophisticated transformation of King West, that has already begun” said Nina Huber.

The bar

Located just east of Brant St, the entrance is tucked into an alleyway which also doubles as a fantastic patio which has capacity for 90. Walking down a set of stairs, you’ll enter a 4,500sq ft space which has a capacity of 250. The loungey interior features a main bar in the centre of the space with cozy booths down one wall.

At the launch party: complete with a cigar rolling station

At the back of the space, you’ll find a dj spinning a selection of electronic lounge and house music with a mix of top 80’s, 90’s and top 40.

In addition to beer and cocktails, WEST has a uniquely curated wine list and a tapas menu which is continually growing each week. Last week I attended their launch party and had the opportunity to try some of their offerings:

Westini – fresh lemonade and vodka shaken with fresh strawberries

Westini’s

Oysters

The oyster bar

Cucumber and Smoked Salmon Slider – with lemon aioli, dill & roe for garnish

Cucumber and Smoked Salmon Slider

Brie & Tomato Grilled Cheese and Bacon, Pickle & Onion Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Popcorn

Flavoured Popcorn

Flatbreads – sofrito & basil, olive tapenade with chili oil and lemon & lavender with herb oil

Flatbreads

Vanilla Cookie

Vanilla Cookie

Open Wednesday to Saturday nights, WEST is sure to be the King West hotspot it once was!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*

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  1. Dan Kim (Reply) on Saturday 7, 2014

    Hey Jess – how’s it going! Didn’t know any other way to contact you…Xie and I are heading to Chicago at the end of the month. If you had 3 picks, where would YOU go eat? haha

    Hope all is well!
    Dan

    • Jess (Reply) on Saturday 7, 2014

      Hi Dan! Would love to help you out but unfortunately I’ve never been to Chicago (it’s next on my list!). But if you ever go to NYC or DC, I’ve definitely got some picks for you. Enjoy your trip 🙂