The Good Son

Owned and operated by local chef , The Good Son is a "neighbourhood restaurant embracing the local Queen West Street culture". I'm not sure what that means, but the food is excellent and the cocktails, designed by bar manager Moses McIntee, are great. The large room with high ceilings, a bar along one wall, an open kitchen at the back, and a huge front window that opens and closes according to the weather, is decorated eclectically with groupings of clocks, plates, pictures and mirrors. Active acoustically, The Good Son can be loud at times, but that's because it's a popular, bustling place.

The cocktail menu is divided into House Cocktails (7), Aged Cocktails (7), Spring Classics (4), and Temperance Cocktails (3). Our favourites are in the aged category: Widow's Kiss (calvados, Chartreuse, Benedictine, bitters), The Secret (green and yellow Chartreuse), and the Solera Old Fashion (bourbon, sugar, bitters, orange peel).

Eating here is always a good decision, particularly the excellent steak tartare and hand-cut fries with malt mayo. With their wood-burning over, the Apple Bacon Pizza is a particularly good choice.

Reservations are highly recommended; as usual, the bar seating is first-come-first-served, but it does fill up early, so be advised.