This sort-of-secret rooftop patio serves cocktail pitchers and boozy ice cream sandwiches
In Good Spirits’ new outdoor space is perched four floors above Bay Street
Figuring out where to go for after-work drinks just got easier for the Financial District crowd. In Good Spirits, the cocktail bar inside Table Fare and Social, recently opened a big new patio where they’re serving up pitchers of cocktails and boozy ice cream sandwiches.
Related: Ten of Toronto’s best new patios to sit on this summer
In Good Spirits has been operating inside CIBC Square’s fancy food hall since it opened in the fall of 2023. A few weeks ago, however, the bar added a patio, which is perched on the fourth floor of the building—away from the hustle and bustle of busy Bay Street and high enough to be considered a rooftop.
The patio’s focus is on refreshing, large-format cocktails that can quench a crowd of thirsty people. Think habanero margaritas, palomas, espresso martinis and caesars. “We’re trying to offer the area’s office workers larger-format cocktails that are also lower in alcohol, so they’re more refreshing in this sunny, warm weather,” says owner and industry veteran Oliver Stern.
There’s also a rotating list of fun stuff like sangria freezies and cocktail-themed ice cream sandwiches. “My favourite one right now is coffee ice cream with a Talisker scotch whisky dulce de leche ripple,” says Stern. Other ice cream sandwich flavours on offer right now include mint-margarita, spicy peanut butter ripple and mango-pistachio.
Related: This buzzy new Trinity-Bellwoods pizzeria has a park-facing patio and margarita towers
Snacks are simple alfresco fare—jerk pork tacos with pineapple and cilantro, meat-and-cheese boards, and dip plates (hummus, guacamole) with focaccia—but this summer will bring occasional tasting-menu dinners, which will pair chef David Salt’s food with Stern’s drinks.
And concert-goers looking for somewhere to stop before the show should note that CIBC Square and Scotiabank Arena are conveniently connected.
Kate Dingwall is a writer, author and photographer covering spirits, business, culture, fashion and travel. By night, she’s a working sommelier. She has worked with Flare, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Maxim, People, Southern Living, Rolling Stone, Eater, Elle, Toronto Life and the Toronto Star, among other publications. She frequently appears on both CTV and NPR, has co-authored a book on gin, judges Food & Wine’s Tastemakers and has strong opinions on the city’s best martini.
