What’s on the menu at No Vacancy, a swanky new cocktail bar on Ossington from the team behind Ghost Chicken
Including sweet and savoury boozy drinks, Japanese-inspired snacks and, yes, fried chicken (but only if you know to ask for it)
Name: No Vacancy
Contact: 74 Ossington Ave., novacancybar.ca, @novacancyto
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods
Owners: Connor Gilbert, Joseph Lee, Chris Piron and Michael Swirla
Executive chef: John Carlo Zabala
Bar Manager: Troy Gilchrist
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
A lot of greasy tears were shed when Ghost Chicken, the fried-chicken-sandwich joint on Ossington, closed its dine-in doors last June (though you can still order their sandwiches for takeout). But never fear: the same crew—with a few additional team members—has opened No Vacancy, a vibey late-night hangout, in its place. “We decided we could make better use of the space,” says co-owner Joseph Lee. There was just one problem: they needed a booze expert. So they lured long-time mixologist Troy Gilchrist (Overpressure Club, Boehmer, Lucid, Harbour 60) from a comfy corporate day job at a hospitality consulting firm. “The bar bug—it always gets you again,” says Gilchrist.
Related: What’s on the menu at Slice of Life, a kooky new cocktail bar with a laboratory in the basement
The Food
In addition to his Ghost Chicken bona fides, Zabala cut his teeth at Ki Modern Japanese, Día Restaurant and Kage in Mississauga, resulting in a snacky globetrotting menu that mostly leans Japanese but takes pit stops in Italy and France. “We don’t want to be categorized,” says Zabala. “We just like to have fun.” While the menu will change seasonally, here’s what’s on offer this winter. (Also, hot tip: while it’s not technically on the dine-in menu, you can still order those iconic fried chicken sandwiches here—IYKYK.)
The Drinks
There’s a healthy selection of primo wines by the bottle—Paxaro Tolo Mencìa DO Ribeira Sacra from Spain ($145) or Gwin Evan Vin de France ($90) are a couple of Gilchrist’s favourites—and he’s made sure there are affordable by-the-glass options too. There’s also sake and special-occasion bubbles, mostly available by the bottle. But cocktails are Gilchrist’s true passion. He’s designed a clever menu of intricately layered libations to flex his technical muscles, though he took pains to keep his concoctions (relatively) affordable. “I don’t want you coming in here and thinking you have to spend $30 for one cocktail,” he says.
The Space
The interior by Solid Design Creative features a rich palette of auburns, deep reds, golds and blues, and the sultry vibes get turned up to 11 when the room is bathed in warm orange light. A nook in the back with an abstract landscape mural by Toronto artist Amelia Valentine gives VIP-lounge vibes.
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Leah Rumack has worked as the deputy editor of Today’s Parent and the features director of Fashion and has contributed as a writer to a long list of Canadian brands including Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Chatelaine, Elle Canada, Zoomer, the National Post, EnRoute and Re:porter. Her work focuses on travel, food, pop culture, beauty and fashion.
