Located in a historical home from the 1930’s, at 2727 Indian Creek Road on the property of the Freehand Hotel, the 27 Restaurant and Bar is open for dinner daily, with brunch served on weekends.

We just revisited 27 and were disappointed in changes we have seen this year.

The house has that cottage feel to it – lots of wood and rattan, from the wainscoting and floors to chairs and tables, and vintage knickknacks. The food reminds me something your Grandma would cook for you, depending where she is from … Bubi or Abuela. The menu is globally inspired, with dishes from Israel, Latin America, Asia and Europe. The food is locally sourced. So you can find crispy potato latkes, shakshuka, and cast iron dishes with lasagne or kimchi fried rice with a fried egg on top (delicious).

The burgers used to be big and juicy, but now they were dry and overcooked. What is it with kitchens that send out the food as it is prepared? Sorry but that is such BS. We only ordered two dishes, yet my dinner companion almost completely finished his meal before mine was delivered. Just throw the burger on later, so we can eat together!!! A real pet peeve …

My personal favourite used to be the catch-of-the-day. The last time I enjoyed it, it was cobia in a coconut and curry broth over Israeli couscous. But on my last visit they substituted faro for couscous which was fine, but the portion size was tiny.  The broth used to be so flavourful, but now all I could taste was spice, but no coconut or curry flavor. The charred octopus in a Romanesco sauce was first rate and the kale salad is light and fresh. They serve Zak the Baker breads here, but you have to ask for bread to be served which is also a pet peeve of mine. The first time we dined here, for dessert we devoured a banana pudding with a Meyer lemon and olive oil cake. Now the 3 choices were brownies, peach cobbler and a key lime zabione. We tried the peach cobbler and it was way too sweet.

The restaurant is famous for its inventive craft cocktails, and a lot of other restaurants copied what they have been doing here. Actually Beaker and Gray Restaurant stole their master bartender. I had one of the best Sangria’s of my life here, about 2 years ago. Unfortunately it is no longer on the menu.

Upstairs is a lounge. The cocktails are amazing but the loud music makes it hard to have a conversation during dinner. You can also eat outside weather permitting.

Now for some negative comments. The front door hostesses have been rude on occasion. The chairs are uncomfortable and we have been seated at a table for two when we were three dining. Thus dinner was most uncomfortable. As I mentioned the music gets too loud. The servers could be more attentive too. And to be honest, I found the food better two years ago. It lost a little something. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s still good.

It’s a quirky little place, great for casual dining. It has been jammed since the day it opened and it is often difficult to get a reservation. The crowd is mostly young.

Used to be recommended. Now, I am not so sure.

Happy dining,
Shanea

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *