Lula Lounge

There really is no other place like this in Toronto. Lula stands as a shining example of Toronto’s diverse cultural make up, providing a home for music lovers, musicians, dancers, food enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a lovely night on the town.
My personal highlights are: dancing to the Lula All-​Stars, the black bean burrito (so good!) and table #24 (if you like a good view of the stage, this is the table to get).

Last minute decision to listen to Ron Davis and the Hogtown Brass and first time at Lula.
$ 35 for a fix prix 3 course meal– which was really good. Service was great and music fantastic. Found easy street parking. Will definitely go back.

I went there for a Salsa Night. There was a class first and then social dance. After dancing for a few hours I went to sit on the side until the waitress came and told me to leave, as they reserve the seats just for people that are drinking. I think that after paying $ 18 I should have the right to sit when I am tired. I am disappointed.

I’ve heard good things about Lula but tonight when my girlfriend and I came to watch one of our favorite bands play our experience was a disappointment. They had a dog inside the establishment that got better service than we did.

Went here for a birthday party on a Friday night. Mandatory $ 50 prix-​fixe meal (plus tip auto added) or $ 20 cover for just the show with no access to seating/​booth.
Went in well before the show started, around 8 pm. Mojitos were very decent. All the aperitifs seemed good.
However the appetizers were another story. Most opted for the shrimp cocktail, which was little more than 5 shrimps with a mango dipping sauce. Very forgettable. The chimichurri beef was a bit dry and flavourless from what I heard. I had the patatas bravas, which to my surprise bares little resemblance to the original dish as it was just regular french fries with paprika, drizzled with spicy aioli and way too oversalted.
The entrés were not much better, the steak was large but seemed overcooked and dry even though medium-​rare was requested. The catfish plate was good for everything but the catfish, I wish they’d have chosen a higher quality fish, way too fishy/​muddy taste for that pairing.
Overall the food is not BAD, but definitely overpriced for the quality you get. I would have been willing to look the other way if it wasn’t for the (non-​existent) service. Even though there were just our table and a few booths occupied early on, it took FOREVER for the server to come around to ask for drinks and whenever she finally did she seemed to have an unspoken attitude and complete lack of interest. And they kept mixing up who ordered what even though they wrote everyone’s name down. Even the guy that poured water had an attitude and everyone’s cups were always empty for periods of about half hour. Not one good thing to say about the service.
The rest you know from the other reviews — the salsa lessons, live band, dancing. That was good and fun. I would never come here for the food again, only for the entertainment.

A really fun place for a date night and even with a few friends!
It’s not new and modern but it’s cozY and familiar.
It gets very busy and jam packed on the dance floor! Nice fun live band! But can only
Hear the same ‘beat’ for ‘so long’ never had a bad time!
It could use some updating, and more regular up keeping, especially with the fee they charge just for entering
But the band and tequila makes sure you have a great time!

Went to Lula’s for my wife’s birthday. Good was great and we had a great time with the salsa lesson. Only negative was we thought that the live music would have started sooner. Would recommend.

oh ya, 5 stars. for the food!
also, pleasant service. warm atmosphere for all its nooks and lofts.
but the food! bit pricey, but not as pricey as when you go specifically for a quality and creative food experience. that’s how i would describe this menu. good portions too. the flavour combinations were such a surprise, not just for a place that seems to be much more about the acts.
i was told the chef’s name is Trevor Viirre, that the menu is his creation. our whole table raved about the meal. …except for the quiet one… oh and the cynical one, but i could tell they loved it too!
this guy trevor is a super star. very talented. what a treat.

Been here twice for bachelorette parties. Overall, I probably wouldn´t recommend for a bachelorette. Not wild enough.
The food is really mediocre. It´s not terrible but it´s not good restaurant quality, they present well but there´s nothing special about it. Drinks were better.
The free salsa dance lesson on the Friday nights is really fun, especially if you´re a beginner. After that, the floor opens up and lots of middle aged couples hit the dance floor. It´s not packed.
Really cool venue and décor but food and ambiance is lacking.

NEVER book a booth here!
I came here for a friend’s birthday. We booked a booth for this occasion. While I enjoyed their company the whole booth experience was absolutely unsatisfactory.
The booth was uncomfortable and too tiny for us. Menu had a $ 50 mix and match 3-​course meal and you have to order the whole thing. Food quality was mediocre at best (see attached pics) and surely not worth the money. Steak was dry and tasted like it was microwaved. Chicken wings tasted like KFC but without the herbs and spices. To make matters worse they made us pay cover charge for 2 people who did not show up even though the booth was barely fitting us and if those 2 people showed up they would have had no place to sit!
I absolutely do not recommend that you book a booth at this lounge. Just drink and dance.

I’ve been here 2x now in the span of over 3 years and the place remains consistent. It’s a salsa club. Expect a LOT of Latinos. Some of them, cannot dance. They are single and either come alone or in packs. The last time I went, one of my girl friends was asked to dance by this Latino who had a very unique rhythm in his feet. He really was not following the beats — he was shuffling much faster and to his tune. My friend, who is taking salsa dance lessons, was suffering in silence! Another Latino asked my other friend and he was a much better dancer and gentlemanly too. It was delightful to watch them dance together.
But the better enjoyment comes from watching the couples take over the dance floor. There are some incredible salsa dancers out there! Some of them are teachers/​students and others are Latinos from Latin America who have been dancing all their lives! It is a great pleasure to admire them as their bodies rhythmically move to the beats.
I go occasionally because I know people like to salsa dance. Not many people like to dance to alternative music ~le sigh~. You may or may not know this, but if you are dancing with a buffoon, you can gently tap him on the shoulder and thank him and call it quits. Frankly, I decline dancing with the men there and much prefer to dance with my girlfriends. I came there to have fun with them!
Ladies free on Fridays before 10pm. Cover charge on Sats. Live band playing and that’s always a riot!

I went on Sunday morning for brunch and salsa. The salsa lesson was fun and the live band excellent. However, i would not do it twice as they only cover very basic steps and it get a bit repetitive after a while.
Service was fast, friendly and very attentive.
The food is not impressive (you can get much better brunches in Toronto for much less). Also, I ordered two lattes: the first one was delicious and the second was too strong. So, i am guessing consistence is not their forte.

Lula Lounge Cuban Brunch is held on Sundays and was picked as a venue for a friend’s birthday party. What a great idea! For $ 15 you get an excellent AYCE brunch along with salsa dancing lessons. First you can eat from a centrally located buffet that had a traditional breakfast selection along with healthful choices so you could pick and choose some of each. All of it was top notch and fresh. Desserts were good too and we indulged in Mimosas to go along with the party theme.
The best part was the dance lesson and the music along with the charismatic dance instructor who was fabulously engaging, animated and hilarious. His moves were great!
Of course he made it look easy but there was no problem dancing goofy as everyone was staring at the instructor.
The music was excellent, although you had to zone out the drum machine to enjoy the singing, guitar and flute playing. Oh ya! The guy on flute was great and that instrument was perfect for the music. There were several parties going on, some all-​ages, at the same time in the spacious and cavernous place making a fun atmosphere with a kids baptism after party, etc. Good fun!

Came here to watch the Fifa World Cup game and great choice!
We came early so we were able to grab a big round table, and there is a big large screen.
First time coming to a bar with this kind of atmosphere, but I really liked it!
Prices mediocre and great service!

Came here for The Lulaworld Festival and was thoroughly impressed.
As a clueless white boy, I have little to no dancing skills. After a couple of drinks and a salsa lesson that roped in most of the dinner crowd, we were dancing the night away.
The food and music was all authentic and amazing. It’s like going to Cuba except the foods better and there are running toilets.
All in all, a night to remember.

The cuban band is amazing, the vibe is nice, if you go there just to dance I guess it’s fine, but the food and drinks are meh and expensive.

I went to Lula lounge for a bachelorette party and let’s just say my personal experience was horrible from the beginning.
The service was awful, food was a hot mess (literally), our waiter said the reason why everything was taking a long time was because a heat lamp exploded over our food– uhh awesome?
I was sick for 3 days after eating here, maybe some of that heat lamp explosion was transferred onto my plate lol.
I personally don’t want to relive the experience again so i’ll avoid that place at all costs. Aside from food, the experience was nice (the dancing, salsa) — the atmosphere was what I expected for a lounge and the live band that they had there + dj did a great job at keeping the crowd happy… so i’ll give them that but the food is seriously what kills them.

I decided to go to Lula Lounge yesterday for a Halloween Party that my dance school was hosting there. I have been to Lula many times before when my school has hosted other events and I must say I LOVE it here… The music is great, the live band is awesome and the salsa lesson is a nice added touch to the beginning of the evening.
Last night I didn’t go early for dinner, but this place is also a restaurant. Most people arrive around 6 to 7 eat then dance the night away. I have eaten here once and the food was off the wall when it comes to flavour and portions. Because I am not a picky eater I didn’t find it hard to decide on a meal but I do remember people at our table were having a little bit of a problem.
During the summer months it can get really packed which is the only downfall when choosing to go to lula. I feel they over pack the place and it’s hard to dance but then again Salsa Club dancing is much different than Salsa Dancing :)

This was definitely a HOOT! We went for the Sunday SALSA brunch.
This is the deal… you head in for 11, and the meal is 15 dollars flat.
It looks like a nice south amercican place… bright colours… big sunken dance floor.
they serve spicy rice, a spicy chicken with beans,… pasta, sausages, potatoes, eggs… your basic breakfast stuff.
Agree with the review below… drinks are a little expensive.
So, you do the eating thing… then the instructor calls everyone out on the dance floor. EVERYONE is there. there were families, kids, old and young folks, and we go through some basic Salsa lessons. This instructor was fantastic… he was so funny, and I think I really improved my Salsa moves. Well, that’s what my girlfriend said anyways. I found this less intense and I had less anxiety about this then when doing actual dance lessons.
A live band comes on and we continue the Salsa lessons. We went back for some water and sagria refills… and we stayed for about 3 hours in total.
For the breakfast for both of us, 2 mojitos, and 1L of Sangria, with tip included, cost us 80 bucks (40 each).
So… food was meh… drinks were meh… instructor and vibe was delightful. I’d go back. Yay!

I haven’t been back here in years, this was my first time in at least 4 years and it hasn’t changed one bit. Of the few Salsa clubs in Toronto, this is one of the only ones that play live music. Every weekend is a different band — its a nice change from the standard DJ songs which end up being meringue the entire time.
People who come here aren’t as inclined to dance salsa as other clubs like Babaluu (where everyone knows how to dance, and are there to do some salsa). There were only a few who knew what they were doing, and some in the middle of the floor just getting in the way.
Lots of stagettes here tonight, and it’s beyond me why you choose a salsa club as a venue for an event when you have no inclination of dancing. Most people were still up in theri seats just watching.
The music started around 10:45pm after the lesson, but only lasted about an hour when they switched it to some DJ music. It was okay when it was salsa, but just awful when it turned into a mix of soca and reggage.
I really like the live band, but as an experienced dancer would prefer Babaluus even if it’s cramped and small. The $ 15 cover doesn’t help the cause either. If you eat there, there’s no cover, but food seemed to take a long time to come out.
If you’re looking for just fun times, it seemed like the crowd was enjoying themselves, so this review is very subjective.

Je me suis rendu au Lula Lounge à l’occasion du congrès de musique brésilienne à Toronto.
J’ai pu assister à un concert de Samba ainsi qu’un groupe de musique funk brésilien.
Le lieu est très spacieux et vous pouvez y diner ou prendre un verre.
Grande piste de danse pour danser la samba et le Forro!
PS: les toilettes sont peints en vert!
I went to the Lula Lounge for the brazilian beat congress in Toronto.
I saw a samba show and also an other funk brazilain band.
Location is very spacious and you can either come have a drink or dinner.
Huge dancefloor for samba and Forro dancers.
PS: the washroom are painted in green!!!