Roll Play

I should have looked this place up and read reviews on it prior to entering. I was excited to sit in for hours to play some serious board games, but was disappointed when I walked in to discover that Roll Play is just a bar. New owners, new menu, new type of restaurant.
Now, the place is more of a chilled hang out spot to have a drink with a couple of friends or a date. The new Asian culture décor is really neat and looks great with the dim lights. I found it to be a terrific place to catch up and have a real talk with someone because it isn’t too crowded or loud, but still gives off a nice bar atmosphere which makes you want to drink. Our bartender was super nice and informative!
Though this wasn’t what I was expecting, my friend and I still had a good time. We each had one drink — I ordered the Lychee Martini and he ordered the King Of Toronto. They were both a bit strong, but we enjoyed them. The bill came up to $ 30, which I felt was a bit overpriced.
Overall, the new Roll Play (I think they’re currently in the midst of revamping their image and changing their restaurant name) has an awesome and relaxed atmosphere if you are in the mood for some casual dranks. I wouldn’t recommend it for food or games though!

I think everything is outdated because this place is no longer a board game café. Instead, it’s a beautiful bar that would be lit af on a weekend. Walking in, I decided that I would definitely take a future date here to swoon them. Lights are gorgeous, perfect atmosphere and soft & slow music. definitely a date place. However, due to being forever alone, I came here with two of my buds for a drink after dinner in koreatown.
A lot of stairs up, but it’s worth it. Booths, tables, bar. it’s a large place that would be poppin’ if it’s filled. It was empty when we went, but we don’t need anyone’s company other than each other’s. We ordered a variety of drinks; I personally had the sangria and the lychee martini. I enjoyed both a lot, but definitely the sangria (because there was more) and because you can actually taste the strong wine in it rather than it just being fruity. The lychee martini was amazing and I probably chugged it in under a minute because it was so good.
Service was on point, always coming to our table to check on us and even bring us water when we didn’t ask for it.
Great place on edward st and would definitely stop by again sometime.

My friends and I recently visited this place and it ended up being a funny situation. My friends had come here before and said it was a good board game café, upon reaching we realized it did not look like one at all.
Initially I thought I was entering a club or some sort and the place was practically empty. We sat dow the the server explained that they had changed it to a bar instead of a café. We were okay with that and asked about games, turned out they only had a few playstation games and card games. We asked if they had board games and the server said yes they did but we would have to buy them, they didn’t have any open ones. We were really looking to try a few board games and they kept insisting that we buy them because it works out to be the same price as going to a board game café, only that at a board game café if I don’t like the game I can change it mid way. Here I would be stuck with it… lifelong. And so we left.
The server was a sweet girl and she was trying hard to get us to stay but she had very little to work with… if it was a bar, why not have a pool table, dart board, etc. It seemed like they weren’t really sure about the concept of the place and it was just weird.
Was it a bar? A game joint? A lounge? What was it? I guess I’ll never find out…

I went on a Saturday night. They have DJs there every other Saturday now! The music was fun and lively.
The place is really pretty the ambiance is very relaxing too. The hostess and waiters are all very friendly and attentive. I told the waiter what type of drinks I liked and asked him to recommend me something and I was not disappointed. I started with a cucumber mojito then had a geisha (my favourite), then another mojito. Had a standard beer and tequila shots but you must try the cocktails here.
Will be back because I am so addicted to the drinks here! and I haven’t been able to find a Geisha cocktail that comes close to the way Roll Play makes it!

Love this place, although it’s more of a lounge than board game café. Has barely any games and would be too loud to play any communication-​based games. But we picked up a jenga and had fun with it. Music with live dj is awesome, small dance floor makes the place cozy, eclectic feel, great staff that extended the dinner menu late for us cuz we didnt want just the midnight menu. Would come back for the vibe for lounge feel, but not for serious board gaming.

Roll Play Bar & Lounge started off as a board game café when they first opened, but has since re-​branded itself into Toronto’s first Asian cocktail bar. There was a change in ownership, and they decided to transition to a bar/​lounge late last year. Roll Play Bar & Lounge now offers an extensive list of high-​end Asian cocktails, wine & beer, while still offering some complimentary board games for customers to play. The location is slightly hidden, as it’s located on the second floor of a building next to the BMV. You actually need to walk up to a long stairwell with pop art collages, and that leads to the bar/​lounge. According to their website, the space was created to be reminiscent of a bar in Hong Kong, and where customers can experience the Asian culture.
The space felt modern and sleek with its exposed brick, dim lit with a lot of black/​red décor, wooden tables and chairs, and black booths. Great for larger groups or even an intimate date for two.
The food and dessert menu has been simplified to feature a small number of items. Unfortunately, we had dinner prior to our visit, so we didn’t have room to eat so I can’t comment on their food menu. However, Roll Play Bar & Lounge does have a great selection of 88 Asian-​inspired cocktails that are named after well-​known Asian movies. They have also brought forward a new concept where customers would roll dice to determine what drink they would get, and that’s something they’re pushing forward. I thought that it was a really interactive, and fun way to add to the atmosphere.
While we waited for our drinks, we decided to start a game of Jenga. Although, they did away with the board game café concept, they kept a few games that weren’t too complicated, but still fun to play like Taboo, Jenga, Scrabble, Pictionary, and a few more. The cocktails were well-​priced for what you get, and tasted really good.
For dessert, there was only one option that night, so we ended up getting the burnt marshmallow waffle and ice-​cream ($ 14). The dessert consisted of four waffles topped with burnt marshmallow, drizzled with chocolate sauce, and served with vanilla ice cream and banana slices.
I have never been here during their early board game phrase, so I can’t really comment on how well they transitioned. However, it’s a fun place to hang out, drink cocktails, and play games with friends, or even on dates. I thought that the ambiance was nice, and the music wasn’t too loud so conversations can easily be made with one another.

I was part of a group of 14 celebrating my sister’s bday. Staff was extremely attentive and helpful, and had great suggestions and advice about drinks. Nobody had complaints about their cocktails. The Peking duck flatbread was great and a hit amongst the group. No complaints at all. We were especially won over by the fact that they treated the whole group to shots in honor of my sister’s bday, on the house, as we were leaving. Thank you Roll Play!

I organized a birthday night for myself and 14 of my friends and I can say for certain, the service is outstanding here. Our servers wanted to make sure we were having a great night and the cocktails were flowing. They attended to us when we needed them and checked up on us throughout the night. The real icing on the cake was at the end of the night, they surprised us with a round of shots for the whole group! For a restaurant/​bar business to treat us, for such a large amount of people, it really is as good as it gets.

Roll Play is a great spot, and I think it’s just a matter of time before it becomes more popular.
Most notably, the service is exceptional. Each server brings a healthy amount of enthusiasm to the job, eagerly sharing their favourite dishes. Ours recommend the Peking duck flatbread, which was surprisingly good.
If you order a cocktail, you’ll almost certainly meet the bartender (and possibly co-​owner), Barry, who personally visits tables to explain the intricacies of each drink and gather feedback. You can tell he genuinely cares. There are countless creative drinks available. We ordered a cocktail tower for the table (I forget the name), which had several distinct layers. Each glass we poured had a different colour and taste.
If you haven’t yet visited Roll Play, be sure to check it out. It’s run by people who care, and it shows.

This place has a cool vibe with its Asian-​inspired décor. If you’re looking for a board game café, you’re going to be sorely disappointed but if you’re looking more for a bar with a small selection of games, then this is the right place to check out.
Our server was pleasant and recommended some drinks for us from the extensive menu. Most drinks were around $ 10 and I got the lychee martini which was super sweet and fruity, pretty much what I expected. We got some complimentary snacks to nibble on while we played «Concept», which turned out to be pretty fun (for groups of 4+ only).
I’ll probably return to try some other drinks.

Our Orders: Sangria Pitcher ($ 60), Pop corn chicken, Bubble waffle (snacks less than $ 10 each)
Pros
+ Friendly staff. Checked on us at every 10 – 15 min interval. We didn’t quite appreciate the plastic cups they gave us to accompany our pitcher of sangria though…
+ W/​R. the dim lighting in the restroom was kind of cool. 2 for ladies, 1 gents, 1 unisex.
Cons
— Ambiance. Roll play went from being a family friendly typical games board café to a lounge/​sports bar. I didn’t appreciate playing my game over loud music and sports fans cheering in my ear. Overall conflicting concepts.
— Marketing Concept. I seldomly rate businesses lowly for their marketing strategy but this one really peeved me off. When we first arrived, we thought we were at the wrong place because of the obscure ancient Japanese articles on the wall leading to the lounge.
There were random Chinese words on the menu but not every item was translated (which begs to question why it is even there when a Chinese person wouldn’t actually be able to order from the menu). «Asian» spinach drip? No such thing exists. As a group, we awkwardly looked around for half an hour and went «is anyone offended… what is this?» collectively.
An «Asian» oriented business that pisses off the patrons whom culture they are advertising? This is what we call a «tricks white people» business.
— Menu. I was misled undo believing they sell bubble waffles from blogTO. That needs to be updated… their menu selection is so small that it’s visually non existent.
With a reduced games selection and overall rowdy atmosphere, it was hard for us as a group to enjoy our experience. Roll Play tries really hard to be a lot of things and has a racially offensive marketing strategy. Roll play commercializes watered down stereotypes of Asian culture. What an epic fail. I expected more, especially from a business situated in the heart of Toronto, a diverse mosaic of people & cultures.
We left to go to Snakes & Lattes shortly after. Will not be coming back.

Whatever happened about a month ago, it has changed. The servers were extremely friendly and happy to assist, and the managers were great. We asked them to change a song to Hot Line Bling because we were playing Truth or Dare Jenga, and our friend was dared to dance to that song for a minute.
And I love the drinks there… I had the Sakura, which was beautiful and tasty at the same time. I also had the Earth drink, infused with soju. Now, the Earth drink is a virgin drink, but I wanted alcohol in it. The staff was happy to make the arrangements, so they added soju to it after the bartender decided it would be best. My god… the Asian pear juice (and other ingredients I can’t remember) with soju… was just so delicious. I can’t get over how good that was. I sincerely hope they’ll put it in their menu as an official drink, because that is the best drink I’ve ever had.
I will definitely be back for that Earth drink. Over and over again.

The ratings on this place is skewed by the fact this used to be board game café which recently converted to a cocktail bar that happens to have some board games — and all the ratings are dumped into the same bucket.
I never went to this place as a board game café, but did want to check it out since the bar manager use to bartend in Lan Kwai Fong (the spot to start/​end shit-​faced adventures) in Hong Kong and makes a Yuanyang (HK milk tea & coffee drink) inspired cocktail.
It’s a combo of infused Earl Grey gin, espresso and evaporated milk. Did kinda remind of my a yuanyang, but felt a tad close to Bailey’s. That said, the waitress did ask if I wanted it ‘sweet’, ‘bold’ or ‘regular’ — I went with regular, so I might have to switch it up next time.
The décor reminds me of Cold Tea. However, I’m not saying it’s a copy — it’s hard not to get the same influences when you’re going for a ‘hyper-​real’ Hong Kong feel. It’s like you’ve walked into a Wong Kar-​Wai movie poster.
We default to cocktail bar classics like Negronis (3 oz for $ 8!) and Old Fashioned after sampling some of the more exotic stuff.
The staff were very eager to please — checking up with us constantly if we enjoyed our drinks. After some prodding, my buddy hesitantly said one of the drinks was ‘tad watered down’ for him. Without further prompting, waitress later came back with a complimentary, stronger version of the same cocktail. And the bar manager himself came by, introduced himself and checked on us. That’s great service.
They said they decided to move from a board game café to cocktail lounge/​event venue recently (there’s a stage at the corner of the room). And they only kept the simpler games that didn’t take all day to play from their board games days. For what it’s worth, I’m happier there’s a nice cocktail lounge in the area rather than yet another escape room/​board game café.
Harking back to their board game days, I dig the fact they have a dice roll menu — roll the dice and you’re randomly given a drink on the list of 12. Roll a 12 and you get a Flaming Lamborghini — props for properly ‘weighing’ the roll odds.
Overall, I really like the spot and it seems like a great date joint with the ambiance and alchohol and board games to pass the time.
They only run $ 5 happy hour specials from 5 — 7pm — so will definitely be back.

This place is great. Super fun and amazing drinks. We had to wait when we first came in and the hostest was very accommodating by finding us a seat at the share table. Service is outstanding and the environment is super chill. The only thing is I wish there were a bit more games for two for a nice date night but still a fun place to go

I’ve been to roll play café since 2013…
It’s really sad to see how they’ve fallen and transitioned into present times.
Before, as you can read from other reviews, it was a really good place for a great selection of food, a place to relax and play a wide variety of board games.
Now, they’ve transitioned to a «bar» with board games (only have about 10 games to choose from) before they had around 30 – 40 games.
Because I’ve had previous good experience from roll play after a birthday celebration we decided to transition to roll play for board games and conversation.
Majority of people there was between 2 – 4. We were a party of 12! They told us all of us had to order something in order to play board games (fair enough)
But their menu has mainly alcoholic drinks and about 5 food choices. ONE member of our party of 12 was underage (16 years old) and we had just ate dinner and she didn’t want to drink anything.
They forced us to order something on her behalf. And kept harping us 5 – 6 more times to order something.
We were not inclined to order anything else more than what we had ordered per person.
For example, I ordered a cranberry vodka and it was about 80% filled with ice… $ 6.50 + tax + 18% gratuity charge over parties of 6.
The staff decided to interrupt us again and They came to us a 7^th time to ask us to order something for her (the 16 yr old). She threatened us and said if we don’t order anything she would charge us $ 20 to just play board games! WTF I was extremely frustrated and asked them what’s the cheapest thing on their menu? Because I’ll order it, charge it to my bill, don’t even give it to us and please stop bothering us about that.
The manager came up to us to apologize about the situation. And that was it. Shaun, is a nice guy but he does not know how to operate a business. He had bought out his partner and removed all the charismatic connection, and good experience there was for customers.
Offered us nothing in compensation, they said «we gave you free popcorn» and we aren’t charging you for the little girl. Sorry about that.
Really roll play? Really?
Bad drinks, bad service, bad food. What else is good?
Oh, and they refuse to split the bill amongst us. Gave us a huge group bill and we had to calculate it ourselves.
If you made it this far…
in conclusion: ROLL PLAY CAFE IS NOW A BAR, it used to be great but due to a change in management has really become a huge disappointment.
— customer since opening to customer no more

Man has this place changed; I don’t believe it’s a board game Café anymore and just a bar. I went here as a venue Paint Nite used to host one of their events. The Paint Nite staff was amazing and our group had a lot of fun but the staff at Roll Play Café were a sour note of the night. Paint Nite or any people thinking about trying this place, AVOID!
Food: 1/​5, ridiculous taste of a mocktail that is super pretentious and simply watered down strawberry juice.
Service: 0/​5, there was just no service. They were rushing the paint nite folks, and were super nazi about the bill where I was asked three times to pay even though I had paid already, and just a nasty look on their face with a bitter tone. Had to ask for water several times with no luck in actually getting them after the first one.
Ambience: 1/​5, cheap asian art décor with super tacky red everywhere.
Price: 1/​5, really!!! $ 10 for that drink that I gulped in one sip? That was like a 1000% mark up. I got a mocktail and you shouldn’t charge non-​alchohol drinks at the similar price level as those that are. They obviously don’t know how to run a business with showing obvious marked-​up prices for water drinks.

If you’re into board games like I am, you would have checked out a few of the spots in the city already. Roll Play has gone through a change of ownership in the past month, and they have tried a more sophisticated bar-​like atmosphere in addition to the board games.
When we knocked on the door to come in, we were warmly greeted by the attentive staff who directed us to a table and gave us freebies like popcorn throughout the night. They also have an Asian inspired drink menu, which matches the décor of red lanterns and dark tones, such as an Asian inspired sangria. There’s also an area for live music on Friday nights.
The space was sufficiently big that you could go and play board games without feeling cramped like at more dedicated game shops and cafes. We tried out Coup, as well as some party games, and had a great time.
Would definitely come back, especially if bringing a mixed group of friends that may only be casual gamers, some of whom may want to drink and chill while the rest of us dive into the board games.

Cool place to hang out and play games. The emphasis in this place (as compared to others around Toronto) is on the food, so the game selection is a bit smaller and the menu a bit larger. This is great if you want to eat and you’re not a super gamer.
It’s $ 5 for unlimited games with the purchase of food (unsure if this is per person?). We tried the nachos and the Margherita pizza. The nachos were a bit too healthy for us, with chopped lettuce on top and not enough cheese. Additionally, you had to request beans and pay an extra $ 3 for them. I’d skip them next time. However, the pizza was very tasty. It had fresh slices of Roma tomatoes on each slice, with a fresh basil leaf. Definitely recommend it! The dessert case looked great… next time we’re there, I’m sure one of those slabs of cake will be in our future.
Prices are a little high ($ 5 for a regular cup of tea, not a pot?), so larger groups or groups with kids who are cost conscious may want to be aware.

Came in here with a group of friends to discuss new board games and start a few sessions. The place is well lit, decorated and has ample seating which is a plus in this location. However, the wait staff were terrible and supposed «rules» handed down from new management were extremely aggressive and uninviting to the point where we left to find another venue.
The menu is a little too simplified and provides no value or quality over any of the high end resto-​pubs in the immediate vicinity. There’s nothing new or innovative about this place aside from the rather arrogant and hostile nature to which they treat guests, very unusual considering they’re trying to attract board gamers.
Bad attitude, bad service, bad experience go elsewhere if you actually want to have fun. Two stars for location, cleanliness and ample seating.

Convenient location (near Eaton Centre), good desserts and drinks, and lively atmosphere. I’ve been to Roll Play quite a few times now, and I always have a great time playing board games there. However, recently I’ve noticed that they decreased their selection of board games a bit, and they began to offer more alcoholic beverages. I guess they want to focus on what makes more money. I think Roll Play is great for more casual board gamers, who are looking to hang out with friends while doing something fun at the same time.

Roll Play is located near Y&D square — a spacious, cozy place to hang out with friends, and not to mention. THEY SERVE ALCOHOL!!!
The selections of board game is wide, service from the game master is impeccable. He is more than happy to make suggestions and he even brings the game to you so you don’t even have to get up to the game wall.
They do serve food but it’s on the pricier side — $ 20 for 3 hours of game play with no purchase of food. OR $ 5 for 3 hours with a purchase of food/​drink. it might sound like pretty reasonable but a pizza goes for a hefty $ 20.

A limited selection of games compared to Snakes and Lattes, but I do like that this is a little less crowded. Service is good, although a little strange when we entered and as a party of 6 requested to be seated at the tables, but the server mentioned that we needed to sit at the couches in case it gets busy later. Pardon me ma’am, but it is 7pm on a Monday night and you only have one other table taken up… ain’t nobody showin up now to start a party.
Decent food options as well I must say, so all in all they are just OK. I would still go back to Snakes and Lattes however for a games night experience.

So it turns out that the last time I went, roll play had only given me their drinks menu; the nachos are still intact guys.
Dropped in around 7pm with my partner, and sooner after nestling into our seats, we were approached by a games master. He was very patient and polite, offering us assistance in selecting our initial game.
If you’re looking for party or classic [board /​card] games, they are usually stacked on the shelving unit by the tv. The strategic games can be found on the shelf by the entrance.
Castle has removed it’s additional seating, in the corner nook, for a: foosball table, and two other arcade-​like standing units that I have seemed to forgotten — whoops.

Good board games, low price of admission, and a good atmosphere in general. Now, you might wonder why I’m leaving this place a One-​Star Rating. Simply put, they kicked us out for no reason.
In their defence, we were a rather large group (about 8 people if I remember correctly), and due to the fact that we came to this place right after dinner, we didn’t order all that much from their menu. Furthermore, we were playing Monopoly, and you know how people get when they start playing Monopoly. We were definitely on the louder side of the spectrum.
We were under the impression that, like many other board game cafes in Toronto, you pay the price of admission and you can pretty much stay for as long as you want to. Although this place pretends to operate under the same business model, if you read the very fine print at the bottom of their menu, THEY RESERVE THE RIGHT TO KICK YOU OUT AT ANY POINT IN TIME FOR NO GOOD REASON.
Throughout our game, the waitresses constantly came up to our table to ask if we wanted to order anything. We made it pretty clear from the get-​go that we were here to play board games and nothing else (at a place called ROLL PLAY if I may add. Go figure). After a while, when the place began filling up, and the staff realized that there are other parties (who were likely more willing to order from the menu) who wanted our table, they nonchalantly told us that we have 30 minutes to finish up and leave. That was it.
Don’t get me wrong — I like this place. It’s a great place to hang out and play board games. However, how the staff treated my specific group of friends is total BS. Needless to say, I’m never coming back here again.

Read as 3.5
This was the first board games café I’ve ever been to, so I was definitely, very excited for this! Came here with 2 other friends on a Friday afternoon/​early evening and was rather surprised to see only 2 other tables there playing. Even when we left at around 6pm, the place was barely half full!
First off, the entrance is pretty hidden. It’s on the second floor, and the stairs/​entrance in general is fairly sketchy looking. Once you get inside though, the blue walls and décor in general are really warm and the atmosphere is rather friendly.
There are around 20’s tables for 4’s; although some of them can be put together, it might not be perfect for groups if you want to be sure to get a table.
There was a fair game selection, but there could have been more of certain ones. For example, they have multiple Settlers of Catan, but only one beat-​up version of Cards Against Humanity… definitely something there could be more of.
Service was adequate, water refills and general check-​ups were fairly frequent, but expected considering the place was really only half full. I ordered a hot apple cider for $ 4 and was pleasantly surprised by its size — it was big, almost the size of a soup bowl! Tasted relatively nice, on par. Our group also ordered a margherita pizza for about $ 10.98. It was smaller than your average pizza, but nice for splitting across the table. Tasted a bit bland and the crust was fairly burnt on some of the pieces. Overall, the food was nothing too special to go for.
They charge a total cover fee of $ 5 per person, not per hour, so it’s definitely a good deal on that end. A fairly nice experience worth the price, I’ll probably come back here in the future, but keep an eye out for nicer ones in the area too!

I had a wonderful time and I left with a positive experience. I will definitely be come back!
First off, it’s $ 5/​person and you can stay as long as you want. If you order food that’d be counted on top of the $ 5. They have specials too depending on which day you go. I went on a Monday so it was half price on wings with the purchase of a drink (doesn’t have to be alcoholic). The staff was very helpful and attentive. (Probably because it was super empty yesterday.) But nevertheless, it was a positive environment to be in. However, I was kind of disappointed with their nachos… Just not the best nachos in town…
I have 2 games that I highly recommend: Monopoly Deal and Indigo. They’re strategic yet easy to learn and super fun!
Also, if you have a group then you should definitely play taboo. It’s one of my favourite games to play with friends besides Monopoly deal. Oh, I just have to mention that Taboo can never go wrong with some alcohol. :) or with any games actually haha.