Stratosphere Gastrolounge & Winebar

Cruising through neatly-​manicured, tree-​lined streets, past stunning multi-​million dollar homes and picture perfect families, we made our way to Stratosphere, a casual dining Gastropub & Winebar located in Etobicoke’s Bloor West Village. Parking is aplenty, and for those that prefer not to drive, the restaurant has the added convenience of being situated next to a TTC subway station.
The outside makes no grand statements. But as we enter, I’m almost taken back to a prohibition-​era speakeasy. The background jazz music, dark furnishings, and skyline mural definitely helps my daylight reverie.
With an opportunity to sample a few of the appetizers, we got to taste a wide range of textures and flavours. The fish tacos packed a good punch (despite the hard taco shell which could make for a crumbly eat); the Mediterranean-​styled olive tapenade served with focaccia was a savoury bite; and the Guinness beer-​battered prawns were surprisingly light and crunchy.
But it was the sliders that took home the big win. Made with a delectable combination of beef, lamb and striploin, these mini burgers hit all the right spots — tasty, succulent and juicy. The triumph of four very good appetizers set expectations pretty high for the main course that followed. If Stratosphere’s mini sliders were anything to go by, the big daddy version held a lot of promise. The Strip Loin Burger was a big, juicy hand-​pressed patty, served with crispy fried onions, mushrooms, and 3 sauces on a bed of sweet potato fries.
When it comes to cocktails, Stratosphere does shine bright — among its lovely libations was a Bloody Ceasar that was right on the mark, and a smooth chocolate martini that would have had me going back for more had it not been a school night.
Overall, Stratosphere has the potential of being a great local for the Royal York residents. Come for the cocktails, stay for those appetizers. And make sure to check out the backyard patio and some of the weekday specials: Buck-​a-​Shuck oysters every Saturday, and the Bring Your Own Wine no-​corkage every Wednesday.

Stars:4.5
The Kingsway neighborhood is home to several restaurants that has operated for many years. Stratosphere Gastrolounge & Winebar is one of the newer additions to the area having been opened for less than a year. They opened in the summer of 2015, and recently re-​branded themselves as a «gastrolounge». The restaurant offers global cuisine in a rather spacious family dining setting with a monochromatic interior. I was told that the menu was also recently revamped to center on offering familiar gastropub fare with a more elevated flair. Stratosphere is open Monday to Sunday, and is located in the Etobicoke area of West Toronto with plenty of street parking available.
The cocktail menu at Stratosphere Gastrolounge & Winebar features a great selection of infused-​cocktails, where they combine liquors with fresh, seasonal ingredients. They’re the only place in the surrounding area serving infused-​cocktails, so I thought that it was an interesting concept. We opted to try the Strawberry Infused Rum Daiquiri (1.5 oz) — lime juice, simple syrup, sugar rim.
We started off with the mussels ($ 12) — served in a garlic white wine sauce, and they were quickly devoured. The generous portion of mussels was marinated in a flavorful white wine sauce, which was rather fragrant. The mussels themselves were plump, and tasted great!
I love chicken wings, so the Stratosphere «Twice Cooked» Wings ($ 14 — 1 lbs) — your choice of jerk, cajun, lemon pepper, mild, medium, hot, BBQ, was a must-​order for me. The chef was nice enough to allow me to try two different flavors; lemon pepper, and jerk. Personally, I enjoyed the jerk wings more as it contained a lot more flavors compared to the lemon pepper wings.
The STRATOSPHERE Beef Burger ($ 17) — 9 oz. AAA ground sirloin with all the trimmings, served with hand cut fries, is their house specialty. All of the burgers on the menu are made in-​house featuring ingredients that are sourced locally. However, I do find the burger to be priced a little too high.
For my entrée, I opted for the Spaghetti di Mare ($ 19) — prawns, mussels, calamari, in a spicy tomato sauce. The spaghetti dish was simply presented on a white plate giving it a clean presentation look. The flavorful seafood spaghetti contained a healthy helping of seafood; prawns, mussels, and calamari mixed with a spicy tomato sauce. Overall, the spaghetti was executed nicely as the noodles weren’t overcooked and the sauce helped to enhance the flavor of the seafood.
To end off the meal, I got the crème brûlée as my dessert. The dessert consisted of a rich custard base topped off with caramelized sugar making it a satisfying end to the night!
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I recently ate at Stratosphere Gastropub in Etobicoke and had a fantastic experience from top to bottom.
The service was warm and attentive, the atmosphere was sophisticated bit not pretentious, and the food was phenomenal.
I can’t recommend this place enough. Can’t wait to make it a regular spot!
Highest recommendation.

Food is never the same way twice. …but still decent most of the time

An excellent new restaurant in Toronto’s Bloor West Village, Stratosphere provides diners that are looking for a new or hidden gem with an eclectic menu that is executed with aplomb and a friendly upscale atmosphere.
Southern Fried Chicken with Maple Syrup and Waffles was spectacular. Diners looking for seafood first will love the Crispy Salmon with Jerusalem Artichoke Purée. Lots of additional unique menu items demand a return visit.