The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar

Went to the Jazz bar to listen to the band and have dinner. Although the musicians were great, the whole experience was a disaster. The food was bad and expensive (we couldn't even finish it even I am not very picky with food). The worst part is the bar was super cold, some people even were wearing their winter jackets inside. The whole experience was disappointing. We left before the show ended. If the show is expensive and you get to pay a cover the food should have at least some minimum quality and the place should have some heating during winter. Lots of improvement there, sadly I wouldn't recommend to friends.

We had Charlie as our server he was very nice, also had nice hair. Thank you Charlie. Also thank you to the musicians.

Borderline rude waiter, slow service.takes ages to get the attention of the staff.not coming to the bar ever again

Good location and nice place to spend the night, they have breakfast included but starting at 9, kind of late tbh.

Great place for live jazz music and drinks. Live music at the bar had entrance fee 15/ per person and you can order different drinks depending on what you like. Show started around 8: 40 so make sure you don’t go to early

Cover is included on your bill starting with 5 pm show. Saturday afternoon music is wonderful. Excellent crowd, draft beer and great music, often supplied by session musicians or artists. A standard set of pub foods that allows you to nibble while listening to music.

Great improvements made here for watching live jazz both the layout and acoustics. And buying a ticket online from the website works really well. And I am very pleased that the ticketing insures the musicians get a decent wage. Can't review as a hotel because I didn't stay.

Everything was a 15minute walking distance from the hotel. The hotel was clean, ours had an updated bathroom. We had Tv, wifi, AC, clean bedding, clean towels. For the price it was well worth it. Staff helped direct us to a restaurant and safe places to visit. Seriously 10/10 experience here.

We have enjoyed our visit to the rex, the only reason I gave the room a 4 star was that there was no bar fridge in the room! I would recommend this hotel to people and I would come back myself! You do here the jazz from your room, so if you are looking for a quiet stay it might not be for you, but even then it is only 2 2 hour sessions and done by 1030pm.

We visited their restaurant for live music. It was good entertainment. Their food was very adequate. We had a good time.

Saturday afternoon music is wonderful. Excellent crowd, draft beer and great music, often supplied by session musicians or artists.

The Rex is excellent. I sat close to the door and i was impressed how the staff worked hard to accommodate everyone that came in. Professional and personal. Music was fun and food was good.
Easy to recommend.

Après 6h de route, plonger dans un club de jazz bon enfant qui propose une cuisine simple servie dans une bonne ambiance est un plaisir! Une déco qui réchauffe, un groupe qui prend plaisir à jouer (et nous à l'écouter). Tout était parfait. Je ne peux pas donner la cinquième étoile, le fish & chips manquait cruellement de poisson.il fallait vraiment le chercher dans la panure. Mais, bon, la musique était là, elle mérite elle au moins 4 étoiles!

Ça doit être le 214$ le plus mal dépensé de ma vie. Petite pièce sans toilette. Les murs les plus minces à l'ouest de Greenwich. Horrible. Je conseil de dormir dans le parc à la place

My husband and I stayed at the Rex Hotel while we were in Toronto to watch the Bluejays. We have stayed here before and just love it. It is an older hotel but it's clean and the staff and the location is Amazing. The food is really good and so is the cost of the rooms. We didn't listen to the music but people come just for that. The next visit to Toronto we will definitely stay at the Rex Hotel.

I love the idea of being able to walk into a place on any given day and hear some music that I've never heard before from very talented musicians for such a low price price. Staff was friendly but we're there for the band

I had a workshop in Toronto for one night. While looking at places to stay, the average spot was $450+. All I needed was a place to sleep. When I found The Rex, I was a little sketched out by the shared bathroom. But that was my bad. The room was perfect. Bed, a/c, sink, desk. Shared bathroom in the hall was great. Very clean and always available. $155 compared to $450+.
I also had a drink at the bar and listened to the jazz. Fantastic.
Polite staff
Seem less check-in and checkout
Clean room / shared bathroom
Central location to everything downtown
Great for solo travellers

If your into jazz, this is where you want to be! For the longest time I used to pass by this place thinking it was your average bar, but it's anything but average! The vintage feel and the live music, truly sets the ambiance! Great even for date night!

Since the new owners have taken over the place has gone downhill. Bouncers are rude and obnoxious. You now pay a "table fee" per person, Place can be empty but they charge extra to sit up close. Customers aren't appreciated and are now looked down upon.

I consider the Rex to be a cornerstone venue for jazz in Toronto. Great music every night of the week, an important supporter of local talent, and good food to top it off. I've been here as both a patron and a performer, and have never been disappointed.

Great staff and atmosphere. Artists excellent as always. Great to go and feel like we did before the pandemic. Long live the rex

This is a great spot. The hotel was decent to stay in. The staff were all really pleasant to interact with.

Great vibe, great music. Service was good, tight health and safety processes in place. Didn't try the food, but you're there for the entertainment.

Music everyday, some with more than one band, good pub food, clean washrooms, good service, drinks a little pricy not surprised with the cost of rent etc these days also being downtown doesn't help. Like the Rex, been going there for 30 years.

Was in to see the Nathan Hiltz Trio with guest artist Bernie Senensky on Wednesday and so enjoyed the music. The Rex has done everything they can to ensure the safety of patrons. The food was good, the service great. It's wonderful to have live jazz return but it needs audience support. Nathan will be there for the next 3 Wednesdays, hope to see more fans!

I've heard a lot about live Jazz and Blues performances at The Rex but I never knew how wonderful the experience could be until I visited the place myself on a hot summer Thursday night! And boy what a night. Mark Eisenman on the piano, Steve McDade on the trumpet, Pat Collins on the contrabass, and the amazing Terry Clarke on the drums! All these top jazz players all in one room in front of me =) I got to chat with Steve McDade a bit outside when we went for a smoke. I'll never forget that; once in a lifetime experience. I will definitely keep going back to The Rex every time I'm in Toronto.

Great location, food was excellent. Honestly the nicest staff good job guys cheers. Also, great price for the night stay

You'll forget you're in the middle of downtown Toronto. This place is timeless. Great live music and the food is good too!

Cheap-ish food and normal priced drinks. The jazz is alright but it didn't change my life (maybe my hopes were too high). Overall can end up being pretty pricey too and the decor is pretty dated. Worth a single visit!

Love love love the live music here, always incredible musicians. The food is really delicious, nice selection of wine (the mysterio is amazing). Great staff and service. Lovely for a date night

Great live music! Great covid set up. Feels very safe. The menu looks a bit dated but it's also oddly comforting. Try the lychee martini

Amazing little bar and hotel, with fantastic music. I really enjoyed my experience here, and will definitely be coming back next time I'm in Toronto!
Pros:
Amazing music and atmosphere, even though I only got to see the last 15 minutes of the show, it was still fantastic.
Solid pub food
Very clean rooms
The hotel offers free day bag storage after check-out, which is awesome for exploring the city by public transit without lugging a suitcase everywhere.
Awesome location, only a 5 minute ride on Line 1 from Union Station, and a 5 minute walk from the subway.
Great view! The room I stayed in had a nice view of the CN Tower through the window, just peeking between buildings.

Neutral:
The bar pretty well shuts down at about 11. For some this might be too early, for others it might seem way too late still. I felt it was a good mix, because it allows those who go to sleep earlier at least a fair amount of sleep without music coming through the floorboards.

Cons:
The windows don't offer much sound isolation. Even with them closed and latched, I could hear the street as if they were open.
The blinds took a second to understand how they work, but once I got them down, they kept the room nice and dark.
No fridge or microwave. This wasn't an issue for me, as I was just spending a single night, but if you have leftovers, and are staying for a bit longer, it might be a problem for you.

It was great night spent with friends and hearing some excellent jazz! Steve McDade's quartet was awesome.

It was so good to hear some live music!

Amazing experience but really overpriced.a pitcher of beer, and nachos (plus cover for 2) cost us 80$ plus tip

Great service, even better burgers. The live music never disappoints, and even without it the atmosphere is perfect for a casual get-together or date.
The drink selection is understandably more varied than the food, but both are worth returning to try a good few times.

The food is reasonably priced and the staff is friendly.

However, the real star of the show is the live music that plays every night. The cover charge was adjustable (depending on how far you were from the band.) Even at the very back you can see and hear the performers.

Looks a little rough-and-tumble from the outside, but the room.was super clean. Basic room with no amenities but clean room with clean bathroom and shower is all you really need when traveling. Super chill staff. Great food and good music. Will probably stay there next year on my bday as well, as they are close to everything! Thanks folks!

Nice service, as always. But the band tonight sucked. She was playing mostly originals and sang but her voice sucked. Her piano playing skills were great along with the band. I feel like The Rex was more selective of the talent but now not so much. I am disappointed after being a regular here.