To tuxedoed people, velvet ropes are ordinary white picket fences and champagne fountains are lawn sprinklers. Kick down the fence and drink from the sprinkler with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of global fare, martinis, and more at the Bitter End Martini Bar & Restaurant on Argyle Street.

Named Best Martini and Best Cocktail by the Coast, Bitter End Martini Bar & Restaurant lives up to its name by doling out sumptuous edibles and extravagant cocktails into the wee hours of the night. Challenge barkeeps on the spot to concoct a favourite drink, an unlisted spirit, or a dove from behind a scarf to prove the depth of his or her mixology knowledge. Swirl the frothy Caramel Apple martini ($10), the snappy Envy martini ($10), or the sour I've Got a Secretini ($10) while you thoughtfully appraise the bold paintings on display, portraying European architecture, photogenic cows, and matching hand models.

For sippers with empty stomachs, an eclectic dinner menu offers such shareable plates as pulled pork or house-made crab-cake sliders ($9) or the saganaki, kasseri cheese sautéed in olive oil then flambéed with a sambucca-and-brandy blend, served with a warm baguette ($12). A delicate procession of greens—including the crab-cake garden salad ($12) and fresh-pear salad ($10)—herald the triumph of entrees, such as the pesto-stuffed salmon ($18) and artichoke-stuffed greek chicken breast ($18). The dessert menu and tips on how to successfully burrow out of a tiramisu avalanche are available upon request.

The seductive, softly lit room is accented by exposed brick and subtle mirrors and illuminated by paper-lantern shades, bulbs on the bars, and candles on every table. Quaff colourful cocktails and graze on elegant noshes in a penguin suit as you digest the society of bright young things.

Reviews

Bitter End Martini Bar & Restaurant has won Best Martini in the Coast's Best of Food Readers' Poll in 2008, 2009, and 2010. TripAdvisors give The Bitter End an average of 3.5 owl eyes, and 10 Yelpers give it an average of 3.5 stars.

• It takes a sterner constitution than ours to look at the list of cocktails and martinis at Bitter End and not salivate at the prospect of their delicious combinations of fruit flavours and exotic liquers. – Carsten Knox, Coast
• This joint dishes up some fancy and tasty concoctions, loaded with fresh ingredients and booze for days. – Lacey H., Yelp, 3/31/10