Good Fortune is the bar in the basement at La Carnita on Eglinton. Open nightly from 5 p.m., the dark, loud and boisterous watering hole offers a taste of downtown in the uptown neighbourhood.

When descending the stairs from the taqueria, you get a bird's eye view of the action behind the convex bar. String lights and neon just barely illuminate the room.

When I visit in a recent weeknight, the volume is already at an eleven, even though the crowd, many already full on tacos or soft serve, are only just starting to trickle down in search of something stronger.

The lineup of draught beers ($7.50 to $10) includes local faves from Left Field, Henderson's and Muskoka, along with some unusual finds like Kona Big Wave Golden Ale out of Hawaii and Omnipollo Pineapple Gose from of Sweden.

There's a long list of bottles and cans too, but the emphasis at the bar is most certainly on cocktails, like the Straight Flossin' ($12) that sees Dillon's gin, melon liqueur and vermouth poured over a cloud of cotton candy, which instantly dissolves.

It's just one of the playful libations designed by bar manager Justin Shiels. There's a range of boozy milkshakes, slushies, Jell-O shots and punch bowls too.

Sparks are literally flying when an order for I Love Oolong Time ($14) comes up. The easy-to-drink cocktail, comprising scotch and sherry with apricot oolong syrup and tea bitters, seems almost fitting for a tea party, only it's just as tattooed as the staff serving it.

Using a modified soldering iron, the bartender brands both the ice cubes and orange peel garnish with Good Fortune's signature diamond motif.

Food-wise, there's a brief list of snacks advertised in marquee lights.

Krinkle fries ($4.50), chicken fingers ($8), sweet chili glazed Miami ribs ($12) and the griddle-smashed burger topped with house-made hickory sticks ($8) are worth ordering.

They hardly seem like game changers, but they're satisfying sides to the drinks and available long after the La Carnita kitchen closes.