Bars
Bar Bars
Bars
1602 Dundas West / Dundas West
No Name McGee's may have been the name of choice the night we went, but the bar at 1602 Dundas St. West has not yet been officially named. For now,...
3 Speed / Bloordale Village
I remember, not so long ago, when Dufferin and Bloor was a bit of an urban backwater. When creepy, outdated mannequins stood vigil in every storefront window and the dive...
3030 Dundas West / Junction
3030 Dundas Street West is, incidentally, both the address and name of this new Junction bar. The lack of concrete signage isn't laziness, but could rather be interpreted as a...
Annex Billiards / Annex
Annex Billiards is a billiards club, so move east to the Brunny if you want to dance, kids. Most patrons here get that, thankfully, and make proper use of the...
Annex Wreckroom / Annex
The Annex Wreckroom is found at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst, upstairs from the oh-so-good George's Deli + BBQ. The bar caters mainly to UofT students looking for some...
Archive Wine Bar / Dundas West
Archive Wine Bar is the second establishment of its type to land on Dundas West in the past year, following a relative (city-wide) drought for wine-lovers who are more interested...
Augusta House / Kensington Market
Augusta House is the newest venture from the former owner of White Orchid on Dundas (now Zed), and just like White Orchid, the parties are eclectic and run the gamut...
Baby Huey / Ossington
Baby Huey is THE ultimate underground hipster hangout. I try to stay away from using the word "hipster" as a general rule, but I just can't get around it in...
Bambi's / Dundas West
Bambi's, despite being named after a Disney favourite, is hardly doe-eyed and innocent. It's tucked in the corner of Dundas and Dovercourt, but its charm is far more polished than...
Bar Neon / Bloordale Village
Bar Neon is one of those places that's just irrefutably cool. It's part the fantastic mural that spans the length of the bar, custom created by local artist Jeff Garcia....
BarChef / Queen West
Confession: I went into BarChef with a bad attitude, having already decided that I wouldn't like it. Touted as Toronto's answer to "cocktail culture" (whatever that is) and boasting drinks...
Bassline Bar / Bloorcourt
Bassline Bar opened its doors about 2 months ago, on a stretch of Bloor just east of Ossington that even its owner admits has seen some significant changes. "Now, women...
Bistro 422 / Little Italy
Bistro 422 is a College and Bathurst Streets dive that many know of but few remember. Some details that will refresh your memory, though, might be; mixed drink pitchers, a...
Black Dice / Dundas West
With Black Dice, Brockton-area rockabilly types finally have a little drinking hole to call their own. Although the digs are small, Black Dice really is cozy, and the carefully crafted decor...
Black Eagle / Church Wellesley Village
The Black Eagle is a leather bar in the Village. What that means is don't show up here unless you're outfitted in at least two pieces of fetish wear OR...
Boutique Bar / Church Wellesley Village
Boutique Bar is a stylish Church and Wellesley cocktail bar with tasty drinks and a great patio area. Owner Julien Salomone brings a wealth of experience from France, the US...
Byzantium / Church Wellesley Village
Byzantium bills itself as the grand matriarch of the gay village and backs it up with a massive menu of martinis ranging from the Jean Harlow (vodka, jagermeister, peach schnapps...
Camp 4 / Dundas West
Camp 4 is a laid back spot in a Dundas West area still continuing to define itself. Inspired by a mountain hangout at California's Yosemite National Park, the bar is...
Cherry Colas / Queen West
Cherry Colas Rock & Roll Cabaret Lounge is a hellish new spot with loud music and louder people. On Bathurst just North of Queen, co-owner Glenn Hughes, a former promoter...
Churchill / Dundas West
Churchill is one of a fleet of new hangouts that have been deployed along Dundas West to absorb the overflow from Ossington's stylish quarter-life bar scene. Managers Shayne Cox and...
Cocktail Bar / Dundas West
Cocktail Bar may not be the fine dining restaurant initially expected from Black Hoof owner Jen Agg but it does deliver the well-crafted cocktails of which she has become famous,...
Cold Tea / Kensington Market
Cold Tea is modeled on the principle that a good thing is hard to find. This new Kensington bar is hidden at the back of the unassuming Kensington Mall through...
College Street Bar / Little Italy
College Street Bar, though it's difficult to decipher from the weird and abstract name, is a bar on College Street. Located in the midst of Little Italy, College Street Bar...
Communist's Daughter / Dundas West
For years, The Communist's Daughter at Ossington and Dundas was one of those hidden-gem spots that people in the know loved to be in the know about. Cozy, candlelit and...
Crawford / Little Italy
Crawford is about to shake up the Little Italy nightlife. Two Saturdays ago nearly turned out to be a bust for me and my friends. While all the essentials (what...
Crocodile Rock / King West
Crocodile Rock, if the name doesn't give it away, should best be avoided unless you're up for a night of drunken revelry with a bunch of 21 years old just...
Crooked Star / Ossington
The Crooked Star doesn't post its name on the door, opting instead for a small red star. I'm known for my directional deficiencies, which always makes finding this cozy little...
Curzon / Leslieville
Any bar that lets me have my say in music is okay in my books. If you're a deejay in Toronto, you've seen my face before. Mine is the face that...
Detour Bar / Kensington Market
Detour is the latest addition to Kensington Market's bar scene, and the best way I can think of describe it is this: imagine that Beetlejuice bought a seedy cowboy bar,...
Done Right Inn / West Queen West
The Done Right Inn is a low-key bar near Trinity Bellwoods Park. In the summer, head to the back patio and settle in for a few pints under the shade...
Drift Bar / Bloorcourt
Drift Bar is the latest in a string of new destination hangouts to pop up on Bloor West. Could this be yet another reason for Toronto's 30-something collective to continue...
Duffy's Tavern / Bloordale Village
Duffy's Tavern is located in the heart of Bloordale Village. There's little denying the desolation of the neighbourhood, but the bright, unmissable sign lights up the corner of Bloor and...
Embassy / Kensington Market
By day, Kensington Market is a booming consortium of ethnic food shops, used clothing stores, cafes, and eateries. However, by night it nearly becomes a ghost town, as most storefronts...
Emmet Ray / Little Italy
The Emmet Ray - a new bar at College and Dovercourt - with its large, brass lettering and sober-looking interior, looks at first glance that it might be competing with...
Fountain Enterprises / Dundas West
Fountain Enterprises is more of a gallery with a liquor license than a bar with local art on its walls. It began, though, as just a gallery, opened by OCAD...
Get Well / Dundas West
Get Well is a strange name, particularly when you start to wonder what they're claiming to cure. One can hardly call its neighbourhood, Dundas West, lacking. It's a smorgasbord of...
Gladstone Ballroom / West Queen West
This beautifully restored ballroom at the Gladstone is a favourite event space for magazine launch parties, fashion shows and live music....
Graffiti's Bar & Grill / Kensington Market
Graffiti's Bar & Grill has an interior that is dark, maroon-lit and pulsating with activity, making me feel like I'm within the heart of something enormous. An apt decorating scheme,...
Handlebar / Kensington Market
Handlebar, courtesy of Rachel Conduit (of the east-end's Avro), embodies the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you're a dedicated fan of the Avro, then there's not...
Hard Luck / Dundas West
Hard Luck, found near Bathurst and Dundas West, brings a new dimension to Toronto's music scene by billing itself as a hard rock venue. Reminiscent of The Horseshoe or even,...
Hawaii Bar / Other
Hawaii Bar isn't exactly the flower-strewn, multicoloured drink haven I imagined. The tiki theme is apparent only through the potted plants above the bar, the ocean-blue walls, and a lone...
Hemingway's / Yorkville
Hemingway's rooftop patio (heated in the winter, and cool misted in the summer) is a popular Yorkville spot to meet for drinks after work. The restaurant downstairs also offers...
Henhouse / Dundas West
There's something afoot on Dundas West. Traditionally the place you went to get a Portuguese tart or some other kind of fix, the last few years has seen a steady...
Hideout / Queen West
The Hideout programs local rock and blues bands. It also has a full menu (lunch, dinner) and offers brunch on weekends. ...
Hitch / Leslieville
Hitch is now open near Queen and Leslie. I visited the bar on a quiet Monday evening. Because the bar is so new, I couldn't find any information about it...
Hole in the Wall / Junction
The Hole in the Wall is a watering hole with live music and standard drinks. Open seven days a week, it's one of the original spots in the Junction where...
Inter Steer / Roncesvalles Village
Formally a dusty old restaurant that appeared to be called "Romantic Place" and whose facade looked like it dated back to 1970, Inter Steer underwent a big makeover a few...
La Perla / West Queen West
La Perla might be West Queen West's newest nightspot but don't call it a bar. Owner Arturo Anhalt is adamant that La Perla is a cantina in the traditional Mexican...
Labyrinth Lounge / Annex
Labyrinth Lounge is a favourite among UofT students with its cheap drinks specials throughout the week. Three is the magic number here, a number that will bring you all sorts...
LeVack Block / Ossington
Two years ago I often wandered by the corner of Ossington and Humbert to admire an old, near dilapidated three story building. The place was vacant but the building had...
Linsmore Tavern / Danforth
Linsmore Tavern has a reputation that precedes it. Much as I would with a blind date, I do a quick Google search prior to heading over. There's a Chowhound post:...
Lolabar / Leslieville
Lolabar is a low key bar at the corner of Carlaw and Dundas East that serves up beer, cocktails and hip hop beats. They have a large patio overlooking the...
London Tap House / King West
The London Tap House draws Club District revelers to its massive rooftop patio - one of the best in the area. But expect to run into drunken 905ers, a giggly...
Magpie / Dundas West
On a typical night at Magpie, if there is such a thing, a small crowd of smokers can be seen from blocks away hanging out in front of the tiny...
May / Dundas West
May could be the answer to the rampant gentrification that's been hitting Toronto's urban western corridor between Bathurst and Ossington. While revitalizing a former Vietnamese underworld karaoke bar (formerly Café...
Mezzrow's / Parkdale
Mezzrow's is a classic Parkdale neighborhood pub in every sense of the word, where the friendly staff, long wood bar and large back patio welcome regulars and newcomers alike. ...
Midtown / Little Italy
The Midtown is a popular bar in Little Italy that caters to the frat-boy crowd....
Montauk / Dundas West
Montauk opened this week near the slowly blossoming corner of Dundas and Bathurst. Joining illustrious neighbours Bent, Porchetta & Co., L'Ouvrier, and Campagnolo, Dustin Keating's new hangout aims to bring...
Motel / Parkdale
Motel bar on Queen may look like a dark mystery from the outside, but don't let the neon "Prescriptions" sign in the window confuse you, Motel is no more a...
Mr. Pong's Bar / Dundas West
Mr. Pong's Bar might be your next favorite hang-out. A bit difficult to find in Little Portugal, and just a few days old, its windows are still coated in non-descript...
Neutral / Kensington Market
Neutral (officially spelled as Neu+ral; the plus sign is pronounced as a t) is a bar and concert venue on the edge of Kensington which has been around for several...
Nikai / Financial District
Nikai, despite being just up the stairs from the famed Momofuku, deserves to be known as more than a prequel to an amazing dinner. In terms of appetite-piquing cocktails and...
No One Writes to the Colonel / Little Italy
No One Writes to the Colonel feels just like a 70's throwback lounge, but more homey than groovy, and laid-back than swank. First off, it's in a house, formerly a...
Northwood / Bloorcourt
Northwood recently opened in the grey zone of Bloor between Koreatown and Ossington, filling a void for residents looking to imbibe locally. Owners Richard Pope and Ang Reynolds have lived...
Not My Dog / Parkdale
One of my favourite new patios is Not My Dog. At first glance, Not My Dog appears to be another cozy bar in the heart of Parkdale with art on...
Paddock / Queen West
The Paddock has a little something to please everyone. Whether you're looking for a stiff Manhattan or simply a tall cold beer, the tenders of this dark art...
Painted Lady / Ossington
The Painted Lady has been my favourite bar on the Ossington strip this year, which all started when I ended up there on Easter Sunday only to hear a DJ...
Parlour / King West
Parlour bills itself as a mecca for socialites seeking habitual enlightenment...a destination for those seeking refuge from the main.. Was I right to feel justified in my initial apprehension? Now,...
Pegasus Bar / Church Wellesley Village
Pegasus on Church is found on the second floor on the east side of Church Street, in the heart of the Village. It's been a neighbourhood staple for almost 20...
Pharmacy / Parkdale
Pharmacy is a cozy little bar at the southwestern edge of Parkdale. Once a methadone clinic and pharmacy, it's now a quirky and eclectic bar stocked with buffalo heads,...
Pilot / Yorkville
The ground level of the Pilot has a classic open pub feel, complete with long oak bar and weekend live jazz. And if you don't mind a steep climb, its...
Poetry Jazz Cafe / Kensington Market
Poetry Jazz Cafe is not a cafe, nor is it a poetry club. There's no appreciative snapping, subtle allegories, or hushed, whispered words between friends. Rather, Poetry Jazz Cafe a...
Polson Pier / Port Lands
Polson Pier is part of the Docks complex in the Port Lands that also includes the Sound Academy. They have a massive lakeside patio, tons of activities, booze and BBQ....
Press Club / Dundas West
The Press Club is a low key bar on Dundas West that has a good beer selection and a side patio....
Rasputin Vodka Bar / Riverside
Remember in Sex & The City when Samantha Jones makes Smith Jerrod, her young piece of manmeat, the "Absolut Hunk" - the naked model in an Absolut vodka ad? He's...
Red Light / Dundas West
For those who associate West Queen West and Ossington with the word gentrification, The Red Light is perched just on the periphery, far enough away from the action to ease...
Rivoli (Poolhall) / Queen West
On the second floor of the Rivoli, pay by the hour pool tables and accompanying bar with scattered TVs showing the night's sports action....
Rockpile Nightclub / Etobicoke
The Rockpile Nighclub's exterior is the first thing to throw me off. Set at the tail-end of an immense (but mostly empty) parking lot, it looks a bit like a...
Ronnie's Local / Kensington Market
In Kensington Market, there's a place where everybody knows your name. Well, they will if you advertise it. And if they still remember it the next time you go. But...
Salvador Darling / Parkdale
Now that the West End is crawling with club district, Bay St. and the burbs on the weekends, it's only natural that the artists, aging hipsters and musicians have all...
Sex Laser / Dundas West
Sex Laser, the bartender tells me with a giggle when I asked her what the name of the establishment is. There isn't a sign out front. Despite the DineSafe sign...
Souz Dal / Little Italy
Souz Dal's new location has been open for about a month, and is located just a few doors down from its old haunt in Little Italy. The move was prompted...
SPiN Toronto / King West
SPiN Toronto has quietly opened on King West, bringing the game of ping pong out from rec rooms across the nation. When I first spoke to Ryan Fisher about his...
SpiritHouse / King West
SpiritHouse is rather non-descript from the outside, announced by a wooden sign and steps heading downwards. When I stop by, the bar has been open for just an hour and...
Squirly's / West Queen West
Squirly's is a small bar on Queen near Niagara is a good bet for a cold pint and cozy conversation among friends. They have food too including a weekend brunch....
Statler's / Church Wellesley Village
Statler's has been around in the Village for a number of years, in various incarnations. It's still a popular spot for locals to grab a drink, listen to some music...
Stella / Bloordale Village
Stella is all about the music. Sure, this new bar at the western frontier of Bloordale hosts a variety of concerts and regular music nights, but even the story of...
Stones Place / Parkdale
Stones Place proves that there's no such thing as aging gracefully: not when it comes to hard-living rock stars, not when it comes to their women, and certainly not when...
Sweaty Betty's / Ossington
Do not ride your bike over to Sweaty Betty's on a Friday or Saturday night. This place attracts fixie- and cruiser-riders like an indie rock concert, yet there are no...
Swirl Wine Bar / Leslieville
Swirl Wine Bar is a unique destination in Leslieville that puts me in mind of first dates. I can't help feeling that it is impressive to know about because it...
Ted's Collision / Little Italy
If you find yourself on College Street in the wee hours and martini bars aren't your thing, head to Ted's Collision. An old pool table, front and back patios...
The Bar With No Name / High Park
The Bar With No Name is not the kind of place you go to for a signature cocktail, nor is it the kind of joint known for its ambiance and...
The Central / Annex
The Central has a little bit of everything....from two patios (including a sunny second story one), live music and a restaurant, this Mirvish Village bar offers lots of reasons to...
The Charlotte Room / King West
The Charlotte Room fulfils most stereotypes of the quintessential pool hall. It's slightly off the beaten path, stocked with a great selection of beer, and always seems to be showing...
The Departure Lounge / King West
The Departure Lounge is a bar inside Global Village Backpackers at King and Spadina. The bar (especially their patio in the summer) is a popular hangout for both locals and...
The Loft / Church Wellesley Village
The Loft is an inconspicuous and friendly lounge, located right above Statlers restaurant in the heart of the Village on Church Street. If you stopped by a week ago, you...
The Midpoint / West Queen West
The Midpoint was an uninspiring pizza joint at one point but since it put the emphasis on cheese and dough in its past it has slowly gained a following as...
The Ossington / Ossington
In the midst of my weekend shopping a couple months ago I ducked into The Ossington for some sustenance and shelter from the cold. The beautiful barista Danielle warmed me...
The Peacok / King West
The Peacok is a dark and narrow hallway situated in the remains of beloved King West establishment The Underground Garage. Unlike the Garage, which wore its dive bar status proudly...
The Piston / Bloorcourt
The Piston on Bloor near Ossington may finally be the tipping point for Bloorcourt - the up-and-coming neighbourhood that's been on the brink of up-and-coming for several years without ever...
The Raq / West Queen West
The Raq offers a billiard area that's best described as a man cave with dark tables, hanging lamps, wooden floors, and, uh, sparkling crystal chandeliers. It works, though. Raised glass...
The Savoy / West Queen West
The Savoy on West Queen West, long-awaited by anyone who gets excited about fancy-sounding names and beautiful, architectural brick doorways, has finally opened. And it's... pretty good. Yet another competitor on...
The Underground Garage / King West
The Underground Garage is a self-described "urban saloon" located in the Club District. I recently visited the Underground Garage on one wintery Thursday evening. I was directed up to the...
Thirsty & Miserable / Kensington Market
Thirsty & Miserable hopes to be your new beer forward destination in Kensington Market. The bar, formerly Planet Kensington, Freshwood Grill and Havana Cuba - is a tiny little nook...
Troika Vodka Boutique / Financial District
Troika Vodka Boutique is a lounge inspired by Russian elegance, located on the cusp of the Financial District. Prior to my visit, I did what any red-blooded Canadian who loves...
UNIT / West Queen West
UNIT, like a barfly's Diagon Alley, has been on Queen between the Drake and the Gladstone for four years, even though many people don't know it's there. It's been quietly...
Unlovable / Dundas West
Unlovable is positively subterranean in a city that has its share of underground and basement bars. Practically camouflaged beneath a travel agency on Dundas West, the place is invisible unless...
Velvet Underground / Queen West
Though not just a haven for the goth crowd anymore, "the Velvet" is still adorned with jagged metal cherub sculptures behind the bar, lest you forget that an alternative-music bend...
VIP Lounge and Billiards / Yonge & Dundas
VIP Lounge and Billiards has the dark vibe that's to be expected of a lower-level pub. Billiards is the obvious raison d'etre here, though it has a full restaurant and...
Wallflower / Dundas West
Wallflower opened up just over 2 weeks ago on Dundas West, and is announced on a Saturday night by a street-side sandwich board, and a large front window coated in...
Wayla Bar / Leslieville
What Are You Looking At has the style and colour of the two-page Tokion Magazine spread that was its inspiration. Also called WAYLA, Leslieville's newest spot aspires, like its neighbourhood,...
Wide Open / Queen West
Wide Open is a local neighbourhood watering hole on Spadina. A good spot to grab a couple of pints on a weekday night....
Wilson 96 / Little Italy
Wilson 96 is a new-ish bar on College that really is a breath of fresh air in what has become, to me anyway, a pretty tired strip of Toronto night-life....
Woody's and Sailor / Church Wellesley Village
Self-proclaimed as Toronto's hottest gay bar, Woody's has been living up to its name since springing to life in 1989. Famed for its weekly Best Chest and Best Ass contests,...
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