The Best Barber Shops in Toronto
Toronto's best barber shops are low on drama and high on value, quality and character. Inside, their barbers uphold the traditions of metiers that have survived the ravages of time and technology. Let's not forget that once-upon-a-time barbers were bona fide surgeons. They performed amputations and blood-lettings as well as cut hair. And while their therapeutic services may have been curtailed due to medical advances, today's cutters will still share their wisdom on everything from women to politics to sports to playing the lottery.
Here are twelve of Toronto's best.
Writing and photos by Christos Tsirbas
Gus the Other Barber
This Bloor Street institution is a shrine to soccer - team pennants and jerseys line the walls - with a special emphasis on Gus's beloved Olympiakos and the Euro 2004-winning Greek National Team. Going strong after half a century, Gus and cohorts Costas and Veronas have served four generations of clients including Honest Ed Mirvish who was the first customer at the current location. More...
Aristotelis
A perennial favourite at Richmond and Spadina. Aristotelis Koukodimos learned his trade in the Greek army. Augmented by son Larry, who eschewed a career in civil engineering to join the family business, and long-time confederate Tito, Aristotelis provides quality cuts and shaves in a relaxed atmosphere. A foodie and a car lover, Larry will tell you where to eat and what to drive. More...
Tony's Men's Hair Styling
In business since 1959 and operated by Amri Khatib since 2003, Tony's offers a minimalist take on the traditional barber shop. New chairs and a sparse yet luxurious decor complement old-fashioned service that includes scissor cuts, razor neck shaves and exquisite attention to detail delivered with the help of right-hand barber Frank. More...
Terminal Barber Shop
Step into the past when haircuts mattered and barbers ruled the earth. Part Western saloon, part speak-easy in terms of decor, the Terminal Barbershop features 19th-century chairs, antique mirrors and music from the '30s and '40s piped through a retro-style radio. Enjoy an upscale experience with polyglots Omar Mahruk and Karim Saaden. More...
Ralph's
Tucked away on the ground floor of an office building, Ralph's has been bucking trends (but staying in style) at its current location since 1980. Proprietor Ralph Schiavone entered the trade at age ten, sweeping floors in barber shops in Italy and working his way up the ranks. Co-barber Nick Tunzi has been with the shop sixteen years. More...
The Hair Place
The only unisex establishment on our list opened in 1919 and went co-ed in the 1970s, as did the institution that houses it, University of Toronto's Hart House. While the clientele is mostly UofT faculty, alumni and students, the shop, run for the last 28 years by Ben Cataudella, is open to everyone. More...
The Men's Salon
Located in the basement of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, this full service establishment offers everything from shaves and haircuts, to pedicures, manicures, facials and scalp massages. A two-chair room in the back affords extra privacy. In business since 1929, the Men's Salon has been owned and operated by Armando Cosentino for nearly 40 years. More...
Forest Hill Barber Shop
The Forest Hill Barber Shop has had several owners since it opened in 1931 but only one cash register. Nick Vitantonio and his staff serve mostly families who have been getting their hair cut here over four generations. The business has also raised more than half a million dollars through its annual golf tournament over the last 13 years. More...
Blood and Bandages
In business for only a year, this 97-square foot parlour is an attitude-free alternative to crowded salons. The brainchild of Roger Janes - who bought vintage barber chairs on eBay and kept a collection of stuff in the basement to one day open his own shop - this newest addition to the scene already feels like it has a storied past. More...
Cabbagetown Barber Shop
Jim Cogliano and Frank Rosatti cut hair together at the Sheraton Centre before taking over the D.C Barbershop in 1993 and changing its name. Bringing with them assistant Mandy Sellers and an established clientele of legal eagles, they've created a neighbourhood business with a city-wide reputation. More...
Onyx Barbers
To avoid his father's razor and comb approach Lowell Stephens taught himself to cut hair at age ten. Business partner Kirk Tulloch was sixteen when one of his hair designs was featured in a national ad for volleyball apparel. The entrance to their second floor shop next to the Canon Theatre is easy to miss, so look closely if you want to look sharp! More...
Fade Away Barber Shop
At 33, Sean Cummings is already an 18-year veteran of the trade. His decade-old barber shop features a pool table and customers have been known to skip their turn at the chair for another round of billiards. But the true attractions here are quality haircuts and a friendly attitude that make every client feel like a VIP. More...
Comments (55)
At the risk of being called an obtuse and probably uncouth, but, any chance someone could comment on what a normal haircut costs in one these shops?
You missed the best barbershop in the city - Truefitt & Hill in Scotia Plaza. Amazing service, great atmosphere, wonderful location and a link to one of the oldest barbershops in London. You can get a hot lather shave, shoe shine, manicure ++ or just get an all scissor hair cut and some of the best stock tips and networking opportunities.
Next, you need to give decent directions to the establishments listed. 100 King W isn't the most specific address in the world. You should say "in the basement of First Canadian near the PATH doors to Scotia". Otherwise no one is going to find Tony's Place, but then again they shouldn't as they don't provide a good cut or know what service is.
Truefitt charges $36, which includes cut, shampoo, scalp & shoulder massage, and a hot lather neck shave. You pretty much have to make an appointment, but you don't have to sit around waiting for any random barber and you form a relationship with them, instead of a much gruffer and higher volume shop. They also have a great selection of toiletries and grooming supplies.
Another great missed barber is at GotStyle on King W (on top of Fynn's of Temple Bar, beside Spice Route). Not as old school as Truefiit, and much less corporate clientele, but they offer hot shave and other traditional services.
Nice intro, especially the history of the barber. I was told by a traditional barber once that that's where the blue/red pole comes from - symbolizing veins/arteries. ... and the anime RahXephon reminded me lol
Any recommendations on where to go if you're below the $70/cut Grateful Head crowd, but above the "number 4 all around" crowd?
What's everyone's take on tipping a barber? I've never done it before, assuming my $20 is going mostly to pay for service anyways (minus various expenses, but a service fee no less). But it seems that some people tip. Thoughts?
I tip--the Terminal is $17 so I just hand over a $20 and call it a day.
For some reason, I feel more like tipping at a $3/bottle bar than a $12/drink fancy place. $20 still seems like a totally OK price for a serviceable haircut.
I think 15% or at least $2 a cut is fair. It's a personal service, like waiting tables, so it's nice to tip.
fade away a good barber shop but just north of it on eglinton west there dozens of better shops. just in a 3 block span you hit about 10 different shops and none of them made this list. come on blog t.o. do some better research
What about my man Corrado at Bathurst/Richmond!?! Over 50 years at the same location, but he plans on retiring in the next year or two. His little hole-in-the-wall shop is the ultimate guy haven.
I used to get my hair cut by Luigi in Parkdale. Export 'A' Greens. This is not "olde time" feeling; this is travelling in time. 1535A Queen St. W. ~$10.
Are you kidding me,I'm surprised Corrado, or whatever that guy on bathurst calls himself hasn't been shut down by public health. That place is a filthy, dirty shop - he doesn't clean his razors and the man is a pig. I was in waiting for a haircut and had to leave before taking my chances.
good to see gus on the list. I went to him for 15 years, always a great cut. These days it is the Terminal barber shop hands down. Karim used to work at trufitt and hill. He now runs his shop without the snob factor of bay and king. Can't believe the bad comments people made. This is the only place to get a haircut downtown.
Corrado's is like, "man heaven"--the guy is old school. He talks about his life (though good chunks are in Italian, so sometimes you have to take his word for it he's funny), and his cuts are amazing.
He usually has a couple older guys hanging around chatting and watching TV in there--a real community place. He had an anniversary a while back,a nd hired a caterer and invited all his customers over for food and drinks as a thank you.
I think by "the man is a pig", you must mean, "the man is a man". No fake, pretend sensitivity--I'm sure if he were less than his seventy odd years he'd be a little more "correct", but I find when I visit him I am reminded of what we have lost in the culture of malehood. Corrado is the man.
Also, he's darned fast. And come on--he met Elvis!
I have been going to Tony's Barber Shop on Bayview for fifteen years. The service is excellent, the decor minimalist with excellent colour, lighting and marvelous jazz music. I like the razor trim, the use of scissors and the attention to detail. Amir the owner is an exceptional stylist and the prices are extremely reasonable. There is a full selection of grooming products available for purchase. Prompt, friendly service. Five stars.
What? No Ho's? Church and Wellesley just wouldn't be the same without the two HO's at the corner. Leather bears with butch cuts, lesbians with very butch cuts, twinks with not-so-butch cuts. It's a Village staple!
Sandy's Barber Shop on Yonge st. south of St. Clair (in between Spacco's and Boccone restaurants) has to be on this list. He has been a main stay for athlete's and sports personalities for year. Customers of note: Don Cherry, the entire 1967 Stanley Cup Winning Toronto Maple Leaf's Hockey Team (including coaches and trainers), and even Neil Young's late dad (who was a great Toronto sports writer in his dad). He has been at that location since day one.
Of course we are all going to push our barbers and that's what I'm going to do. Since I moved to Toronto in 2000, I've been going to Truefit & Hill. I work downtown so it is also convenient. For the money, you won't be dissapointed. Great bunch of guys, first name basis.
I recommend The Forum Barber Parlour. What a nice place, upscale, super clean, modern and a great barber team. They are located on Yonge St., just south of Finch on the east side. Its appointment only and you get a free beverage.
my vote goes to J & H barbers at 1 adelaide place ... John (owner) is very personable, fast and very good, rates around 20 dollars.
One of the oldest Barbershops around at 416A Parliament ST. Is now Barber Cuts. http://barbercuts.ca. Chris is Back.
If you're in the Scarborough area and looking for a fade, Kedar (Finch and Birchmount, 2nd floor of plaza over Chinese Restaurant)is real place to check. $15 cuts and they also have other barber services offered.
If you're looking for a haircut, go somewhere else..if you're looking for a barber go to The Forum Barber Parlour. Appointment only.
The best Barber shop in King and Yonge called Ivan Hair Salon. Please try this amazing place.I am the second generation client of my father. My barber cuts my hair since I was 9 years old. Now I am 30 years old. Never change.I will bring my future son also. Ted Rogers, Conrad Black, Eaton brothers and famous lawyer Richard Clerk, Albert Schultz( soulandpepper) are in there for many years. Wash and cut 19$. The address is 21 Victoria St. Phone number is 416 364 3876.
Ivan's hair saloon is the best of the world. San San cuts your hair in style. You won't feel a thing and be off with a complete cut hair outfit. San San is a must when you're in Toronto, Canada. Victoria Street, downtown.
I'm from Belgium. And I can tell!
Ivan's Hair Saloon, located at 21 Victoria Street (416 364 3876) has been our barber shop since the 1980's. Family members (father and brother)have been looked after by the amazing staff at Ivan's before that! Whether you sit with San-San, Bruno, Carmen, or Ben behind you, the service you experience will take you back to another era when care, time, professionalism, and attention to detail were the hallmarks of a service-oriented shop. At Ivan's they still are. In an era where service industries seem to place an emphasis on short-term profit over longer term sustainable customer loyalty, the wonderful people at Ivan's stand out as an oasis of quality care and personal commitment to caring for customer's needs. That's why customers have been coming here for decades, and why the next generation is following after them. Our thanks to everyone at Ivan's for getting to the root of what makes a great Barber Shop!
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
Actually the best Barbershop in the city of Toronto and the GTA was(past tense)"No Substitute Hair Design" on Lakeshore Blvd West & Islington Road in the southside of Etobicoke. The service was fabulous and the art those artists did on those clients were fu@king amazing. Sorry for the language.... The owner/artist was very innovative with his designs and he never faded, but blended the hair within its self. So when your hair starts to grow back it would look very smooth till the next visit.
P.S. Too bad the business never flourished with its potential. But unfortunately the neighbourhood never gave that business the proper respect it deserves. Too bad for that neighbourhood. R.I.P
I've been going to San San at Ivan's Hair Salon for years. One reason is that I get a good hair cut, but another is that I can pay her with the community currency, Toronto Dollars. By so doing, a little bit of good is done for someone else. San San understands the concept that by working in community, we can strengthen our connections and our bonds. Her passion for caring for the orphans in Burma, her commitment to making a difference and being socially active have transformed our client -business relationship into a good friendship. We both know that friendship is the way to make the world work. I go to Ivan's Hair Salon for more than just a haircut. I go for my soul's food. When I walk out the door, I feel lighter and brighter.
The Forum Barber Parlour did it for me. Great team of guys and they make everyone feel like someone special. I left that barbershop walking with a different kind of confidence. Yonge street just south of Finch. Appointment only
POMPADOUR...where is the best place to get a pompadour haircut in the toronto area, or even north of toronto? i'm looking for someone who actually does alot of rockablliy hairstyles and in particular the pompadour.
Elvis made the pompadour popular BarberCuts at Queen and Woodbine Perfected it. http://www.barbercuts.ca
Chris
Please try with Ben from Ivan Hair Salon. He is the best fade cut in Toronto.
Tel: 416 364 3876
21 Victoria St.( King and Yonge)
A new barber shop/ men's salon has opened in the Shops at Don Mills called Barba Men's Salon! I had both a great haircut and a straight razor shave done there this weekend. The female barbers that were there are friendly and skilled while the shop is clean and classy, a bit more upscale then the ones on this top list. Finally Don Mills has a great place for just men to have their haircut!
Ivan's on Victoria St Toronto, ever since I first went there in the late 80's and had San San cut my hair, I have enjoyed the personable atmosphere and the professionalism of everybody there. San San, Carmen, Bruno, Ben.. they are all good. My son had his first haircut there, and he recently returned to get his hair done for university.
I'm happy to agree with John, Roger, Joy and the others above who've recommended "Ivan's" on Victoria (just east of Yonge along King). I've had my hair cut there since around 1990 and I think their history extends back another 25 years (or more?) before that. $15 for a standard men's cut and I know they do women's hair as well. My hairstyle is simple and could probably be done easily almost anywhere, but an honest friendliness and camaraderie at "Ivan's" has kept me as a regular for two decades and counting.
I too had my haircut at the new barber shop in Don Mills after seeing Jasons post, great cut and nice clean place, I'll go back again! Thanks Jason!
If you have curly hair, go to lloyds by bathurst and bloor. These guys are super talented and funny!
I definitely would not recommend Alex Cuts. I went in today at around 5 PM and place was pretty empty, which in hindsight I should have recognized as a bad sign, given that the place is in a pretty busy area. Anyway, I went in and was immediately asked to wait, which I did for 10 minutes until I started to get the feeling that I was wasting my time. But as I was getting up to leave, one of the guys who as sitting there got up and offered to cut my hair; I'd assumed he was just one of the customers since the whole time he was just sitting chit-chatting, as were some other people, who I presume now where also working there. Since at that point I didn't feel like wasting more time waiting at another place, I thought, what the heck, I might as well get a haircut since I'm already here, even though I was annoyed for having been made to wait indefinitely and had no patience anymore for unprofessionalism. That was a mistake. The haircut I got was the worst haircut I've ever had. The guy was obviously sloppy and careless, tugged my hair when he was drying it, cut the front noticeably shorter that I had requested (even though I mentioned twice the length that I wanted), and finished with an overall irregular cut. He talked a lot, but couldn't listen, and obvious defect in his line of work! Fortunately, the haircut was quick, but I didn't understand the rush, since there weren't another other customers waiting. The barber -- apparently, the proprietor -- was an Indian man, I think, with long, curly greasy hair; again, his sloppy appearance should have tipped me off, but somehow I thought not to judge him on that count. Another mistake. To be fair, there was another women barber there and perhaps she's better, but of course, I have no way of knowing that. Certainly, I'm not going back to Alex Cuts to find out! And why should I? There are so many other more professional, more pleasant, and more competent barbers.
For example, Ralph's! Afterward, I went to Ralph's to repair the terrible haircut from Alex Cuts. Total opposite, like night and day: Ralph was courteous, careful, skillful, and a good listener! That was already obvious as I watched him cut the other customers. He took care to check several times as he was cutting whether it was what I wanted. I can definitely recommend Ralph's and will be going back for sure! Thanks, Ralph!
And thanks to blogto.com for posting the favorable review of Ralph's.
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