The Best New Bars in Toronto, 2010

The best new bars in Toronto in 2010 are as diverse as the people in Toronto in 2010 that need new bars to go to. Now, I've plugged that mouthful of information into some pretty complicated machinery - that's a lie - and discovered that is, in fact, not a coincidence.

This city has been cultivating a pretty diverse collection of drinkers over the years and whether you want to holler at the television during a sporting event, dance yourself into a sweaty stupor or have a quiet little drink with a pretty little lady/gentleman, there is a place for you - and a great one.

Bars are the places we go to unwind, meet people, celebrate and forget. They're our social glue, and probably one of the single greatest reasons to live in a big city. So here are the nine best bars Toronto thought up in 2010.

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The Best New Bars in Toronto 2009

Unlovable

Unlovable is cool, that’s just a fact. Not in the insecure kind of way that makes you embarrassed, but in a very real, confident way that unfortunately makes some people uncomfortable. So be warned if you’re not cool, you won’t like it here. If you ARE cool though, then consider this your invitation, because this subterranean spot might be the place to pull the party just a little further west. More »

Parts & Labour / The Shop

Certainly one of the more talked about openings of the past year, Parts and Labour had a lot of hype to live up to when it opened its doors last year. The restaurant/bar/live venue seemed like it wanted to be everything to everyone, walking a wire between trendy dinner destination and dirty dive concert venue and shockingly, it did both. More »

Goodnight

Goodnight is a bar that is going to divide people. Its reservation only policy is the kind of ballsy rule that will send some people running, while others salivate into their cell phones looking for entry. But you gotta keep out the riff raff somehow and before you get all judgy, why not give them a call? More »

The Piston

Part of what makes any bar great is location and timing. The Piston couldn’t have gotten either any better. While the age of Bloorcourt as a destination is still in its infancy, the certain amount of draw it does have should probably be attributed to this place. With a surprisingly great kitchen, and an equally fine live room in the back, it’s poised to do even better in 2011. More »

Real Sports Bar

Real Sports Bar is about as unique a bar experience as you can have in this city – or pretty much anywhere. Now, that’s far from a value judgment on the behemoth that ESPN calls “The Best Sports Bar in North America,” but if a billion TVs and ice cold Canadian is your thing, congratulations, you’ve found Mecca. More »

The Avro

Every neighbourhood should have its own version of The Avro on the corner. It’s a great little nook to have a pint at on the way home from work, or to meet up with friends at on a Friday night. And even though it’s been there less than a year, it’s such a perfect fit for its Riverside neighbourhood, you’d swear it'd been there years. More »

Wilson 96

Wilson 96 is exactly the type of bar Little Italy was in desperate need of – a simple, pubby place to pop into for a drink without feeling the pretense to make it something more. It’s an elegant, little den with the occasional splash of live music to keep things interesting. More »

Pour Boy

2010 might have seen the demise of the Green Room, but a few blocks west the same folks have opened Pour Boy – a place more akin to Nirvana than the legendary student haunt. It has all the pros of its green relative (cheap food and beer) without any of the cons (vermin, filthy couches, license suspensions). Did I mention it’s clean? More »

Camp 4

Named for a mountain hang out in Yosemite National Park, Camp 4 represents the creme of new bars in the Dundas and Ossington area. Unlike many first wave establishments in the neighbourhood, Camp 4 doesn’t need a gimmick – just a great selection of beers, decent spirits and a simple relaxed atmosphere. More »