5 new hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto

Hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto are as elusive as ever, but you’re not going to let the most mysterious ones of all get away from you unexplored, are you? You’re just as sly as these bars are and you can memorize all the secret handshakes, coded knocks, passwords and roundabout directions for entry you need to.

Here are my picks for the top new hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto.

SP184

In the alley behind Superpoint there’s a door marked simply SP184. Step through the door under the bright and colourful light and into a bare-bones industrial hangout where DJs spin, shots flow freely and beers from Burdock to Coors flow even freer. You can sit down and order pizza on a Friday or Saturday night or have your own private event here.

The Cloak

Inside Marben on Wellington, this bar is entered through a doorway marked by a neon sign and then a flight of steps must be traversed. A grand variety of gin cocktails are served in this speakeasy along with communal punches, “resurrected liquors” and a whole range of bevvies inspired by IndoChine and the Spice Route using spices and teas.

Pai Market

Hidden inside powerhouse Thai restaurant Pai (run by the same folks behind Sabai Sabai and Sukhothai), Pai Market serves a revolving but limited menu of such specialties as red curry chicken, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and deep-fried garlic chicken exclusively for weekday lunch.

Escobar

Freshly moved across the street (it used to be inside Valdez), this secretive spot can be found on an upper level of Baro. There’s an elevator to get up there, but you’ll have to know the daily-changing password to sample the cocktails and take selfies with the neon get into this place.

Attico

This tapas bar is located in the mezzanine of one of Toronto's most breathtaking buildings on Peter, offset just a bit from the hub of Queen and Spadina. Order a drink and select from the plates of smoked fish crostini, mushroom tartlets, and duck empanadas floating about.