Staple bar on Toronto's Ossington strip has closed and here's what's taking its place

One of Toronto's favourite dive bars is getting a new lease on life this month as it transforms into a swanky new concept.

While Ossington is known as one of the city's ultimate nightlife hubs (it's been said that the strip is the new King West, but the jury's still out on that one), with a trendy Saturday night spot found every 20 feet along the strip between Dundas West and Queen West, Baby Huey was there before it was cool.

Originally occupying the space that's now tea-themed snack bar Té for years before it moved a few doors down to 110 Ossington in 2016, Baby Huey was just the sort of bar and music venue that initially drew the who's-who to the neighbourhood.

After a months-long closure that left the bar's devoted fanbase in the dark about its future, word has finally dropped that Baby Huey is officially gone for good, the latest local stalwart to leave the neighbourhood.

It's not all bad news, though, because with the confirmation of Baby Huey's permanent closure also comes news of what's replacing it, and the bar's usurper is due to open its doors sooner than you may expect.

Meet Small Talk, a jazz club and martini bar from Municipal Goods hospitality group, the team behind nightlife hits like Pizza Wine Disco and Paris Texas. Maybe that suggestion about Ossington being the new King West had some merit behind it after all.

The sultry new space is set to host live music and DJs every Thursday through Sunday, paired with a top-notch cocktail program featuring a slew of martini variations and a Moët & Chandon champagne vending machine.

A far cry from Baby Huey’s specialty of bar rail and beer, indeed.

The real star of the show, we're told, is the pornstar martini, but we'll be the judge of that once the bar officially opens for business on Sept. 11.

As for food, Small Talk will serve a menu of small plates and light bites curated by the Cheese Boutique's Afrim Pristine. Think olive flights, cured meat boards, rotating sandwiches and, of course, plenty of world-class cheeses.

The "timeless" interiors were dreamt up by Danielle Adams of Block Plan Studios, and transform the once-grungy space into just the sort of spot where you'd expect live jazz, champagne vending machines and luxe cheese boards.

A rich palette of deep reds and earth tones set the stage with earthy, textured accents and hand-drawn murals that all wrap the bar up in a cheeky yet sophisticated bow.

"We wanted to create a place that feels timeless, where the music, the food, and the drinks all work together to create that perfect night out," says general manager Bianca Rossi. "It's a nod to the classics, but with our own playful twist."

To make things even sweeter, the bar will be one of the few in the area that's open on Monday nights, and will offer 50 per cent off the entire food and drink menu all night long. While going out on a school night is generally ill-advised, we have to admit that this offer is pretty tempting indeed.

While Toronto still has to wait a week to experience Small Talk for ourselves, reservations are open via OpenTable now.