Shuttered Toronto bar has already been replaced and people are loving it
Just two weeks after a much-loved Toronto cocktail bar closed its doors, a new venture moved in, and it's already managed to score a ton of fans in the neighbourhood.
When Brockton Village's La Piscina closed its doors after four years (and owner Tyler Kostman's coffee shop, Safehouse Coffee, for five years before that), the disappointment was palpable.
Though its tenure in the city was relatively short, La Piscina, a Spanish-inspired spot with classic cocktails, tapas and a daytime coffee shop operation, became the heartbeat of the neighbourhood, serving the community during the day and attracting scores of partygoers at night.
A certified neighbourhood landmark, the loss of La Piscina cut deep, but there's a glimmer of hope amid the gloom of the dive bar's closure. It takes the shape of The Bad Angel, the new concept that took over the space just two weeks after La Piscina closed.
After La Piscina held its last hurrah on New Year's Eve, new owners Corey and Eden instantly got to work making the Dundas West space their own and, by Jan. 16, they unleashed The Bad Angel onto the world.
It's a project that Corey and Eden tell blogTO is "very personal" to them.
"We love to host, and we care deeply about the experience of each guest who walks through the door," Eden says. "We are in love with what this neighbourhood already has going for it: a vibrant mix of high-end restaurants, funky dive bars, and longstanding Portuguese businesses."
Still, for all of Brockton Village's high points, Eden tells blogTO, she and Corey were equally able to recognize the ways in which the neighbourhood could improve. The Bad Angel is their attempt at doing that.
"The gap we'd like to fill is the cozy neighbourhood cocktail joint, where friends who just had a dinner out can pop in for one or two more drinks, and where a couple who live down the street can come for a nice date without having to call an Uber," Eden says.
"We are going for 'unpretentiously classy.'"
Trying and, it seems, succeeding. Though the bar's interiors (which were fairly nondescript to begin with) remain largely unchanged, the entire space has taken on a warmer personality, inviting patrons in to sip beverages from long, hardwood tables under dim lights.
Speaking of warm, Eden and Corey tell blogTO that, among their greatest prides when it comes to The Bad Angel are the warm cocktails they began piloting shortly before Toronto got sucked into the polar vortex, which, Eden says, are "selling like crazy."
"We do one with porter, whisky and spices that is based on an English wassail, and it warms you all the way to your toes," she tells blogTO.
"We are also committed to carrying locally independent beer, and as much Canadian spirits as possible. There are so many fantastic Canadian distilleries!"
Taking over for a beloved business can be daunting, but Eden tells blogTO that the neighbourhood has already welcomed The Bad Angel with open arms.
"The reception has been extraordinary, both from neighbouring businesses and folks just dropping in to chat over a beer," she says, adding, "We're developing a very symbiotic relationship with Pinata Tacos!"
The Bad Angel is located at 1615 Dundas St. W.
Hector Vasquez at La Piscina
