Acme Bar & Grill , 86
John St (tel 416/340-9700). A
cross between a jazz club and a
sports bar, with a selection of
over eighty different
single-malt scotches. A good
spot to go after watching the
ballgame at the nearby SkyDome.
Betty's , 240 King St
E (tel 416/368-1300). The threat
of a lawsuit forced the owners
to abbreviate the name from The
Betty Ford Clinic to just
plain Betty's , but
regulars remain devoted to this
long, thin pub/bistro. It has a
tree-canopied patio out back in
the summer and in the winter its
blond-wood booths and tables are
packed for most of the day.
Excellent sandwiches, hot snacks
and burgers can be washed down
with a strong microbrew
selection.
The Bovine Sex Club ,
542 Queen St W (tel
416/504-4239). Despite its
comically evocative name, the Bovine
doesn't have a sign - and it's
not actually a sex club, just a
weird, eccentrically decorated
bar. The front of the building
is encrusted with bicycle parts
and scrap metal, and offers no
glimpse of the playground
within: banks of TV monitors
play oddball background videos,
the ceiling bristles with tree
branches speckled in fairy
lights, and hundreds of empty
Jagermeister bottles give you an
idea of the hearty partying that
goes on here. There are plenty
of pinball machines and pool
tables, as well as an eclectic
range of DJ music to keep you
entertained.
Cameron House , 508
Queen St W (tel 416/703-0811).
This place is half beer hall,
half cocktail lounge and all
entertainment. Artists have been
rearranging the facade for
twenty years now, the only
constant being the huge metal
ants marching up the side of the
building. DJs play the front,
and live music goes on in the
back on weekends.
C'est What? , 67 Front
St E (tel 416/867-9499). A gem
of a bar featuring 28 microbrews
on tap and a variety of ales
brewed on the premises, some
more experimental than others.
Board games, deep couches and
live music every night make this
a home away from home.
Dennison's Brewing Company
, 75 Victoria St (tel
416/360-5877). Four
establishments grouped under one
Romanesque roof: the brewery,
which produces German-style
lagers; Conchy Joe's , a
casual oyster bar serving
oysters, steamed mussels and
fresh fish; Louis' Brasserie
, which serves pasta, snacks and
steaks; and Growler's Pub
downstairs, with its gleaming
brass fittings, dark-wood
interior and standard pub grub.
The Docks , 11 Polson
St (tel 416/461-3625). An
enormous waterfront bar on the
edge of the Port of Toronto
dockyards. Features a wide range
of music, from Latino to house,
with the occasional live act
too. Weekends only.
Element Bar and Lounge
, 533 Queen St W (tel
416/359-1919). Some patrons on
the late end of the Gen X
spectrum tried to dismiss Element
as a tad too
"Wallpaper", but it
works a sleek retro-mod interior
to advantage and attracts a
youngish but sophisticated
crowd. Excellent DJs on weekends
- techno though jungle.
Horseshoe Tavern , 370
Queen St W (tel 416/598-4753).
Lots of Toronto bands got their
start here and it's still a good
place to spy up-and-coming
talent.
Imperial Pub , 54
Dundas E (tel 416/977-4667). A
favourite of downtowners and
students from the nearby
polytechnic, this traditional
tap house serves up beer and
meaty pub food in two bars
(there's also a large rooftop
patio during the summer).
Lee's Palace , 529
Bloor St W (tel 416/532-7383).
Hosts some of the best
up-and-coming bands from punk
through to folk. Upstairs is the
Dance Cave , a lively
alternative dance bar.
McVeigh's New Windsor
Tavern , 124 Church St (tel
416/364-9698). A
three-decade-old Irish pub,
featuring Celtic music and food,
and dark, creamy Irish ales.
Resolutely unfashionable and
authentic to the core.
Particularly festive on the
afternoon of Christmas Eve, when
all the businesses close for the
holidays and all the Irish
musicians in town come here.
Phoenix Concert Theatre
, 410 Sherbourne St (tel
416/323-1251). The building is
getting a bit shabby, but the
booking agents here haven't lost
their edge. This is one of the
better venues to catch big-name
rock acts or to dance to the DJ
scene in the Parlour , a
small disco incorporated into
the club.
Plaza Flamingo , 423
College St (tel 416/603-8884).
Flamenco at the Flamingo
is a summertime institution.
International flamenco contests
run all summer long, filling the
place night and day. The kitchen
serves up Spanish dishes, and an
all-you-can-eat weekend brunch
satisfies those who get peckish
after some serious dancing.
Rex Hotel Jazz Bar and
Grill , 194 Queen St W (tel
416/598-2475). In fierce
arguments about which is the
best jazz club in town, this one
is consistently near the top of
the list. A well-primped crowd
lounges in the spiffed-up
interior, but any reservations
about the room's pretentious
flare evaporate once the music -
which is always top-notch -
begins.
Top O' the Senator ,
294 Yonge St (tel 416/364-7517).
Showcases some of the biggest
and best names in jazz and
blues.
