Toronto’s strength is its diversity. The same variety that defines our culture and inspires our cuisine is rapidly defining our city’s international appeal. With a staggering number of new bars having opened in the past few years and plenty more to come, it’s hard to keep up. For now, here are four of the best new spots to catch a buzz.
1) Rush Lane
563 Queen West, 416-551-7540, rushlaneco.com
This sleek, contemporary bar owned and operated by five seasoned barmen has become a hangout for cocktail lovers and industry folks alike since opening three months ago.
The name and facade pay tribute to Queen West’s network of graffiti alleys, but the interior aesthetic – modern, masculine and polished – is far from gritty.
The in-house bar lab, equipped with high-tech tools like a rotary evaporator, centrifuge and Cline Bell ice machine (which freezes 300- pound clear ice blocks that are then cut and pressed into perfect spheres to order), is testament to how seriously Rush Lane takes its drinks.
Kill any instant association with unsmiling bar brats in lab coats, though – Rush Lane’s emphasis on experimentation stems from the same genuine, passionate approach it takes to all aspects of service: engaging hospitality, deftly executed drinks and delicious plates from chef Christopher Scott in a fun (sometimes rowdy) atmosphere.
Hours Daily 5 pm to 2 am.
Access No barrier at the door, washrooms on main floor.
2) LoPan
503 College, 647-341-8882, dailoto.com
I’m sick of the term “speakeasy,” but I’ll forever be in love with the concept of nondescript places to drink. LoPan, stacked on top of high-profile DaiLo, isn’t hard to find if you know what you’re looking for – which in this case are bar manager Shane Mulvany’s Asian-inspired cocktails and yum cha reinterpreted as bar snacks by chef Nick Liu.
Lofty ceilings and lavish details – turquoise walls accented with gold, leather banquettes, stylized fixtures strung above the bar – almost make you feel like you’re an esteemed guest in the Big Boss’s private lair.
The new fall cocktail menu features boozy delights designed to warm you from the inside out. The Ichi-Go, Ichi-E (nori-infused Bowmore scotch, Lillet Blanc and roasted barley tea, $16) brilliantly plays with the seaside characteristics of its Islay Scotch base while soothing hyper-complex flavours with Lillet.
Hours Tuesday to Saturday 6 pm to 2 am. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Access Up a flight of steep stairs to LoPan (separate entrance beside DaiLo), washrooms also upstairs.
3) Thoroughbred
304 Richmond West, 416-551-9221, tbto.ca
Opened less than two months ago by childhood friends Ariel Copeland and Jacob Fox (chef and maître d’ respectively), Thoroughbred brings some much-needed soul to an otherwise not so entertaining district. The relaxed tri-level bar and restaurant caters to the lunch crowd, post-work drinkers and diners and, on weekends, party people.
The bar – run by Brendan Schätti (Origin, Oddseoul) – is the best seat in the house. Schätti and the bar team fix killer drinks – be it a house signature like the Cadillac Chrome (Tromba Blanco, fresh pineapple, lime, passion fruit syrup, salted Campari and hellfire shrub, $13) or classic cocktails à la Louisiane or La Floridita Daiquiri.
Hours Tuesday to Friday 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 2 am, Saturday 5 pm to 2 am. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Access Up five stairs to entrance, washrooms on main floor.
4) The Gaslight
1426 Bloor West
A warm beacon along the drowsy leg of Bloor between Lansdowne and Dundas, the Gaslight is a joint labour of love from two veteran bartenders, Megan Jones (Reposado, County General, Bar Chef) and Tim Pritchard (Communist’s Daughter).
Opened just over a month ago in the former Zocalo space, the Gaslight already emits the welcoming vibe of a long-standing local. The dim light of flickering candles and vintage sconces is a perfect complement to the bar’s understated beauty. A walnut drop-ceiling inlaid with old tin, gorgeous custom woodwork and a mural reproducing a vintage pineapple ad set a chill scene for pints and tasty snacks like roast beef croque monsieur and broccoli poutine.
Despite Jones’s reputation as a talented drink-smith, the Gaslight is decidedly not a cocktail bar (though cocktails available by the glass and pitcher are available and predictably delicious). She and Pritchard just wanted a low-key hangout where they could entertain neighbourhood guests and friends – a suitable goal for two of the most genuinely hospitable bartenders in the city.
Hours 5 pm to 2 am daily.
Access No barrier at the door, washrooms in basement.
