Hyperextended hours are Toronto’s bar trend du jour. Snacks till last call don’t cut it any more. Now it’s all about less than six hours of closure, as coffee time bleeds into cocktail hour (which, by the way, starts at 11 am).
Such is the case at the Loveless Cafe, which set up shop across Dundas from sister bar Unloveable about a month ago when yet another Portuguese sports bar bit the dust.
The cozy spot has a DIY feel gussied up with kitschy Canadiana: Lynchy wooden owls, a quasi-surreal light box equipped with stuffed ptarmigans, and panels of woodsy, jaundiced wallpaper that look like they survived decades of chain-smoking in your great-uncle Benny’s den.
Unless you’re a small child or a size-zero, the bar stools are a challenge even in a state of stark sobriety. I’d need a seat for each cheek to attain stability. Luckily, I take little issue with imbibing upright if it means scoring a spot at the bar, but the patio at Loveless is where you’ll inevitably settle, weather permitting.
The benches and shared tables on the breezy side patio are saturated with sun for most of the day, making it hard not to linger for something stiffer post-Americano. (Don’t feel self-conscious about day drinking – everybody’s doing it.)
Loveless itself is unassuming, but the cocktail list is no joke. It’s short but beguiling, simple and smart. The Pisco Fino Sour (two great drinks mashed into one funky glass of awesome) and the Sultan’s Daughter (jasmine–infused Absolut, Cynar, lemon, honey syrup and soda, both $11) are killer patio drinks. Opt for the Rum Martinez (El Dorado 12, Dolin Rouge, maraschino liqueur, Abbott’s bitters, $13) if you happen to roll through in a more distinguished mood. Inquire about off-menu treats like the super-tasty gin sour slash mezcal pina colada, a special for the month-long -Aviation gin cocktail contest.
drinks@nowtoronto.com | @S_Parns
