$$$ = expensive
$$ = moderately priced
$ = inexpensive
Cool
Spice Route
499 King W, at Brant, 416-849-1808. Club land’s hottest meat market, this flashy Vegas-style lounge may be a zoo Friday and Saturday nights, but its tiki-tastic wraparound deck, complete with koi pond, is a chill zone by day. $$$
Ultra
314 Queen W, at Peter, 416-263-0330. Once the legendary Bamboo’s rooftop revel, this swanky South Beach-style lounge may have relaxed its restrictive door policy but its Monday night lobster specials continue. Pseudo-celebrity DJs, too. $$$
Classic
Black Bull
298 Queen W, at Soho, 416-593-2766. Partially covered and with 200-plus seats right on the curb, the hip strip’s busiest boozer offers front-row seats for downtown’s most entertaining people-watching. $$
David Laurence
Great Food
Fifth Grill
225 Richmond W, at Duncan, 416-979-3005. Accessed from a back-alley freight elevator, this tented French-country rooftop oasis dishes up bison burgers and lobster poutine to the sounds of live jazz every Thursday from 7 pm. $$$
Also in the area…
Adelaide St Pub
340 Adelaide W, at Peter, 416-977-6800. $$
Cameron House
408 Queen W, at Cameron, 416-703-0811. $$
Fresh & Wild
69 Spadina, at King W, 416-979-8155. $
Hideout
484 Queen W, at Dennison, 647-438-7664. $$
Horseshoe
368 Queen W, at Spadina, 416-598-4753. $$
Le Select
432 Wellington W, at Spadina, 416-596-6405. $$$
Queen Mother
208 Queen W, at Duncan, 416-598-4719. $$
The Rivoli
332 Queen W, at Spadina, 416-596-1908. $$
Shanghai Cowgirl
538 Queen W, at Bathurst, 416-203-6623. $$
Wayne Gretzky’s
99 Blue Jays Way, at Mercer, 416-348-0099. $$$
Wheat Sheaf
667 King W, at Bathurst, 416-504-9912. $$