16 h. ago Hidden gem bar in Toronto's Liberty Village has art deco vibes and curated menus

Toronto's bar and restaurant scene is hot, but there's one particular spot making a local splash while still managing to stay one of the city's best-kept secrets.Tucked in the heart of Liberty Village, Liberty Soho is an inviting, casual bar that brings the vibes with its signature style — and consider this your official invite.Designed as a community-centric hangout, Liberty Soho has made its mark as a bespoke venue with art-deco character and seriously good food and drinks.We’re talking weekly specials, brunch offerings, and premium sports viewing — all in an effortlessly convenient location. Come along for the full rundown on everything Liberty Soho.Community-centric bar with signature designStep inside Liberty Soho and you’ll instantly see why it’s known for its standout design. You’re greeted by signature brass elements and finishes, vintage-inspired millwork, and stained glass details.Touches of greenery add a bright contrast, cr...

Culture

65 h. ago This new Toronto sandwich shop is hidden inside a convenience store

Toronto's newest banh-mi restaurant is the definition of a hidden gem: it's literally tucked inside a neighbourhood convenience store.Sandwich shops in Toronto are a dime a dozen, and that number only seems to grow by the day. Now, don't get me wrong: I am a sandwich fanatic. If it can be placed between two pieces of bread, odds are, I'm opting for that.So, when I say that sandwich shops in Toronto are a dime a dozen, I don't mean to suggest it's a bad thing, only that newcomers greatly benefit from some element of novelty to rise above the noise, like how Slammie Sammies is attached to a carwash, or one member of Tutto Panino's founder team happens to be Charlotte Day Wilson.They're not gimmicks, per se, and the sandwiches these spots serve are certainly strong enough to stand on their own, but sometimes it just helps when you've got an intriguing edge to stand out.In the case of Leslieville's so-new-it's-only-soft-opened Oi Banh Mi,...

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1 week ago Toronto cafe and bar shares vulnerable post about its fight to stay open

The future of a Toronto neighbourhood café and bar hangs in the balance, as months of low foot traffic and high rent prices have made its survival past 2026 an uncertainty. Buvette Pacey, located near Queen Street East and Parliament Street, is a cozy, Queer-owned coffee-to-cocktails shop known for its seasonal drinks and community events, like sapphic wine nights and Wednesday chess club. Until 6 p.m., the hybrid café-bar (and might we add, a quintessential gathering space for the neighbourhood's four-legged friends) serves up coffee shop staples like espresso, tea lattes, and special seasonal drinks, from Mexican hot chocolate to miso-caramel apple cider and banana cardamom lattes."It's 5 o'clock somewhere" is most definitely the motto here, as beer and wines that lean heavily toward the low-intervention side are served all day. Despite all its offerings, the shop's owner-operator, Shabri Kapoor, ...

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1 week ago Toronto bar celebrating 10 years by seeing who can eat most crab rangoon

A legendary Toronto bar is celebrating its 10th anniversary and wants to know: just how fast can you down 20 crab rangoons? The Shameful Tiki Room, located at 777 Queen St. W., is set to host a time-based eating challenge, where the first contestant to finish a plate of 20 crab rangoons will win bragging rights and a prize. The tiki bar is already well known for its crispy crab and cream cheese wontons that come perfectly paired with a spicy mustard dip. Participants must RSVP and pay $25 at the door, so even if you don't win (and if our math is right on this one), you still get a sweet deal on some delicious food.     View this post on Instagram           A post shared by The Shameful Tiki Room Toronto (@shamefultikito)The team at The Shameful Tiki Room confirmed to blogTO that they're still on the hunt for participants, and reservations are still open for those who just want to w...

Culture

1 week ago Tara Reid says she was drugged at Chicago bar after video goes viral

American Pie actress claims she was left unconscious early Sunday morning after video released by TMZ goes viral

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2 w. ago Free outdoor curling rink taking over rooftop of Toronto hotel

Toronto's Ace Hotel is transforming its rooftop bar, Evangeline, into an outdoor winter chalet attraction offering a real curling rink.The Winter Chalet Pop-Up takes over the restaurant next month, featuring a specially curated menu and some unexpected rooftop fun for patrons to enjoy for free.Starting Dec. 2, the Ace Hotel's rooftop retreat will roll out a themed menu featuring a cheese fondue with meats, gherkins, fresh bread, and seasonal vegetables, and a chocolate fondue paired with nuts, marshmallows, and fruits. Each fondue is $45 per person.Cheese and chocolate fondues. Photo courtesy Ace Hotel Toronto.The Winter Chalet Pop-Up also boasts seasonally-inspired cocktails and mocktails, crafted by bar manager Aaron Hatchell, with winter flavours infused into drinks like the Mulled Wine Sour ($18) and Sweater Weather ($18).Winter sports lovers can flex their curling skills on the hotel's rooftop, which will be transformed into an outdoor curling ri...

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2 w. ago Huge crowds descended on Imperial Pub's last call after over 80 years in Toronto

Masses came out to support a Toronto pub on its final weekend in business after 81 years serving up thirsty patrons.It has been a year of heartbreaking restaurant and bar closures in Toronto, but few losses resonated with the public quite like the news that the Imperial Pub's taps would run dry after generations at Dundas St. E. and Victoria in downtown Toronto.Last call for the Imperial finally arrived this past weekend, and throngs of the pub's loyal patrons flooded the bar to celebrate its longevity and get one last pint in before the doors closed for good at the end of a raucous Saturday night.Damn... pic.twitter.com/ZlKG1E8ZWI— Karon Liu (@karonliu) November 14, 2025Long lines snaked around the block.If you're planning to say goodbye to the Imperial Pub today, we suggest going early, these were the scenes last night. pic.twitter.com/bSXQcAjExe— West End Phoenix (@westendphoenix) November 15, 2025The bar and surrounding businesses are destined to be demol...

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2 w. ago 5 new Japanese restaurants in Toronto you need to try at least once

New Japanese restaurants in Toronto are proving that the country has a whole lot more to offer in the culinary realm than sushi and miso soup.... Not that there's anything wrong with sushi and miso soup, of course.From swanky celebrity chef-helmed ventures serving up cuisines rarely found elsewhere in the city to not-so-hidden gem yakitori spots that allow you to eat your fill of grilled skewers, it's a bright time for Japanese cuisine in Toronto, indeed.Here are my picks for the five new Japanese restaurants in Toronto you need to try at least once.

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3 w. ago First Canadian location of popular New York bar concept opens in Toronto next year

A bar concept that's been making a splash in major cities like London and New York is finally landing in Toronto. The in-progress Mirvish Village development at the southwest corner of Bloor and Bathurst may have only come at the expense of the iconic Honest Ed's discount store, but, on the bright side, it's already shaping up to be a pretty sweet place to be.Word on the street is that the development, which will add a swath of mixed-use retail and residential units to the block of Bloor West between Bathurst and Markham Streets, will be home to Pizzeria Badiali's second location, which is exciting enough on its own, but there's even more good news about the development to deliver.Taking over one of the development's restored heritage homes on Markham Street, at the western edge of the complex, a brand-new concept called Book Bar will soon be joining the community.Book lovers across the city have been mourning the loss of a go-to social space ever s...

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3 w. ago Divisive Toronto restaurant from celebrity chef closes after under a year

A Toronto restaurant from celebrity chef Matty Matheson that made a huge splash upon opening in late 2024 appears to have already closed.Being a big name on the Toronto restaurant scene is about as sure a golden ticket to city-wide notoriety as any, but, as Matty Matheson's ill-fated Bar Clams is seemingly proving this week, it's not a promise of longevity.It was ambitious to open an East Coast-style diner with a menu that featured items like gravy-smothered open-faced turkey sandwiches, donair and all manner of sea creatures battered and deep-fried, sure, but Matheson has never been the type to blend in.And, ostensibly, he was on to something. Folks flocked to the restaurant the moment it officially opened for business in December 2024, perfectly willing to drop $20 on a relatively meagre serving of fish and chips or a duo of taco-sized donairs (the real Nova Scotian deal comes in the size of your head for under $10). The more folks who visited the restaurant...

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3 w. ago Kim Kardashian reveals bar exam results after being panned for All’s Fair role

The reality star-turned-actress shared the results of her California Bar Exam

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