11 h. ago Toronto takes steps to finally protect the city's oldest bar for good

One of the oldest pieces of Toronto history that we've still got left has, at long last, been given the designations it requires to remain a landmark of the city for a long time to come.The Wheatsheaf Tavern, opened all the way back in 1849, has always generally been considered the oldest bar in the city, although it was technically opened after The Black Bull, which debuted under a different original name — thus, some say, disqualifying it from the title — over a decade earlier (The Bull closed last year, anyhow).Aside from a brief scare when it shuttered in 2019, which turned out to be only temporarily and for the purpose of completing a stunning facelift, the Wheatsheaf has been pouring brews at King and Bathurst for nearly two centuries.Which is why the Toronto Preservation Board pushed through a motion to designate the property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act — a recommendation that just passed this week.A threads post about ...

Sport

17 h. ago Toronto bar known for cheap eats and drinks abruptly closes after 20 years

It's easy as a millennial to feel like the Toronto we once knew and loved is dead and gone — and it wasn't a drawn-out demise, either, but one heralded by a rapid spate of closures of iconic institutions.One more in this long line has just hit the chopping block, its abrupt disappearance leaving a hole along Spadina Avenue (and in our hearts).Red Room is one among a family of bars beloved by students and those of us regulars who have been frequenting them for well over a decade.It was first opened in 2007 as the moodier sibling of Green Room, a legendary, though somewhat seedy place that resided in a back alley off Bloor Street, but ended up having to move when its building was sold in 2017.While fans breathed a collective sigh of relief once it was announced that Green Room had settled into the old Crown & Tiger Space on College Street, the fate of Red Room under the exact same circumstances appears to be, unfortunately, the opposite.The restaurant, lo...

Other

3 d. ago Little Italy’s Bar Pompette receives prestigious hospitality award

Toronto’s Bar Pompette has been named Michter’s Art of Hospitality Winner by North America’s 50 Best Bars. In its fourth edition, North America’s 50 Best Bars — sponsored by Perrier — is considered by many as the most authoritative and prestigious survey of cocktail tastes on the continent . This year’s awards ceremony will take […]

Science

3 d. ago Matty Matheson just started a band and they're playing their first

Celebrity chef Matty Matheson never fails to have some serious surprises up his sleeve — and the latest, an announcement that his newly-formed band will soon be playing their first gig in Toronto, is perhaps the most surprising yet.From winning a Golden Globe for his role in The Bear to keeping Toronto's restaurant scene buzzing with new, tasty go-tos, Matty Matheson is certainly a busy guy, and it doesn't look like he'll be slowing down any time soon.The past six months have already brought his latest Toronto restaurant, Bar Clams and a new cookbook, "Soups, Salads, Sandwiches," to the fore, but his latest exploit caters more toward the soul than the stomach: he's making music.A huge personality both in and outside the kitchen, Matheson took to his Instagram account to announce the official formation of Pig Pen, a hardcore outfit featuring Alexisonfire's Wade MacNeil, Daniel Romano, Ian SKI Romano and Tommy Major.Matty, perhaps unsurprisingly, will be on v...

Culture

4 d. ago LUCK OF THE IRISH: Partier walks away after falling through Toronto bar’s roof

Folks usually raise the roof during St. Patrick’s Day festivities, not fall through it. That’s what happened inside a legendary Toronto bar one day before the big annual Irish holiday. Video footage shows a young man falling through a skylight during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Madison Avenue Pub, a popular University of […]

Culture

5 d. ago Toronto bar where 12 were injured in mass shooting issues statement

At the opening of the Piper Arms at Scarborough Town Centre, on Friday, March 7, three unknown men entered the bar and began shooting. Bar owners are grateful no one was killed.

Events

8 d. ago Toronto is about to get its own delightfully stereotypical Canada

Poutine and hockey and moose (mooses?), oh my! A Canada-themed bar featuring all of the country's favourite things is setting up shop in Toronto, and it's set to open its doors in just a few weeks.These are troubling times we Canadians find ourselves living in, what with the threats of tariffs and annexation looming over our heads, but, on the other hand, I can scareceley recall a time — save for maybe the 2010 Vancouver Olympics — where national pride has been at quite such a high.In December of 2024, the Angus Reid Institute reported that Canadian pride had fallen to its lowest levels in decades. Understandable, of course, given the country's complex colonial history and more renewed efforts in recent years to work towards Truth and Reconciliation.Nothing brings people together quite like a common enemy, though, and who better than Donald Trump, with his tariff threats and "51st state" jokes, to fill the role?As of February 2025, roughly two months ...

Other

1 week ago Toronto bar owner says she's $10,000 in debt due to 'recession for poor people'

A community bar in Toronto has openly shared the financial challenges it's currently facing, and given today's tough economic climate, it's a story that too many small businesses across the city can sadly relate to.Swan Dive, located at 1631 Dundas St. W., is an unpretentious bar and bottle shop known for its cheap drinks, games, and free events. In a heartfelt video shared on social media, the bar's owner, Abra Shiner, opened up about the business' financial woes, along with her ongoing battle with metastatic breast cancer."There's been a recession that's been happening only to poor people. The middle class has just dissolved. We provide community for the bottom," Shiner said in the emotional video. "I'm pretty dedicated to cheap drinks and cheap thrills and good times that people can afford."With Shiner battling cancer and unable to work for a significant period of time, her husband, Mike, stepped in to run the bar. Despite their efforts, the bar hasn't been ab...

Economics

1 week ago Voici ce que l’on sait de la fusillade à Toronto qui a fait 12 blessés

Trois hommes sont entrés dans un bar de Scarborough, à l'est de Toronto avant d’ouvrir le feu sur la foule.

Events

1 week ago [IMAGES] Une fusillade fait 12 blessés à Toronto; 3 suspects toujours recherchés

Au moins 12 personnes ont été blessées dans une fusillade survenue vendredi soir dans un bar à l’est de Toronto dans le secteur Scarborough.

Events

2 w. ago Toronto restaurant known for its wings closes after 54 years

A Toronto bar that's been a community stalwart for the past 54 years has officially closed its doors for good.While, in the over five decades that it's been a neighbourhood go-to, Etobicoke's Sloppy Joe's hasn't always borne the same name, one thing about it has remained constant: its status as a local legend.Originally founded in 1971 "driven by the dream of creating a neighbourhood gathering place that felt like home," according to a note on Sloppy Joe's' website, the business was taken over by its owners sons, Larry and Pete in 1998, when it officially became Sloppy Joe's.In the 27 years since then, the bar and restaurant only further continued to cement itself as that very homey neighbourhood watering hole their father dreamt of, hosting regular DJ nights and screening sports games for their Etobicoke neighbours.It also helped that their wings were, as agreed upon by many, some of the best in the city.54 years after their father started the family busine...

Other

2 w. ago Toronto bar that abruptly closed after 36 years is making a return

A long-running watering hole that helped shape Toronto's West Queen West as we know (or knew) it is apparently gearing up to make a return after suddenly shutting its doors in the fall.Squirly's, which graced the 807 Queen St. W. address for a whopping 36 years, gave its clientele a three-week warning that it would be permanently shuttering mid-November 2024, writing in a closure notice that "all good things must come to an end" and that it was simply "time to say goodbye" after a storied run.The charmingly divey spot with its unrivaled indoor-outdoor back patio and extensive craft beer selection was beloved by many, a number of whom flooded onto socials to share their best Squirly's memories and mourn yet another loss for both the area and the city's hospitality scene.The news was particularly painful in light of other nearby closures in recent years, serving as somewhat of a reminder that the once-hip strip seemed&nb...

Other

2 w. ago Toronto bar that abruptly closed after 36 years is making a comeback

A long-running watering hole that helped shape Toronto's West Queen West as we know (or knew) it is apparently gearing up to make a return after suddenly shutting its doors in the fall.Squirly's, which graced the 807 Queen St. W. address for a whopping 36 years, gave its clientele a three-week warning that it would be permanently shuttering mid-November 2024, writing in a closure notice that "all good things must come to an end" and that it was simply "time to say goodbye" after a storied run.The charmingly divey spot with its unrivaled indoor-outdoor back patio and extensive craft beer selection was beloved by many, a number of whom flooded onto socials to share their best Squirly's memories and mourn yet another loss for both the area and the city's hospitality scene.The news was particularly painful in light of other nearby closures in recent years, serving as somewhat of a reminder that the once-hip strip seemed&nb...

Other

3 w. ago New Toronto restaurant explains how they can afford to sell steak frites for $20

While steak frites — and all steak-based dishes, really — tend to occupy the upper end of one's budget, a new restaurant in Toronto is serving them for just $20, and no, there's no catch.French cuisine seems to be all the rage in Toronto these days. Restaurants like Cafe Renee and La Plume shot immediately to the top of the you-gotta-eat-here lists of many upon their openings last year, while standards like Le Select and Cafe Boulud remain super powers on the city's culinary scene.For me, though I have been known to down a plate of escargot in record time, French cuisine took a little warming up to. But what better gateway dish than steak frites?Impeccably simple, the dish — which, as its name would suggest, consists typically solely of steak and frites — lends itself to total interpretation on the part of the chef.At Sauvignon Bistro in the Beaches, the steak is smothered with Pommerey mustard and caramelized onions, while at Co...

Economics

4 w. ago Bar that's been a local landmark celebrating 30 years in Toronto

Toronto bar Pegasus on Church recently marked 30 years in the Church-Wellesley Village, evolving from its humble beginnings as a billiards lounge in 1995 into a community hub today that emphasizes unique programming and provides a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community. Pegasus originally got its start as Pegasus Billiard Lounge just north of its current location. Founded by Robert Knight and Michael Dorman, the bar moved to its present address on Church Street after four successful years, which allowed for expansion and more programming.Christopher Hudspeth, who joined the company in the fall of 2005 as a bartender, officially took over the bar’s ownership in 2013 and currently serves as the president and general manager of Pegasus.Despite its successes, the bar's journey to 30 years was not without its hurdles. During the pandemic, Hudspeth served as the chair of the Church-Wellesley Village BIA and worked diligently to press the local government on wage...

Culture