2 h. ago Group of top Toronto mixologists are opening a unique new cocktail bar

A group of former mixologists from high-profile Toronto bars are teaming up to start their own venture, but they're not doing it alone.Cocktail bars have long been staples on the Toronto culinary landscape, and it's not hard to understand why.They're sleek, they're chic, they're dimly lit. Whether sought out as a date location or a post-date rendezvous point to debrief with your friends, there's a conspiratorial air about the cocktail bar that's downright irresistible.The only hang-up comes when the cocktail bar in question is too sleek and chic (read: uptight) to actually allow you to have fun.Lonely Diner, the latest venture from a team of notable mixologists, bar managers and restaurateurs, though, blows the lid off the hoity-toity cocktail bar stereotype, opting instead for something that'll feel comfortable and familiar, while still undeniably stylish.In Lonely Diner, you can expect a vibe akin to a cozy, wood-panelled 1970s basement, b...

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6 h. ago Toronto food alley that just opened on a buzzy strip last year has closed down

An outdoor food market in Toronto that once boasted a dozen vendors has closed permanently after only a few months.Founded in October 2024, Queen West's Food Alley promised to be a one-of-a-kind addition to the landscape of the buzzing downtown core.Transforming a vacant lot into a culinary bazaar populated by upwards of 14 independent vendors served burgers, pizza, dumplings, ice cream and beyond to scores of hungry shoppers under draping Edison string lights.Toronto alley transforming into a new street food market https://t.co/GbaL8AwG8r— blogTO (@blogTO) September 20, 2024Honestly, it would have been a cool idea had it been able to stick around. Alas, no more than 10 months after opening its gate, the Food Alley suddenly announced via Instagram post that it was closing down permanently, with little explanation."This is a goodbye! Thank you Queen W.," the stylized image reads, adding, "Queen West, you've been a dream," in the c...

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7 d. ago Toronto bar that reopened under new concept is permanently closing

A groundbreaking Toronto bar known for its one-of-a-kind immersive interiors will be closing down at the end of the month.Much like Taylor Swift, Queen West's Grizzly Bar (formerly Offworld) has had plenty of eras. Originally an outer space-themed restobar, complete with projection screens that gave the illusion that you were drifting through the galaxy and a cocktail that came with a pair of headphones that played the sound of a black hole while you sipped.It got spookified for Halloween, transformed into a Thai beach for a Full Moon Party at the height of The White Lotus-induced fervour during the early spring of 2025, then, when national pride in Canada began surging amid rising tensions with our neighbours to the south, the team embarked on its biggest transition yet.Co-owned by Jason Kapalka of Stormcrow Manor and his wife, Jessica, Offworld officially transformed the bar into Grizzly Bar, Toronto's most comprehensive — and perhaps only — Cana...

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8 d. ago AGCO Moves to Revoke Toronto Bar INXX Lounge’s Liquor Licence for Repeatedly Obstructing Inspections

TORONTO, Aug. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a Notice of Proposal (NOP) to revoke the liquor sales licence of INXX Lounge, located at 1295 Finch Ave W in North York, Ontario. This proposed action stems from multiple serious contraventions of the Liquor Licence and Control […]

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3 w. ago CRIME SCENE: Woman nabbed by cops, man wanted after downtown robbery

A 21-year-old Toronto woman has been charged with robbery while a male suspect is wanted after an incident at a downtown bar. Toronto Police said they responded to a robbery call Friday at about 12:30 a.m. in the Yonge-College Sts. area after an altercation that started Thursday at a bar near Yonge and Dundas St. […]

Events

4 w. ago Toronto restaurant owner fighting to keep business alive after being hacked

The owner of a family-run restaurant in Toronto is fighting to keep the business alive after hackers took hold of his social media accounts.The morning of July 7 started off like any other for Julian Morana, the owner of Toronto's longstanding Bar Volo and its spinoffs Bottega Vol0, Birreria Volo, and Keep6 Imports. Little did he know, it would spiral into a weeks-long headache that would put his businesses and livelihood at risk."I have a newborn baby, so I was up quite early, and I had noticed Facebook advertisement charges on our business Amex," Morana explains, "and I don't remember the last time I had posted a sponsored ad, so I thought that was peculiar."Upon further investigation, Morana discovered not only that there were multiple charges for Facebook advertising on the card, but that the daily spending limit had been increased and was only rising.His first instinct was to flag the activity to Amex, but when he t...

Economics

4 w. ago Acclaimed Toronto chef taking over former home of legendary Italian restaurant

Toronto was shocked to learn that a legendary Italian restaurant was closing down, but its new owners plan to carry the torch well.Little Italy locals and other diners across the city were gutted earlier this July to learn that, after two decades in business, College Street stalwart Vivoli had closed down permanently.At the time, the Vivoli team didn't offer much explanation behind why, after two fruitful decades, the beloved restaurant was shutting down, nor any hints towards what might be coming next. It wasn't until the new owners of the building contacted us that we finally had our answer — and, we're pleased to confirm, it's something to get excited about.The new owner of the former Vivoli restaurant space is none other than respected Toronto chef Adam Pereira, who plans to breathe new life into the location while still honouring its roots with his latest venture.The mastermind behind St. Clair West's Cano since 2017, Pereira couldn'...

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4 w. ago Single resident complaint could mean new Toronto bar won't get to open

A chic, sleek new bar is gearing up to open its doors in Toronto, but a complaint from one neighbour is standing in its way.Though it has yet to open its doors, Bosque, a new neighbourhood watering hole due to move in on Broadview Avenue, has already generated a fair amount of hype, largely thanks to the killer team attached to it.The new bar is the brainchild of Jared and Addis, former team members at The Wren and Lake Inez — two east-end institutions that have gained major reputations for their next-level menus and cocktail offerings.Following in the tradition of the restaurants where they cut their teeth, Jared and Addis' vision for Bosque is for the bar to be a low-key neighbourhood haunt; a space for the community to meet and gather free from the stuffy, sceney vibes that so often plague stylish new spots in the city.Though many of the finer details about what Bosque will serve are being closely held until they open, even the general con...

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last month Team behind popular Toronto restaurant just opened a speakeasy next door

Hidden behind an unmarked door in Little Italy, Toronto’s new speakeasy-style bar is a surprisingly stylish new retreat.It hasn't even been a month since J's Steak Frites — the city's go-to spot for, you guessed it, steak frites — closed the doors of its original Queen West location permanently (don't worry, the College location is alive and well). Still, the team has already moved on to something completely new.Tucked away unassumingly in the same building as J's Steak Frites' Little Italy location, owners Jad Sfeir and Tara Tang have just launched Bitters & Bloom, a 1920s-inspired speakeasy serving up stylish cocktails and bar bites — a far cry from the one-item menu at J's.The sultry spot takes inspiration — as many speakeasy-style bars tend to do — from the jazz era, with dim lighting and rich, cozy interiors, but it’s not gimmicky. Instead, the space serves as a perfect backdrop for the sophisticat...

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