WeGoWeGo

The rooftop patio is somewhat make-shift, but fun once it filled up with people. There’s no view, but it’s a decent get-away from the street noise. I had the cajun chicken wrap and it was awesome! Just the right amount of garlic and they gave me half salad, half fries at no extra charge. The bruschetta bread was good but nothing special, and the warm goat cheese salad was yummy but kind of small. We’ll go again for sure.

This place was so much fun! The decor is unbelievable. They have a huge persian rug that was gifted to the owner by the King of Morocco. Talk about authentic! We sat on cushions, had a very personable waiter, and enjoyed picking from all the options in the price fixe menu (4 courses, $40 per person). There were extra charges if you wanted to upgrade to fillet mignon or steak or other things. My lamb roast was ok, but the beef ribs were huge and tasty. The wine list spans all regions of the world and all price ranges.
And then the belly dancers started! Such a cool show! They went around to all the tables and brought people forward to learn a few moves and show off a bit. I wish we had brought a camera! We will go back. It’s more than dinner, it’s an experience.

This little burger joint rocks! Probably the best burgers in town! Fries are tasty, service is fast, and if you’re lucky you can grab the window seat for four and enjoy the king west scenery as you chow down on your high-end fast food feast. Top it off with a Boylan’s Classic Soda and you’ve got it made. Take-out or dine-in.

I’ve never sat at the cafe part in the front, it’s always packed and I’m not sure what the attraction there is. But if you push your way past the velvet curtain in the back you’ll find a stylish, comfortable, romantic dining room. Steak and red wine hit the spot.
Upstairs is a really cool bar that feels like a house party at an interesting and stylish friend’s house. It’s always packed, but being elbow to elbow with the attractive crowd at czehoski is never a bad thing.
They often have a live dj keeping the fresh tunes flowing.
Outside, the rooftop patio is stylish and well-designed. The appy plate is a nice treat, but beer tastes good enough up here to satisfy on its own.

King Palace offers 70+ combos of authentic Pakistani curry dishes. It’s the real deal. When they say spicy, they mean it. And garlic! whoa!
Then naan bread is huge and nicely pan fried. They have just about any kind of curry you can think of—Chicken Tikka, Butter Chicken, Tandoori, beef, oxtail, eggplant… the list is long and mouth-watering.
The salad isn’t much, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t like the dressing and it’s really only lettuce. But it probably helps the digestion, especially if you’re not accustomed to eating this caliber of curry. This place is a hit at lunchtime, after the bars, and 24/7 for cab drivers.

Great venue, great drinks, good times!

The Black Bull is the quintessential patio. Right at the top of Queen and John, it sits like a glowing summit after a long days slog through Queen West and surrounds. It must be the location: in the core of Queen Street West, facing south-west, in front of a heritage building. Something about sitting on the patio at the Black Bull gives me a feeling of satisfaction. Maybe it’s the abundant street life passing by. Maybe it’s the memories of all the good old times I’ve had there, or the promise of new ones.
Or maybe it’s that getting a seat at Toronto’s best and busiest patio is a feat of accomplishment itself. Either way… good times.
The burgers are fine, and there’s pool inside as well as several tv’s and some comfy booths if the weather is not patio-worthy.

Contemporary Canadian cuisine adds a bit of upscale style to The Beach. Enjoy sipping wine in the rooms of this renovated heritage home.

The Ossington is sleek and chill.

They have a great selection of beer and people were drinking some pretty nice looking mixed drinks, too. Candles flickered along the long stainless steel bar which provides lots of seating and area for leaning at just the right angle.

The turn tables are front and centre and doing what they do best.

Elevated seats in the front window give those seated there a great view of the street, and a great view of all to the people in the window. Are they in a good vantage point, or on display?

It was a pleasure to be a part of the scene.

Come to the football factory to watch the game, meet fellow fans, enjoy the food, and the excellent choice of beers (often some weird choices, too), but stay for the company. The people here are genuine, cool, and fun. Not pretentious, but sometimes a little too passionate about the game…

This bar is fully renovated and kitted out with comfy seating, flat screens all around, and fancy lighting, so it’s not just a sports bar. You could bring a date here. Just let her set the channel on your booth’s private flat screen. At least until she’s sampled enough of the beer to get into the game as much as everyone else.

The chicken shawarmas are great at Ali’s King Falafel. The curly fries are good, too.
Don’t ask for the garlic sauce unless you really mean it. Really. There’s a variety store close by if you need to buy some gum. You will. But you love it.

Octopus Lounge is an intimate little groovy spot. Two friendly bars lean in on either side a tight little dance floor. It seems like the whole place is bouncing up and down! Get there early to ensure a spot.

Andy Pool Hall makes me smile every time I think of it. It’s an excellent pool hall, a cool lounge, and one of my favourite dance floors in the city. I’m not sure how they managed to get it right in so many ways, but it’s worth a visit.
Most times I’ve been, the dj’s have stirred up a wild crowd which appears magically from the surrounding red pleather reto couches.

In the character of Liberty Village, the Brazen Head took an old industrial building and retrofitted it into a gorgeous, high-ceiling space with all the modern amenities. Come here after the game, for brunch, or anytime for a good pint. This is a well-appointed pub.
When I was there at Christmas they had half-priced martinis and a woman passed out, taking a fully-decorated Christmas tree down with her. Nothing serious, just a more eventful dinner than we expected. The staff was friendly and helpful, and took good care of us and the woman who fainted.

I love this pub. The food is excellent. My favourite is the steak and veggie skewers with ceasar salad and a thick pint. The fish and chips are tasty, too.

There’s a tiny patio on King Street, but the traffic is pretty loud at the corner of King and Bathurst. Still, it’s a patio.

Inside they have several games on tv around the well-appointed bar. Or choose from several booths or a table with nice views over the busy street.

Cozying up to the fireplace in the winter time is an especially nice way to enjoy the Banknote’s high ceilings, old wooden beams and brass highlights in this warm interior.

This little victorian house doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s a warm little world of flavour and hospitality on the inside.
Club Cayo Coco is a great place for a romantic date. The restaurant is cozy and intimate and the service was excellent. The tapas menu offers a huge variety of things to choose from, and they have half priced martinis every day from 4:30 to 8pm except for Saturday.
While we were there a large group of 20-somethings was having a blast ordering more and more food and martinis until the bill came and they couldn’t agree on how many they had each had… lost count somehow :)
We enjoyed 6 different tapas dishes and a couple bottles of wine. The tapas were pretty small, but it added up to a good feed. So many tasty sauces!
Downstairs the bar offers a tiny dance floor and some tropical flavour.. or at least I remember seeing a palm tree decoration on my way out. Yes, we had some martinis, too.

This used to be Fion McCools but the owners bought out of the franchise so they could be more creative with the menu and have more fun with djs and drink specials.
They have drink specials almost every night, complementary oyster bar on Fridays and even cheap drinks on weekend brunches.
The chicken ceasar salad was awesome, especially on a beautiful patio with a beautiful girl on a sunny evening.

Johnny has been through several iterations since opening back in ~2006. They started off as a sit down dining restaurant, then re-invented themselves as more of a take-out/eat in fast (but good) food place.
I live around the corner and have been there many times. I’ve always loved the food, especially the steak burrito. I like my food spicy but a medium at Johnny Banana is good for me, they can really turn the heat up if you want, look out!
My favourite thing about the burrito, aside from the heavenly taste, is the way it’s rolled up and grilled. It doesn’t fall apart. It’s miraculous.
For desert, the hot chocolate Azteca is bloody awesome. Chocolate, chili, and spice, inspired by the way the Aztecs used cacao long ago. It’s an experience not to be missed, if you are a spice-lover. Enjoy!

The Pilot has every type of setting you could want: a street-side patio, a dark and cozy dining room, the second floor “Stealth Lounge” bar and event space, and “The Flight Deck”—a super cool rooftop patio. Great apps and beers and lunch specials too.

The Flight Deck is worth the trip up the stairs, even if just to check the way it’s deocrated. They took the aviator theme fully—I always feel like I’m stepping into Top Gun or the 1942 airplane videogame up there.

Ted’s Collision is the perfect place to go on College Street when you don’t want to deal with the hoity toity too-good-for-you attitude that swarms the rest of Little Italy at night.
Ted’s Collision offers candles, broken furniture, good beer at a reasonable price and lots of down to earth people.
There’s a pool table in the back of the bar and a cool little patio out back.

The Yellow Griffin is THE place for burger lovers. That’s what they have: burgers. Beef burgers, salmon burgers, bison burgers, pork, chicken, veggie, turkey, and even lamb burgers.
Then there are 35 choices of toppings. Imagine any kind of burger and you’ll probably be able to order it at The Yellow Griffin.
Then savour a few pints. Come back in the morning for breakfast. QED.

Good solid home-style pub fare can be found at the Groundhog, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

As usual, Fionn delivers! Great selection of beers on tap and good food. The patio is large, and while offering a great view of the street llife on Bloor still manages to feel like a tree-covered oasis.

This somewhat magestic pub (it used to be a bank building) offers two large patios in the heart of The Beach. Pub fare and apps go great with beer and people-watching. Lots of Jazz here usually during the festival.

Souz Dal is one of my favourite off-beat watering holes on College. It’s intimate, quirky, cozy, dark, and artsy. There’s a small patio out back. Come for the martini list, stay for the vibe.

Although Spring Rolls has a reputation for amazing interior design, this one takes the cake in my opinion. The dining room is spacious and airy, with large windows facing south and a peaceful waterfall in the middle. There is also a second dining room that they’ve expanded into.
If you spend more than $20 (which you’ll do unless eating alone) you can park for free in the Atrium on Bay (http://www.atriumonbay.com/parking.html)

Every time I walk into the Done Right Inn I feel like I’ve just pulled into the cottage after a long drive. There’s always something gritty and real playing on the speakers, a friendly pierced face behind the bar and a crooked stool waiting for me. Play a game of foosball if you can get the table to a satifactory degree of levelness (or not) and then step out back to a glorious Queen West alleyway patio under large mature trees. That’s Queen West done right.

C’est What is cozy, well-appointed pub with carpeted floors and an amazing selection of craft canadian beers and VQA wine as well as their own award-winning wine and beer. There’s also a great selection of whiskey, scotch, and bourbon.
Even though it’s a basement, it has a special vibe to it. Maybe it’s the aquarium.. or maybe it was the beers. So many good beers.

This is a gorgeous little bar. Choose from a tall stool at the bar or a plush leather chair at a low table. But beware the $10 pints. You are in a hotel bar. A vodka bar. I wasn’t expecting that Sapporo (Sapporo? that’s not even a real beer!) would run $10 a pint. But that’s what you get for drinking beer in a vodka bar. My bad.
But the ambiance was worth it.

The Rex is Toronto’s foremost Jazz and Blues bar. It’s not too expensive and you can always count on good music. Their motto is “More Great Jazz than anywhere else, all the time!” In summer they have a little patio on the side. The interior isn’t too flashy, but it all makes sense when the music starts.

The Dog’s Bollocks is a spacious, open pub filled with simple booths and tables. There is a fireplace with a living room setup near the long bar at the back. Check it for cheap pitchers of beer and mixed drinks and affordable eats.

What a great show! They started with four songs from their new album, No Line on the Horizon, then rocked us out with their solid classics like Where the Streets Have No Name, One, Beautiful Day, and Vertigo.
The set was freaky and cool, like one of those alien pods from War of the Worlds. The giant 360’ screen was awesome, and the sound was clear and full.
U2’s site

The Foggy Dew has been my neighbourhood pub for years. They have an excellent patio that runs along King Street West and all the way around the corner onto Niagara Street. Make the most of the summer sunset by planting yourself here and enjoying some fine imported beers and scenery.
In the winter, head inside to take in the game, some live music, or just to enjoy the warm atmosphere… and again the tasty suds.
They have a pretty good Irish stew, meaty wings, and a good large burger.
Service is always fast and friendly and the prices are fair.

The Hideout has gone through many evolutionary steps before deciding on its current state. Live music is a common feature as is a good beer selection. You can’t go wrong with the patio in summer, and it’s big enough inside to get your groove on when the bands shake it down.

I love Mill Street Tank House Ale. Hops. Love it. Not to hot on their other brews, though, for the most part. I like the coffee porter, but that’s a beer built for enjoying, not drinking.
The brew pub does justice to the Tank House Ale. There’s always something special about being close to where the beer is made. Just like how the best super-hero stories are always the genesis stories about how they got their powers or started fighting crime.
They do a good brunch, and have a little patio (good luck getting a spot in summer though—it’s pop-u-lar!).

Right on the SE corner of Bellwoods Trinity Park you’ll find this modern little cafe. You can see the minimalist layout from the big window on Queen St W. It looks like a gallery more than a restaurant.

Inside, behind a glass case are a variety of gourmet treats: sandwiches, chocolates, pastries. Each one is a work of art. Seriously, it’s like a high-end jewelry store but you can eat the inventory!

I had a steak sandwich, which seemed really small considering it was $7, but the flavours were amazing. Little bits of goat cheese and caramelized onions, what a treat!

They also have a cool selection of desserts if you are looking to wow someone at home.

I didn’t try the coffee but expect it would be as top-drawer as the rest of this place. It feels overpriced for Queen West, and perhaps a bit exclusive, but it’s worth a try for sure.

First, put on some tunes while you read my review (for context) http://www.myspace.com/metric

Emily Haines and the boys really put on a show! Massey Hall is a great place to see a concert, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. We had the best ones, up in the 3rd row! Just after the concert started, the bouncers let the first 4 rows rush the stage. We watched the whole show leaning on the stage, right there in front!

The energy was intense, the whole place was grooving along and singing by the end. They are really first class performers, the lights and sound were top-notch. I’d put this down as one of my favourite live performances ever!