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The nightlife scene in Toronto is as varied as the neighborhoods. Downtown—in the Entertainment and Financial districts and Old Town—bars and pubs cater to theatergoers and weekday worker bees. They can be dead on weekends after dark, however—especially in the Entertainment District—until 11 pm rolls around and the big loft-style dance clubs get going. To hang with locals at their neighborhood joints, head to Little Italy or the Annex, where university students mix with residents of the surrounding Victorian-lined streets.
Gay nightlife centers around Church and Wellesley streets northeast of the downtown core. Everyone under 40 ends up on Queen West at some point, patronizing the once-bohemian, now-established arty bars and cafés. Ladies who lunch meet for midday martinis in swanky Yorkville and later clink glasses at the tony lounges. Throughout the city are dedicated music venues, bars, and supper clubs that specialize in jazz, Latin, blues, rock, hip-hop, and everything in between.
Most recently Toronto has emerged as a food-obsessed city with late-night restaurants (from hole in the walls to the crème de la crème in fine dining), offering sips and nibbles to those who wish to feast past the usual dinner hour. Other emerging trends include a flourish of local brewpubs and luxury hotels offering unique evening programs which have locals and tourists swarming. In this section, we've covered the places that have cemented their place in the city's scene, but new hot spots are always emerging. Check local news outlets to get the latest.
Built as a cinema in 1919, this stately theater is now a live music venue that attracts popular touring acts that run the gamut of punk, rock, rap, folk, electronic music, and even stand-up comedy. Notable performers have included Rihanna, Blue Rodeo, Lizzo, and Echo and the Bunnymen.
This legendary, low-ceilinged rock bar on Queen West has earned a reputation as the place to play for local acts and touring bands alike. Opened in 1947 as a country music venue, the Shoe (as it's often called) hosted greats like Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, and the Carter Family. The venue's scope widened to include the emerging folk, rock, and punk scenes in the 1960s and '70s, giving way to early appearances by the Police, Tom Waits, and Talking Heads. The Rolling Stones even played a now-legendary surprise set here in 1997. Today, the venue books rock, indie, and punk acts from home and abroad.
Latin-music lovers of all ages dress up to get down to live Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and salsa music at this old-school hot spot. Now over two decades old, Lula has become a global music institution, going beyond those genres into samba, cumbia, reggae, Indigenous throat singing, and anything else you can think of. Weekend salsa nights include dance lessons, live band performances, and a prix-fixe menu (C$64). Lula is also an arts center, with dance and drumming lessons and a multitude of festivals and cultural events.
Sitting just north of the booming Ossington strip, this cozy basement bar and music venue has been a neighborhood favorite for over a decade and a half. The wood-paneled, whiskey-soaked vibe might remind you more of Nashville than Toronto, but this concrete city has always had an urban cowboy streak, especially in the music scene. The Dakota is a great spot to catch a high-energy bluegrass hoedown or an intimate singer-songwriter or indie rock showcase.
From open mics to folk music and stand-up comedy, there's something happening almost every night of the week on this casual eatery's backroom stage. The biggest draw is a traditional Jewish brunch series called "Bella! Did Ya Eat?," complete with live klezmer music, that's held every Sunday.
Finding a quiet place to relax and listen to great music is not so common in Toronto but, luckily, there's the Jazz Bistro. The sound system is state-of-the-art and the beautiful Steinway piano is affectionately referred to by regulars as the Red Pops. Blues, jazz, Latin, and world music acts perform almost every night. There's food, too.
Some of the most exciting bands in rock, indie, and punk play at this grungy-yet-venerable club with a psychedelic graffiti facade on the edge of the University of Toronto campus. Grab a Toronto-style roti (Indian curry wrapped Caribbean-style in flatbread) from the service window between sets. Upstairs is the Dance Cave, a no-frills dance club popular with students.
This late-19th-century vaudeville theater retains some of its original charm, most notably in its proscenium arch over the stage. The 900-capacity venue hosts internationally touring acts of all genres. Locals like to reminisce about seeing such diverse acts as Nirvana, Lucinda Williams, Kings of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., and the Black Keys here.
One of Queen West's oldest venues, the Rivoli showcases indie music, theater, and comedy. Arcade Fire, Adele, and Tori Amos all graced the intimate back room's stage early in their careers, and for a cover charge (usually under C$12), you can catch what might be Toronto's next big thing. The low-lit front dining room offers a cozy atmosphere for snacking on their famous "wookie" balls or pad Thai, while the front patio is prime real estate for watching eclectic Torontonians go about their days. Head upstairs to shoot some pool at one of 11 pay-by-the-hour tables.
Once a Portuguese sports bar, after over a decade on Dundas West, this spot has become a key local live music venue. The back room isn't huge, but it's a popular spot for up-and-coming touring musicians as well as locals looking to make a mark, not to mention many hopping DJ nights. It also hosts occasional live music and events like the quirky non-expert lecture series Trampoline Hall. A front room bar/cantina is a neighborhood hangout spot.
Legendary on the Toronto jazz circuit since it opened in the 1980s, the Rex has two live shows every night, and multiple acts on weekend afternoons and evenings. Shows range from free (bring some cash for when the band passes the tip jar) to C$10. The kitchen serves diner fare, and there are even affordable hotel rooms available on-site.
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