Sure, it can be heartbreaking to walk through this gorgeous residential neighbourhood knowing you’ll never be one of the well-to-do residents planting tulips in front of their Edwardian mansions. But where else can you see Margaret Atwood (a long-time Annex resident) stroll past CanLit majors as they wash down The Edible Woman with cake and pints of lager on the patio of Future Bakery (483 Bloor W., 416-922-5875)?
OLD STANDBYS Founded in 1876, The Brunswick House (481 Bloor W., 416-964-2242) remains the oldest old standby in the ’hood: a century’s worth of U of T students have stories to tell about their drunken debauchery at the Brunny. And speaking of debauchery, the massive Madison Avenue Pub (14 Madison, 416-927-1722) —boasting 12 bars, five patios and 150 draft taps — is within stumbling distance of several frat houses, should you somehow feel the need to hit a kegger after last call.
Outdoorsy types have plenty of local options: though the three-level Paupers Pub (539 Bloor W., 416-530-1331) has a street-side patio, smart drinkers head up to the bar’s rooftop to enjoy a skyline view with their brew. Meanwhile, the Ferret & Firkin (720 Spadina Av., 416-962-2016) is home to not only a sizeable patio on Spadina, but a neighbourhood dart league as well.
For a taste of the Irish, visit the James Joyce (386 Bloor W., 416-324-9400), where you’ll find ale not only in your glass, but in your stew as well (the menu says it’s Guinness, but the chef tipped us off that they’re using Smithwick’s instead). Or, for a taste of being 19 years old and slam dancing to New Order, hit the Dance Cave (529 Bloor W., 416-532-1598) above Lee’s Palace.
BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU With its mysterious dark-alleyway entrance, mismatched furniture and courtyard patio, it’s not hard to see why The Green Room (296 Brunswick, 416-929-3253) is a local bohemian favourite. For more of a hippie vibe, head a few blocks north of Bloor, where Grapefruit Moon (968 Bathurst, 416-534-9056) offers local microbrews, weekend brunch and a partially covered patio. Or check out The Tap (517 Bloor W., 416-533-5321), where you can play a game of bubble hockey while demanding that resident DJ Moe Berg (of The Pursuit of Happiness) spin “I’m an Adult Now.”
Among the eclectic mix of shops and galleries on Markham between Bloor and Harbord, you’ll find idyllic front patios at Butler’s Pantry (591 Markham, 416-535-9868) and live-music venue/resto The Central (603 Markham, 416-913-4586), plus Cajun/Creole soul food at Southern Accent (595 Markham, 416-536-3211), whose patio is currently under construction. But nothing says summer like a Raspberry KLB and a plate of veggie chili fries enjoyed on the sprawling wraparound corner patio at the Victory Café (581 Markham, 416-516-5787).
Annex hipsters rejoice: this year, ’60s pop and soul night Shake A Tail made Clinton’s (693 Bloor W., 416-535-9541) its new home — the dancefloor is jumping every Saturday night.
DID YOU SAY DRINK SPECIALS? Insomnia (563 Bloor W., 416-588-3907) has just introduced new summer drink specials for every day of the week, including a litre of sangria for $12 on Wednesday nights, all regular martinis for $5.50 on Thursday nights and mimosas for $5 during weekend brunch — plus, the kitchen’s open till 2am. Labyrinth Lounge (298 Brunswick, 416-925-7775) has $4.25 martinis on Wednesdays and $3 mixed drinks and bottled beer on Thursdays, plus a front patio next door to Future’s.
ANOTHER KIND OF BUZZ If you prefer caffeine to cocktails, head to the intersection of Bloor and Albany, where three out of four street corners boast bustling coffee-shop patios: Starbucks (494 Bloor W., 416-535-9984), Second Cup (537 Bloor W., 416-588-8500) and Aroma Espresso Bar (500 Bloor W., 416-536-7750) all offer a good dose of people-watching with their java (and Aroma offers a little dose of chocolate with every cup, too).