The hipster who dares not set foot north of Bloor is missing out on this jewel of a midtown neighbourhood, located on Bayview Avenue between Eglinton and Davisville. Nestled amid the butcher shops and niche stores selling everything from cigars to tennis gear are a large number of sidewalk patios catering to the strip’s heavy summer pedestrian traffic.
OLD STANDBYS Original’s (1660 Bayview, 416-481-0371) has reduced the concept of sports bar down to a science, boasting no fewer than 10 flat screens on the main floor alone.
n McSorley’s Saloon and Grill (1544 Bayview, 416-932-0655) is a perennial favourite that boasts a large selection of draft beer, but is perhaps most famous for its weekend brunch, an automatic hangover cure.
Tuesday night cheap wings are the main event at Duff’s Famous Wings (1604 Bayview, 416-544-0100), whose heat factor ranges beyond the tame Hot to include Superhot, Death and Armageddon.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK A testament to the power of the slow food philosophy, Cluck, Grunt and Low (1620 Bayview, 416-544-0505) opened their second location in January on the same block as Duff’s, creating in the process what ought to be a BBQ rivalry for the ages.
The closing of beloved eatery Smalltalk made way for the December opening of Joey Fiasco’s (1580 Bayview, 647-345-3429), which has done well to fill the Italian cuisine void on the Bayview strip.
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT BEER Bayview also boasts numerous patios that offer nothing to do with liquor, proving that a patio does not survive on alcohol content alone. Try the Alsatian pastry delights at Patisserie La Cigogne (1626 Bayview, 416-487-1234), or brave the long lines for a scoop of the award-winning ice cream at Hollywood Gelato (1640 Bayview, 416-544-9829).