Has College turned into the strip that hip forgot, or has it just grown up? Toronto Life recently dubbed Little Italy “Clubland North,” citing the proliferation of cheesy lounges and cruising limos. Dig deeper and you’ll find upscale bars that earn the term, along with old-school Italian virtu behind the layers of glitz. (And besides, what other part of town can deliver this much glorious patio space?)
OLD STANDBYS Start with the signature drink that, for better and for worse, defines the neighbourhood: the martini. Souz Dal (636 College, 416-537-1883) is the kind of candlelit and beaded curtain–sporting neighbourhood institution that call people to cities like a cocktail-shaped beacon, a place you can count on in your hour of need to serve you a decent martini for a reasonable price. Many a budding tryst has been sealed on its small, shaded, possibly magical patio. For a more upscale but still friendly take on the martini-bar formula, Wild Indigo (607 College, 416-536-8797) is a wise choice, though the decision to have that fourth crantini will be anything but.
Those looking for the true Italianate experience — soccer, accents, immaculate hairstyling — will find Café Diplomatico (594 College, 416-534-4637), or more accurately, will find stunna-shades-sporting sun-seekers lined up in front of their sizeable adjoining patio. Those simply looking for the best food, warm woods and stunning decor will appreciate the menu at Il Gatto Nero (720 College, 416-536-3132), while the renowned wine list at Sotto Voce (595 College, 416-536-4564) will delight the oenophile who appreciates both wine and people-watching from the numerous tables and chairs stationed outside. Those looking for a welcoming atmosphere and a well-selected wine list (charmingly displayed on chalk boards along the wall) should hit the tightly packed but navigable main room and back patio at Utopia (586 College, 416-534-7751). And speaking of patios, one of the best for clandestine late-night canoodling remains the College Street Bar (574 College, 416-533-2417) with its wooden benches and manicured foliage.
The strip is still hurting from the loss of Ted’s Wrecking Yard —?Collision (573 College, 416-530-7569) is a relative, but not a band-hosting one. There remain three major live-music outposts in deepest Little Italy: The Mod Club (722 College, 416-588-4663), which boasts some of the city’s best concerts, provided they don’t conflict with their popular Britpop DJ nights; Revival (783 College, 416-535-7888), where soul, funk and touring DJs attract a mature crowd who still love to party; and The Orbit Room (580A College, 416-535-0613), a laid-back upstairs joint populated by funk, jazz and fusion scene veterans. And any musical roundup leaving out Thymeless (355 College, 416-928-0556) would be incomplete; it remains the city’s number one place to hear real reggae with a Red Stripe in hand, then duck onto the back patio for a breath of, er, fresh air.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK It isn’t brand new, but given how easy it is to walk past Arthurs (501 College, 416-413-9998) without noticing its subtle signage and its minimal, aesthetically pleasing interior, it might as well be. Having ditched the food part of the resto-lounge equation, patrons can enjoy a scotch or two and possibly take in one of the burgeoning lounge and house DJ nights.
Speaking of DJs, Andy Poolhall (489 College, 416-923-5300) has swallowed its neighbour Ciao Edie whole, and its fabulous DJ lineups and serious pool table action are stronger than ever.
BEST UN-COLLEGE-Y COLLEGE SPOTS For the student-y type and the indie kid who tends to shy away from drinking martinis or any form of cocktail that requires fruit juice and tiny umbrellas, there are still plenty of options. Nascent and full-on indie rockers will heart the aforementioned Collision with its charmingly pockmarked tables and generously-priced drinks, something that a trip east of Bathurst yields more readily. Sneaky Dee’s (431 College, 416-603-3090) remains a triple threat, with legendary fajitas and other Tex-Mex specialties downstairs, a consistent and resolutely indie selection of bands upstairs — though now that the pool table has sadly been removed, how do you while away the hour or so of opening acts? — and more graffiti in one place than even a 1980s New York City subway car could boast. Across the street, the narrow and charming Cloak and Dagger (394 College, 647-436-0228) keeps it real, and real Irish, with a well-curated selection of beers on tap, cozy darkened booths and great DJs, despite the absence of a noticeable dancefloor. When you’ve got a properly pulled Guinness in front of you, dancing in your seat is as far as you’ll want to stray.