After sunset in the T.Dot

Oh, to be a creature of the night. With its mosaic of multiculturalism, Toronto has one of the best music and nightlife scenes in the country.

A landscape of cool and interesting spaces filled with notable bars/ lounges and clubs, now with one of the world’s most reputable film festivals Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF), where celebs descend on our shores, here are a few of my favourites in the T. DOT.

THE HORSESHOE TAVERN (live rock)

The Horseshoe Tavern opened in 1947 and is one of the most historic in Toronto. It has been host to legends like The Police and The Rolling Stones.  A great spot to grab a couple of casual beers in your jeans and T-shirt and watch some incredible rock n’ roll acts perform live.

THE RESERVOIR LOUNGE (live jazz)

If you prefer jazz to rock, The Reservoir Lounge’s subterranean space is a classy place to grab a cocktail, listen to live jazz and swing music. There’s even swing dancing most nights

LULA LOUNGE (live salsa)

Lula Lounge is host to Latin dance parties with Toronto’s best live Salsa bands. When you are in the mood for multicultural flair, put on your salsa shoes and make your way down on a Friday or Saturday evening.

MUZIK (Saturday night late)

The Old faithful Mega club Muzik is still a great spot to go to on Saturday nights, with celebrity DJ’s like YOUNG GURU (Jay Z’s official DJ), White Shadow (Lady Gaga’s DJ), and a fashionable mid-twenties crowd. It’s a favourite venue for Toronto fashion week parties as well as the Film Festival afterparties. Celeb sightings have been numerous, think Drake, Mark Wahlberg, Snoop Dog and Charlie Sheen to name a few.

THE OSSINGTON (Saturday night hip hop)

The more casual WEST end of Toronto is on Ossington, revelers flock to this hipster spot. The Ossington, a split between lounge and dance party and a space that has become my go-to thoroughfare for trendy bar food and night-time debauchery. The place is staffed with a core group of the neighbourhood`s most flagrant working artists and plays a sweet mix of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk lined up for their Saturday night crowd. Thursday is another safe bet for a good time at The Ossington, it’s the bar’s busiest night where you can catch local artists in their bohemian best drinking Bailey’s- spiked Americano and Hungarian beer

EFS (Cocktails and heels)

EFS (previously Dolce) stands for Everything’s for sale and has started to get really popular with the Bay street suits and trust fund babies on a Thursday and Friday night. The rooftop patio has tons of greenery giving it a “concrete jungle-meets-actual jungle vibe”. All of the cocktails at EFS are developed by a real mixologist, with my favourite being the Thyme Lemonade. One of the few SMOKING patios in the city with small cabanas equipped with hookahs.

DRAKE 150 (Restaurant/Lounge hipster hotspot)

Toronto’s new downtown hotspot has to be Drake 150 which recently opened its doors and is a chip off the old Queen Street, Drake hotel. A beautifully decorated space that is as much about art and interior design, as it is about food and drinks. The in-house mixologist has some of the best cocktails in the city, my personal favorite being the Brown butter maple old fashioned. Don’t be surprised to find pop up restaurants for limited engagements starring celebrity chefs like Donnie Masterton and Nick Liu. A great spot for watching hipsters mingle with ad executives and top models in your trendiest outfit.

THE VINTAGE CONSERVATORY (Private Wine Bar)

One of my favourite wine bars in the city happens to be The Vintage Conservatory – a social club masquerading as a wine club. Owners Andrew and Costa have made a unique cultural atmosphere for their members to interact, learn and drink seamlessly with each other and their guests. If you’re someone who’s wondered “where do all the amazingly interesting, fun, smart, cool, people in the city go?” , they’re probably hanging out in the tastefully laid out cellar, guarded by fingerprint ID, entertaining friends and drinking great wine.

THE SPOKE CLUB (Sexy member’s lounge)

The Spoke club happens to be the sexiest spot in Toronto. A member’s only space for those in the Arts & Media, with the best rooftop patio and an amazing wine cellar. If you want to know where all the sexy people in Toronto go, look no further than Spoke in the summer. Inhabiting 4 floors of a gorgeous Victorian building on King Street, the Spoke is a popular TIFF (Toronto Film Festival) party destination and a hidden enclave of the beautiful and famous , Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Brad Pitt to name a few.

With its mosaic of multiculturalism, Toronto has one of the best music and nightlife scenes in the country, its diverse population makes for an ever-changing landscape of cool and interesting spaces filled with historic bars and music venues with something for everyone