If you’re looking for a great time at some of Toronto’s top bars look no further in this guide we’ll be covering the best bars and pubs in all of Toronto. The great thing about this city is that you can find a bar in almost any neighbourhood. Whether you’re looking for a bar on King Street, Queen Street or even a University bar, we have something for everyone. We’re going to delve into our list of top bars in the city as well as what they can offer to you on your night out.
This list of bars was handpicked by the staff at Top Toronto Clubs so you know you’re getting a real list based on the opinions of nightlife experts who know venues like the back of their hand.
1. Belfast Love
Address
548 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M3
Hours
Saturdays 11a.m.–2a.m.
About The Bar
Starting with Belfast Love, a medium sized irish themed bar, and one of King Street’s most popular spots on a Saturday night. You’ll often see this place packed by 11 or 12 midnight and a long line flooding out from the entrance. Belfast Love is an Irish themed bar and it does a great job of owning that. We’d say the reason for that is because this place is consistently drawing a solid crowd, to stay busy every weekend.
Belfast Love is especially busy during the summer months because it attracts a wide range of people, and although it’s not the biggest venue it’s always a good place to go with a small group of friends. Belfast Love is also considered a good pre-drinking spot because of it’s decently priced drinks (it is a pub after all) but expect people to flow in and out constantly throughout the night. You can always expect to listen to top 40 as well as mid to late 2000s pop-rock. All in all you can expect to have a good night at Belfast Love because it is such a well-rounded venue.
2. Madison Avenue Pub
Address
14 Madison Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 2S1
Hours
Saturdays 11a.m.–2a.m.
About The Bar
At number two we have Madison Avenue Pub also commonly referred to as ‘The Maddy’. This bar is well-known for being one of Toronto’s staple University bars as it’s very close to the University of Toronto. What’s even more interesting is that this bar is built out of three Victorian houses and opened in 1983 yet still maintains its popularity. From the outside if there wasn’t a line you’d think these were just typical Toronto houses but really it’s a multi-level venue then you that has several bars a beautiful and spacious patio and a dance floor in the basement.
If you’re in University and looking for a bar to hit up with friends this is the spot and you’ll often find people in that age range hanging out here on a Saturday night. As for music you can also expect them to play Top 40 but in the Dance Floor area they are usually spinning big room house. In addition to that there is also a piano bar downstairs beside the dancefloor, which people partake in singing along with the piano performer belching out classic folk tunes.
3. Petty Cash
Address
487 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1T4
Hours
Saturdays 1p.m.–2a.m.
About The Bar
Petty Cash is actually one of our personal favourites and similar to the other bars we’ve mentioned up until now it’s always packed with a huge line outside. We suggest lining up before 11pm to reduce the waiting time. The nice thing about Petty Cash is that it has a chill yet fun vibe, and has arguably a better DJ with more up to date music, which just gives the venue an overall better soundtrack and more modern feel.
Immediately when walking in you can tell people are having a great time just socializing whether they’re in the main area, the patio, or one of the private tables. Everyone is having a good time, vibing, and this is something that we’ve consistently noticed every time we’ve visited. In general you’ll find that the crowd is a bit older, but still university age, usually within the age range of 20-25. Honestly have nothing bad to say about Petty Cash and that’s why we highly recommend checking it out at least once on a Saturday night.
4. Queen Street Warehouse
Address
232 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1Z6
Hours
Saturdays 11a.m.–2a.m.
About The Bar
Warehouse is a great option for a night out on a Saturday whether you’re on a date or with a group of friends, this place is a certified classic. Cheap food, cheap yet fun drinks, and a great atmosphere all add up to a great experience. While we don’t all agree on the quality of the food, you can’t beat the price.
Warehouse has long been known as a go to spot for inexpensive bar food usually starting at around $5 for a decently sized portion. Music ranges from mainstream hip-hop and rap to alternative / underground hip-hop bangers. Warehouse just has an overall very tasteful and wavy soundtrack to it. Crowd generally ranges from university freshmen to young professionals, and typically you’ll see a decent mix of hipsters at this spot because it’s located on Queen West. If you’re looking for a quick and easy option for a Saturday out with a group of indecisive friends, this is a great pick for the night.
5. Bar 224
Address
244 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H 1Y3
Hours
8p.m.–2:30a.m. Saturdays
About The Bar
Bar 244 is located on Adelaide St, and is another hot spot in Toronto’s Entertainment District that generally attracts University students and young professionals because of its extremely cheap drinks (generally starting at $3). While this isn’t our favourite spot we definitely see the appeal of going here as a spot to pre-drink before hitting another bar on Adelaide or club on King or Queen Street West.
This club usually plays top 40 and if you’re a student who just got into University this is likely a great spot to spend your night with new friends. The main appeal that Bar 244 has is that it offers $3 drinks on Saturday nights and the venue transforms into a dimly lit nightclub with a dance floor downstairs and the main bar upstairs. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this spot for cheap drinks.
6. The Dog & Bear
Address
1100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1H9
Hours
Saturdays 10a.m.–2a.m.
About The Venue
The Dog & Bear is easily our favourite Queen Street West bar. The vibe here is nice and laid back, it just has a really great atmosphere. One of the biggest attractions to this venue is it’s decently priced drinks, it’s layout, and the casual crowd (which may be due in part due to the hipster area). In our experience people are very friendly, so this is a great place to bring a group of friends if you’re looking for a simple and easy night out on a Saturday.
The demographic consists of young professionals who are out having a good time, with your occasional older and younger groups of people. Whether you’re in the main area dancing, or seated at one of the large booths or tables which line the venue, this is again one of those places we just don’t see any downsides to. The Dog & Bear is a nice and consistent bar that isn’t trying hard to be anything else.
7. Big Trouble
Address
460 Dundas St W 2nd floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1G9
Hours
Saturdays 5:30p.m.–2a.m.
About The Venue
Big Trouble is located in Toronto’s Chinatown, which to us is a very clever play on words. We’re not sure if it was intended but nonetheless we love the name of this venue. We love this venue for its vibe, its music and unique interior. In addition to that, Big Trouble offers some very unique cocktail drinks and delicious bar food. More often than not you’ll see people sitting down at either one of the tables or booths just drinking, eating, and people dancing in the main area.
Big Trouble is definitely one of the more wavy bars in terms of music on this list with a nice mix of 2000s R&B, and Hip-Hop. This bar tends to attract Toronto’s young asian professionals including a mix of locals as well as foreign Chinese students. It’s clear to us that when the concept was designed for this bar, there was a lot of thought put into it and everything just fits together so nicely. Overall this is another great bar to hit up in Toronto if you’ve never been, just for the drinks alone.
Summary
That pretty much sums up our list of top bars in Toronto on a Saturday night. While there are many bars that weren’t mentioned, you really can’t go wrong with any of the above mentioned bars. As Toronto continues to grow, more awesome bar spots will likely open up but rest assured these are all certified classics in our eyes, and we did our best to curate a list that offers something for everyone. If you’re someone who prefers going to bars over the typical clubs on King or Queen West, We suggest checking out every club on this list if you haven’t been at least once.