Wayward Toronto

Wayward is one of our favourite small rooms on Queen West: regal-meets-street decor, a carefully spun hip-hop set, and a fashion-forward 19+ crowd. $20 cover, Fri and Sat. Here's the honest rundown.

The honest review

Wayward Toronto: the full review

Address & location

Wayward's in West Queen West at 1096 Queen St W (M6J 1H9), in the trendy stretch between Liberty Village and Trinity Bellwoods. It's not the easiest spot to find: it's on top of The Good Son restaurant, so look for that sign on the dark grey building and the door staff to the right of the big red doors.

The room

It's on the top floor with a capacity of around 200, so it's a relatively small venue. It doesn't usually get shoulder to shoulder, but it does get busy, mostly people in booths with a good crowd on the central dance floor and at the bar. Booths line the walls, high tops sit near the main bar, and washrooms are to the right of the bar. Coat check runs about $3-5 in the colder months, and the smoking area is out front, so get stamped first.

Who's there

Mostly young professionals, 19 to 25, dressed clean and fashion forward. Lots of large groups celebrating birthdays in the booths. It's an upscale, chic crowd that wants to party without the busy King West mainstream feel. It does lean cliquey, so it's better for a night out with your own people than for meeting new ones.

What's great

• The mix. A really good blend of hip-hop, rap and trap, with a DJ who clearly puts thought into the set.
• The design. Regal-meets-street decor, great atmosphere, and a room that's perfectly sized for Queen West.
• It rarely disappoints. One of our favourite spots on the strip for a classy, low-key night.

What to know going in

• Cliquey crowd. Groups come to party together, so it's not the spot for meeting strangers.
• It won't always pop off. Being small, it depends on the night, so timing matters.

Move like you know

• Get there early so you can get stamped before any line forms, then come back later once it fills.
• If you can't make it early, line up no later than 11 to avoid the wait.
• Stamped re-entry is permitted, and we'd suggest grabbing bottle service to do it right.

The music

Wayward plays a really good mix of hip-hop, rap and trap. Rather than just throwing on Urban Top 40, you can tell the DJ puts real thought into the playlist, which is a big part of what makes the room feel different from the rest of Queen Street.

What to wear

Dress code is fashion forward: upscale, classy and chic. As long as you're dressed nicely you shouldn't have a problem at the door. Men can't wear sportswear, boots, sneakers, hats or carry side-bags, and bags aren't allowed, though women are welcome to bring a purse.

Age limit

Strict 19+ on a normal club night, no exceptions, so bring real ID.

Find it

Where Wayward is

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