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Addis Ababa
Coffee Ethiopian style: green coffee beans roasted over a flame in an iron pot, ground and 'steeped' in boiling water in a tall clay pot, then poured into ceramic cups on a tray with smoldering frankincense. Amazing!
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Allen's
Saloon-style Allen's has daunting beer, wine and whiskey lists, with over 200 single malt scotches and 100% Canadian vino. The vibe strays into Celtic territory a little too much, but at least it's authentic - Irish staff, Irish musicians and Irish cooks who make the best sweet potato fries you'll ever have in your life.
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B Espresso Bar
The coffee creed at funky B is 'Steamy, rich, smooth, strong, fine, bold, delicious.' Hot damn, has coffee ever sounded so sexy? Almost as sexy as the Italian staff with mean caffeine coursing through their veins.
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Bad Dog Theatre
Ace improvisers Marcel St Pierre and Kerry Griffin lead the charge into Saturday night 'Improv Unleashed' gag-fests. There's a free drop-in improve workshop at on Saturday before the show, and an open stage on Wednesdays.
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Black Eagle
A charred-out, lawless tomb, Black Eagle lures leather-men, uniform fetishists and denim boys. Hardcore gay porn plays on big screens; the art on the walls is well hung in all senses of the expression. Check your clothes at the door for seriously gritty theme nights (not for the mild-mannered).
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Brass Taps
This atmospheric, split-level pub is the kind of place you can read a book over a slow pint during the day, then whoop-it-up at night with a crankin' jukebox, pool tables and an eclectic crowd of after-workers, students and locals. They have Creemore Springs on tap, and the food is top-notch - try the 'Brass Taps Deluxe' pizza.
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Brunswick House
Between student karaoke nights and horse racing, the comedy schedule at the boozy, big-screen Brunswick House includes a version of Saturday Night Live by local troupe The Sketchersons (www.thesketchersons.com). On Wednesdays it's Late Night Giggin' - stand-up, live music and debauchery.
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Castro's Lounge
An unexpected attitude-free zone in The Beaches, this renegade bar has 120-plus Canadian microbrews and import beers, vintage movie posters and hardwood tables, around which cluster local literati, conspiracy theorists, political activists and slacker hangers-on. Keep an ear to the ground for beer tastings, spoken word events and live music.
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Ciao Edie
Edie may have said goodbye, but this subterranean hotspot keeps on truckin' with '60s mod colors, light-hearted lamps, whimsical decor and retro tunes spinning in the background. Cocktails are deadly; it's gay-friendly too.
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Ciro's
Way out west in the emerging West Bloor Village, dodge the dealers and duck into Ciro's for a come-as-you-are beer and a game of pool as old soul crackles on the stereo. The good-looking owners inherited Ciro's from their parents, and they've refused to gentrify it - the crusty old Bukowskis at the bar still feel right at home.
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Comfort Zone
Lose track of time in this underground trip-hop club, where 24-hour pilled-up party people come when everywhere else has closed. It's grungy, but dress nice (no ripped stuff). The 24-hour Sunday session is the stuff of legend (or nightmares, depending on your point of view).
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Crews/Tango/Zone
This three-pronged joint sees women kicking up the heat at Tango, next door to the men's bar Crews (nice pun!) and the cabaret-style Zone. Show up for karaoke nights, drag queen/king shows and DJs spinning their stuff, usually during the weekends.
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Crush
It's easy to develop a crush on Crush, an impressively designed wine bar offering dozens of varietals by the glass. Sommelier Eric Gennaro conducts wine tasting evenings for everyone from novices to experts, served by some of the friendliest waitstaff in the city.
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Czehoski
Everyone raves about Czehoski, a timber-faced shopfront bar that manages to be bohemian, classy and understated all at once. The beer and wine lists are extensive, the bar food first-rate, cocktails potent, service friendly, music 'schmoove' and interior design magazine-worthy. The only thing worth arguing about is how to pronounce the name.
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Dance Cave
Upstairs at Lee's Palace, Dance Cave is thick with U of T young 'uns, dancing up a storm to retro '80s grooves, Brit Pop, garage rock and '60s soul tunes. There's no cover except on weekends.
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Docks Nightclubs
A lakeshore entertainment complex, the Docks has multiple nightclubs, all with huge dance floors, and a breezy outdoor patio. It's primed at the height of summer, when 2000 people gyrate through special event nights. Public transport isn't an option - take a cab.
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El Convento Rico
Inside a former church beyond some impressive steel gates, this gender-bending Latino dance palace sees as many straight as gay clientele these days, but drag shows still triumphantly storm the stage. Salsa and meringue lessons carve up the floor from on Fridays.
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Esplanade Bier Markt
Recently the Bier Markt has gone upscale; the bouncers behave as if this were a nightclub. But it's still worth stopping by, if only to taste from a beer menu that covers Belgium to South Africa to Trinidad, with over 150 varieties all told.
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Fly
Winner of a proud crop of 'Toronto's Best Club' awards, gay-focused Fly is a shirts-off muscle fest, flying in the face of conformity with state-of-the-art sound and light and US and international DJs spinning hard-house, tribal and trance.
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Foundation Room
A 30-plus crowd of city drifters descends into this plush, Middle Eastern-inspired room near St Lawrence Market - all dark wooden floors, Moroccan lanterns, mirrored walls and red velvet cushions. DJs play house; bottled beers and martinis seem to be in every hand.
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Hardrock Café
Yeah, we know, it's a big-ass multinational chain, but you just can't beat this view! Where else can you sit with your pint by a huge plate-glass window and watch the Toronto Argonauts bump into further success, or the Toronto Blue Jays fail to live up to expectations. And it's free! The usual collection of John Mellencamp guitars and signed Aerosmith records adorns the walls.
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Hooch
Lounging around upstairs from Gypsy Co-op, Hooch heats up with rare grooves and hipster moves on various nights of the week, often with no cover charge. DJs spin soul, jazz, house, swing and drum 'n' bass, while tarot card readings happen in a darkened corner.
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Jet Fuel
So arty and self-consciously cool, this hangout is for east-end gentrifiers, cyclists and literati who like to jeer at the beautiful people of Yorkville. The best coffee east of Yonge St.
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Kaffeehaus Konditor
Konditor is a traditional, Germanic coffeehouse at the city end of The Beaches strip, serving piping hot coffee and Teutonic staples like goulash, chicken schnitzel and what's allegedly the world's best apple strudel. Who are we to argue?
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Kalendar
As much a bistro as it is a coffeehouse, Kalendar's darkly lit booths fill with coo-cooing couples, so you'll have to scramble for a seat. The kitchen creates delicious pastry-wrapped 'scrolls,' naan pizzas and orange-ginger-carrot soup, plus generous desserts.
