Toronto Bars We Love

By Haley Cullingham
If there’s one thing we at She Does The City considers ourselves experts on, it’s bars. From dives with pitchers of beer cheaper than a movie ticket to upscale places perfect for an inaugural girls-night-out, we’ve got a roundup of the best bars in the city to pull the right kind of all-nighter.
The Dance Cave
The legendary club above Lee’s Palace, it’s got no sign but plenty of stories. Nearly everyone in the city of Toronto spends at least 2 years of their life here, dancing to indie, top 40, and Motown, harassing the DJs, making out in the bathrooms, and falling down the stairs. For a sloppy and hilarious night of no-holds-barred dancing, this is the place to go, and it’s always free with student ID. http://www.leespalace.com/dancecave.html
The Green Room
Tucked in an alleyway in The Annex, this sprawling, eclectic space is the place to go for passionate fights with philosophy majors, cozy first dates with art students over pitchers and delicious muchos nachos, or to round up the diverse crew in your extracurricular club for a rowdy night of drinking. Two floors with lots of seating, candlelit tables, and cheap pitchers and food. 296 Brunswick Ave.
Czehoski Great weekend dancing, an upstairs that’s a bit more chill, and plenty of comfy booths, with a more upscale feel. A great Saturday night go-to. (678 Queen St. W.)
Sneaky Dee’s
Upstairs is often a dance party or live band, downstairs is cute boys and girls in bands munching on cheap Mexican and swilling pints. A raucous scene on weekends, and a great place to end up at 4 am for nachos. Sneaks is fantastic about supporting local musicians, and they support back. You can always guarantee a friendly crowd, whether hungover at Saturday morning brunch or lining up on Friday night. http://www.sneaky-dees.com/
Wrongbar
Under the Dufferin Bridge and nestled in Parkdale, Wrongbar brings great DJs from around the world and right here at home for a bona fide sweaty dance party. A place to see and be seen, Wrongbar boasts cheap beers, a large dance floor, a late-night menu, and often cover prices between $5-$15 (email the promoters for guestlist, this will keep things cheap). Wrongbar has no sign, but the gaggle of good-looking smokers outside makes it easy to spot. 1279 Queen St. W. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7200817894
Bistro 422
The definition of a cheap Toronto watering hole, this bar holds a place in the hearts of most who have passed through one of Toronto’s academic institutions. It takes about 4 years of regular drinking before the grumpy but wonderful staff warm to you, but once they do, you feel like a superstar. Cheap, cheap house brew keeps people coming back, and raffle night on Thursdays is a great place to unwind, and get a group of people who don’t know eachother that well together to break the ice. There’s a different special every day of the week, a great patio, and a level of comforting grunge, especially in the legendary ‘Shrooms. You’ll probably spend a good portion of your undergrad (and beyond) drinking with The Beast. 422 College St.
The Boat
Home of all the best dance parties in Kensington, our favourite is Chronologic, where they count down songs from the beginning of time until now. The inside of The Boat actually looks like one, with a charming dilapidated vibe and tables and a dance floor. It lines up fast, so get here early, but cover is rarely more than $5.