The Room
1149 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M6J 1X4
Mon–Fri: 5pm–2am
Sat–Sun: 3pm–2am
No website — walk in
$ (Cocktails CAD $6–8)
After work, Cheap drinks, Music lovers, Locals
Indie vinyl, Bartender's selection
Come as you are
No reservations
One of Toronto's great neighbourhood dives. 250 square feet, a single bar, no sign outside, and a vinyl collection that runs the full history of independent music from 1977 to now. The cocktail menu runs to two items — a $6 well highball and a Steamwhistle Pilsner — but nobody comes here for the drinks menu. They come for the room and whoever the bartender is that night.
The best seats are the four stools facing the bar. The music is whatever the person behind the bar wants to hear. This is where you discover new records and old friends. The room fills naturally on weekday evenings with a mix of regulars, musicians, and people who found the place through word of mouth. If you're looking for bars in Toronto's hidden gems, this is the canonical example — the kind of place that exists because someone cared about the detail, not because there was a business plan.
On a good Tuesday this is the finest room in Toronto's Dundas West. Also explore our guide to the best bars in Toronto to find more neighbourhood discoveries. After-work drinks take on a different character here — less formal, more conversational. You'll find people from Toronto's after-work scene mingling with the locals who've been coming for years.
The only cocktail on the menu, mixed with precision by bartenders who take their work seriously despite the price.
On draft. Clean, crisp, local. Pairs with every conversation you'll have at the bar.
From the well. Simple, honest, classic move.
When they like you. This is a sign you've earned your place at the bar.
Weekday evenings are the sweet spot — the room has energy but you can still hold a conversation. Early Saturday afternoon, before the 5pm rush fills the place, is perfect for your first visit.
Locals who know it. Music lovers with deep crates. People who find their best nights in places without signs outside. If you value the room more than the drinks menu, you belong here.