The Bottom Line is a downtown sports bar at 22 Front Street West, a short walk from Scotiabank Arena and Union Station, pouring for game-day crowds since 1998. It runs wall-to-wall screens, a deep beer list, and pub plates built for a pre-game table.
Published April 21, 2026 · By Daniel Okafor
The Bottom Line sits at 22 Front Street West in Toronto's Financial District, steps from Scotiabank Arena and the Union Station rail hub. The bar's own site bills it as one of the city's longest-standing sports rooms, open since 1998 and run by a former NHL player. Yelp shows it open through 2026 with a 4.0 rating across more than 520 reviews, and Restaurant Guru lists a 4.4 average over roughly 1,200 reviews. The hook is a reliable, central pre-game and post-game seat for Leafs, Raptors, and Blue Jays nights.
The room
The room is a wide downtown pub built for crowds, with screens on every wall, long tables for groups, and bar seating that fills before puck drop. Reviewers describe a casual, no-frills layout that turns loud on game nights and stays steady for after-work pints the rest of the week. Its draw is the location, since few rooms put you this close to the arena doors.
What to order
Order a cold draught from the rotating tap list and work the pub menu of wings, burgers, and shareable plates that reviewers single out as solid game food. For a group, a pitcher and a round of wings is the standard table order before walking to the arena. Prices sit at downtown Toronto pub levels, so a couple of pints and a plate keeps the bill in check.
What regulars say
Reviewers consistently name the location, the friendly service, and the number of screens as the reasons to book a table here before a game, with many calling it the obvious meeting point for anyone heading to Scotiabank Arena. Regulars praise the staff and the easy walk to the venue, and several point to the former-pro ownership as a sign the room takes its sports seriously. The caution that repeats is the crush and the wait on event nights, since the bar fills fast when there is a game next door, so the standing advice is to arrive early or reserve a table for a group. A few note it is closed Sundays, a fair warning for anyone planning around a weekend afternoon game. Reviewers also point to the all-indoor layout as a plus in winter, when the walk from Union Station is short and the room stays warm through a long game, and they note the kitchen keeps pace with the bar on busy nights.
Who it is for and best time
This is for sports fans, pre-game groups, and anyone touring Toronto sports bars. It opens late morning and runs to midnight Monday through Saturday, so a pre-game table or an after-work pint both work, but it closes Sundays. Skip it if you want a quiet date room; this is a screens-and-pitchers crowd. For the wider city, see the full Toronto bar guide.
The verdict
The Bottom Line earns its place as the central downtown sports bar nearest the arena, a dependable game-day seat that has held the corner since 1998. Arrive early, grab a table under a screen, and order a pitcher before the walk to the game. For more Toronto sports rooms, compare the flagship at Real Sports Bar, the local chain seat at Shoeless Joe's, and the King East wings room at St. Louis Bar and Grill. Our sports bars guide rounds out the category.
