Toronto - Nightlife

Find the big room and booming nightclub sound on Queens Quay, or saunter up to your own private bar on Bloor Street West.

Start your night at the corner of Richmond and John. For blocks in any direction almost every second business is a restaurant, bar or nightclub. The trendy are flocking to stylish bars on Pearl Street, and you can slip into big clubs on Peter Street. For the exclusive over-25 crowd, go to Mercer Street.

Madison Avenue is the place to have a drink after work with the business class and college students. Grab a pint at century-old pubs or slip into a martini bar along Bloor Street West. There are places here for watching sports, as well as private champagne lounges.

On this street you'll find everything from alternative clubs to Latin-influenced bars. Along the main road through Little Italy, you can take in a drag show and dance to the best in house music.

Toronto has Canada's largest gay scene and Church Street is where the party is. You'll find way-out drag shows and leather bars. In the Village there are chic martini bars and cool dance clubs – one on Gloucester Street stays open until mid-morning Sunday.

Most bars and clubs stop serving alcohol at 2am. But some stay open for dancing well into the morning on weekends. Expect dress codes at various establishments. Cover charges are in place at most places on weekends.

Go shopping along Bloor Street to Million Dollars by the Barenaked Ladies. Hit the clubs in the Entertainment District to Absolutely Not by Deborah Cox. And have a picnic on the Toronto Islands to Harvest Moon by Neil Young.