Bars for dancing in Toronto run the gamut from your humble, local watering holes to sprawling rooms with bumping sound systems. Scattered city-wide, what these bars all have in common is the right soundtrack to get you moving, preferably with a drink in hand.
Here are my picks for the top bars for dancing in Toronto by neighbourhood.
Annex
Perched atop the live music venue Lee's Palace is Dance Cave, a certified Bloor Street institution for dance parties. Grab a cheap beer and hit the massive dance floor, play some foosball, or catch your breath at one of their scattered picnic tables.
Bloorcourt
It might just look like a plain old bar at face value, but head behind the curtain at The Piston for their weekly disco parties on Fridays. They also have live Indie Nights and a throwback 90s-themed party called It's All Good, happening every third Saturday of the month.
Brockton Village
If you’re itching for some salsa, look no place else than Lula Lounge. This longtime grand hall has been throwing latin parties for years. Head there on Friday and Saturdays for a group salsa lesson before the live band hits the stage for a night of dancing and mojitos.
Chinatown
To find Big Trouble Bar, head up the stairs sitting next to the hot pot spot, Sichuan Ren. It gets crowded quickly, but it won't be long before the crowd starts dancing to the tunes of the live DJ, getting very drunk off peach baiju beneath some Chinese lanterns.
Church Wellesley Village
Parts bar, coffee shop, and drag show destination, The Drink is a multi-purpose venue in the heart of Toronto's gay village. Their signature cocktail (a mix of coffee and liquor) will definitely get you revved up for their house music parties on Saturdays or Rnb Thursdays.
Distillery District
Stirling Room definitely doesn't get half as busy as the clubs on King West, but you'll get a similar vibe, minus the hassle of waiting too long in line. Their Stirling Saturdays bring a mix of house, hip-hop and top 40.
Come See Me gets packed on weekend with people who go for dancing and chicken and waffles. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Dundas West
Mahjong Bar is a bustling spot, and while not everyone in there will be dancing, that doesn't mean you can't. Those who want to groove just have to make some space for themselves somewhere between the diners and people lining up for drinks at the bar.
East Chinatown
There's plenty of dance parties happening at Farside, a quaint bar populated with cozy couches and a DJ booth built right into the bar. A big projector screen means visuals to go along with their electronic and global grooves nights.
Entertainment District
A favourite spot for a girls’ night out, stagettes, and for people to just get plain sloppy. Rock ‘n’ Horse is the kind of place where you can get outrageous to some country music (cue Old Town Road) then ride a mechanical bull.
Junction
Live bands and DJs hit the floor at 3030 from Thursday to Saturday. The vibe varies from day to day, though they do have a lot of reggae nights. One thing's that for sure is their selection of draft beers: 16, to get you in the dancing mood.
Kensington Market
The sprawling, upstairs space that is Round is always hosting a number of eclectic dance parties. Expect it to be typically wall-to-wall busy, especially for their queer Cherry Bomb events or their themed Business Woman's Special parties.
Koreatown
Expect a lot of university students at Clinton's, who head to this sweaty little tavern for its plethora of genre parties like Worst Behaviour (rap and hip-hop) on Saturdays, Get Lo on Thursdays, or their throwback Decade nights.
King West
Early Mercy took over the old Grand & Toy space a few years back, transforming it into a spot for messy weekends that people dress to impress for. Those who aren't too distracted by the TV screens (or too busy getting drunk) find this a suitable spot to get their groove on.
Leslieville
WAYLA is literally the only place to dance in Leslieville, so good thing it's a great little party space. This spot throws dance parties about every weekend, and while they rarely get buck wild, they still manage to drum up enough energy to properly keep the floor full and arms in the air.
Liberty Village
Again, not many places to get down to the floor in Liberty Village, but Locus 144 would be the closest thing to it. It's a lounge, but there are lively DJs and people move their bodies from time to time.
The Shop below where Parts & Labour used to be is still running weekly dance parties. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Little Italy
People get wild at Come See Me, I mean, with the abundance of shots with chicken and waffles, how can you not? Tinged in neon pink lights and equipped with cozy booths, there's room for both dancing and pigging out: the perfect combination.
Ossington
It doesn't get more quintessential on Toronto's favourite strip than The Ossington, a reliable spot for busting out your moves. The action happens in the back area of the bar, where essentially everyone is dancing. Just arrive early-ish because it can get pretty packed.
Parkdale
Despite the fact Parts and Labour is closed, The Shop is still thriving downstairs with a new makeover and its usual ceiling-bangers. Head into this dark hole between Thursdays and Saturdays for hip-hop, trap, and events like Duro.
Queen West
Rivoli does a lot: food, drinks, a pool hall upstairs, and in the back, a room dedicated to live music and performances. Their most famous party is definitely Footprints, which brings quality house, depe house, funk and soul, courtesy of some of Toronto's best DJs.
St. Clair West
It doesn't get more latin than Latin Fiesta, where it's probably better if you speak Spanish (though who needs that when you have the language of dance). Definitely one of the most low-key spots on the list, the dance floor might be small, but it’s never empty.
West Queen West
Pretty much a pit-stop for all things music- and party-related is the Drake Hotel. Maybe you're heading downstairs to the Underground for a live DJ set, or you're hitting the ground-floor lounge for the newly-located Beam Me Up Disco! party.
by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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