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    The Piston

    3.6 (43 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    The Piston Photos

    THE PISTON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos

    a black sign with a question mark on it
    Lindsay D.

    This little place just opened recently next to Long & McQuade on Bloor, just west of Ossington. It doesn't look like much from the outside. No big flashy sign, just a big blue light above the door, and a curious chalkboard stand (see picture I added). Reminded me a bit of The Violet Hour in Chicago. Inside however, there is a stunning environment. Exposed original brick walls, a shiny diamond checkerboard floor, high ceilings, and eclectic rescued elements (old wooden doors, stained glass windows, etc) have been craftily brought together into a cozy and intriguing setting for a bar & music venue. The front room is full of comfy raised booths and tables with candles, with one long main bar running the length. They have Steam Whistle (pilsner) & Amsterdam Big Wheel (amber ale) on tap, and one of the owners told me they'd be expanding their selection shortly, as they had just opened. I had a fabulous single malt Irish whiskey, that was recommended, called Connemara. As a scotch drinker, I was surprised at how peaty and sweet it tasted. Notes of vanilla, perhaps. My companions stuck to the classics - G&Ts and rye & Cokes. The owners offered us some delicious shots, one with tequila and cassis, and were welcoming, friendly and genuinely happy to have us there. Much of the interior work was done DIY, by the owners, and you could see how proud they were of the place. It almost felt steam-punk at times, but very polished. The back room is the crown jewel of The Piston. Robed in golden velvet curtains, it boasts an incredible sound-system, beautiful stage, lighting rig, and another bar accented by rescued punched-tin ceiling tiles, with remnants of paint still intact. One of the people I was with immediately commented about how great it would be to throw her birthday party there in a few weeks. On Fridays, we were told that one of the owners spins 60's, 70's, & 80's in the back room, and there will soon be some great live music, which is reassuring as many of Toronto's best venues seem to be disappearing in recent times. The sound of this room is really something special, and I'm sure the word will soon get out, especially being so close to one of the top music stores in the city. As we were headed out, we were told that they would soon be starting to serve brunch (or as they called it, "blunch"). I'll be sure to update my review once I've tried it. In the meantime, check this place out. Dimly lit and discreet, it's great for a romantic rendezvous or just catching up with old friends.

    people sitting at a bar
    Rob M.

    Some friends & I chose The Piston as a place to get together and catch up, and we're glad we did. Loved the atmosphere, and the friendly attentive bartender made sure we never ran dry. We didn't make it into the back room that night, but we will be back to check it out. The Piston is a great addition to the neighbourhood!

    The Pistons Barbeque. Take this one very seriously.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere cool. Horrible music and DJs.

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    4 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Brit Pop Night was a *smashing* success. Please invest in shatterproof glasses - my friends cannot be trusted.

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    11 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

    My new favourite weekend brunch spot! The pulled pork Benny wins every time. Very friendly staff and chill atmosphere.

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    11 years ago

    Super good pulled pork sandwich. Very friendly staff, for sure going back for more amazing barbecue!

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    10 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Review Highlights - The Piston

    Wish there was a wider selection of beers on tap, but Amsterdam Big Wheel does the job for me quite nicely.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Bovine Sex Club

    Bovine Sex Club

    (62 reviews)

    $

    Alexandra Park, Queen Street West

    A classic Punk / Rock n Roll Bar in Toronto CA. Basically the CBGB's of that scene…read more It's been around since the early 1990's and is exactly what a spot like this should be. Very nondescript outside facade - no sign telling you what it is other than a small "BSC" (for Bovine Sex Club) painted near the door. Hard to miss though as the exterior is made up a punk rock style sculpture of rusted bikes & other assorted ephemera. The interior is similar, visually. Great sound system & chill vibes pervade throughout. Weirdly the stage is right in the entrance of the club, on your left, with a long bar along the right side, heading back. Great, crowd, great location in cool area with lots of restaurants & plenty of parking - both on the street up to 2 hours & extended parking for a flat-rate of CA$20 (~$14 USD) from 6:00pm until the next morning, just 2 blacks away.

    The Bovine is a fantastic place that is the same today as it was decades ago. not only that, but it…read moreis also one of the cheapest pints that you can find. Now, are the taps dry? Maybe. Are the beer cans running out? It's possible. But, it's a dive in the way of the old dives. And the acoustics for bands are... not great. But they are a sign of what once was. Without attempting to try to present a front of a time long gone, The Bovine simply exists today as it once did in that time long ago, before Smokes stickers, before iPhones, back when people would just go to a bar to talk with those they didn't know the morning prior. Bring cash though, unless you're looking to make some big orders, because credit card is a minimum fifty-dollar spend.

    Soho House Toronto

    Soho House Toronto

    (37 reviews)

    Downtown Core

    Kids love the word "aura" these days, and when my dad asked me what it means I told him "think Soho…read moreHouse 2010-2014." That confused him more but I like messing with my dad. Forreal though, the run Soho House had can only be rivaled by 2011-2015 Whole Foods. You really had to be there... but like any other prime, Father Time always catches up. I was set to do a full rise and fall piece on the Soho House right here on Yelp but in my research, I stumbled upon an article by Lydia Moynihan in the NY Post and she nailed it. I really didn't have much to add so go over and read that if you have a sec. Shoutout to Lydia. Instead, I'll just recap our experience here like any other boring Yelp Review. We came to this Toronto location before the Taylor Swift concert, and I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like prime Soho House. A beautiful, discrete brick building with an old school interior. Whoever designed this one needs a raise. I'm so tired of the cookie cutter half-assed modern architecture. The ones in LA and NY now feel like it is just a bunch of dorks trying to be seen by God knows who. There is no soul in those locations. We grabbed a drink in the lobby and went upstairs for our 5pm dinner. I domed a couple of negronis and we split a margherita pizza and a bottle of pinot noir before our mains arrived. I got the rigatoni, per the waitresses recommendation because she had a thick Italian accent. Big truss. She wasn't lying either, that rigatoni went crazy. I took like 30 pictures before a staff member came over and said no pictures, as I didn't know that was still a rule here... please don't beat me up. We closed dinner with a couple espresso martinis before setting off on foot to go see Big Tay put on a show. She really did her thing. Thank you Soho House Toronto, for giving me a taste of what the Soho House used to be in the states. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

    Come for the douche bags, stay for the salad. The interior…read moredesign here is actually nice. They have a eclectic and faux rustic vibe going on with seating and sight lines set up so that you can watch who is in the room. Truly designed for today's busy d-bag to allow them to half listen to their guest over cocktails while they scan the room to see if someone more important has walked in. The food is meh and it feels like this place simply exists for indie film and local television producers to feel like they are a part of some scene. There are 200 better places to eat a short walk from here.

    The Piston - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

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