ne night, Kim Saunders, owner of Verveine, routinely walked her dog along Queen Street East. She couldn't keep her eyes off of one particularly dusty welfare pub languishing mid-block; it boasted a grim veneer with an even grimmer interior, and a sad parade of regulars coming and going.

All that potential, wasting away. The next day at her restaurant she told Verveine partner, Michael Larmon, about her latest lounge fantasy, a mere olive tossing-distance from the mothership. As it turned out, a mutual friend owned the building.

The persistent duo eventually took over the neighbourhood bar, called, er, Neighbourhood Bar, and boarded it up for overhaul. As fast as you can say 'with a twist', the space was redesigned, polished and given back to the hood as cute-as-a-button Barrio (Spanish for "neighbourhood").

It didn't take long for east-end lounge denizens to notice the major face lift at Queen and Logan. Barrio quickly garnered its own stream of hip regulars - a motley group that include nearby residents, club kids and local dog walkers alike - throwing all previous drinkers into fits of confusion.

Wood grains and bleached tones cast a sexy mood about the room, and soulful lounge beats provide the Barrio soundtrack. Someone has set reasonable limits on the volume knob, controlling the subtle mood that Barrio is clearly angling for.