Uptown meets downtown in the slick space that is destined to be the new “it spot” on the suddenly vibrant Queen & Ossington hub. LeVack Block, meticulously designed with remnants of a 1920’s bank (imported from Buffalo, NY?), has just the right mix of rawness and clarity to give it a comfortable, fresh vibe.

Owners Adam Baguley and Amber Honor Elson prefer to stay low key in terms of promotion. They are hoping for a more neighbourhood, word-of-mouth type of draw. While both Baguley and Elson are new to the restaurant/bar ownership scene, Baguley’s property management background and Elson’s interior design expertise are sure to take this venue in interesting directions.

“Our focus,” says Baguley, “is to be non-genre specific with artists, and feature an eclectic mix of musical talent, both live performances and DJ’s.”

Make no mistake, their designer fingerprints are all over the place; the front bar area comes equipped with high ceilings, big front windows and a good sense of airiness. Walls are lined with photographs from local artists, tables are nicely spaced for making your way around, and the bar stools are of-the-moment metal. Make your way to the back room, and guest DJs set up shop to throw down - what else? - hip-hop and classics. This room will be used for many events as the 100 capacity space will be used for upcoming new promoters and corporate events. There are a total of fourteen (count ‘em) washroom cubicles between the two bar areas to keep things comfortable.

“For the front room,” says Baguley, “we took the image of Ossington - artsy, creative, diverse, vintage, fun - and wanted to combine all of this in a single room. For the back space, we kept it simple as a venue space that is basic industrial.”