he beaches are known for their bars, restaurant, shops and, well, beaches. Certainly, they aren’t known for their clubs. Party-thirsty Beachers have had to travel all the way down that long stretch over to the west side to find some dancing action. Things are changing.

While not even remotely Guvernment-ish, a new bar/lounge has materialized with intentions of luring the dancers east, or at least keep them bopping while they await something a little more hedonistic to arrive. Monoloco is an attempt to capitalize on the fact that there is a demand for a little more exciting beaches entertainment. The demographic is certainly there – young professionals and athletes abound in this pocket of Toronto. Lounges are not hard to come by, but an all-out club would be a gift.

Monoloco is not an all-out club, but it’s the closest thing to a club that the area seems to have. There is ample room for lounging – the back patio is huge for the size of the bar. There are four lounge areas, each with a different variation of the jungle theme, all relating to Monoloco (crazy monkey). The concept with the name is meant to emphasize the difficulty in pinpointing just what Monoloco is. Is it a bar, a lounge or a club? A chip or a cracker? A little of both?

The décor is nice, but not too nice that you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable coming in for just a coffee (or just a beer). The main area is orange and steel with iron lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Seating is mainly stools. Upstairs is slicker, with more muted earthy colours, and seating next to floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street. Apparently it is only used if downstairs becomes too full. The patio looks nice, enclosed and summery. Unfortunately it likely won’t be in use until next spring.

The owner, Awat Ibrahimi, meant for Monoloco to open at the beginning of the summer, but delays caused it to open at the end. However, the summery theme might entice locals out of the cold, with promises of heat and curiosity as to what a “Sand Bar” could be (which is written on the outside of the establishment).