Those familiar with Toronto's high profile "Wine Bars" (i.e. Crush and Jamie Kennedy) will be pleasantly surprised with Leslieville's Swirl. Where JK and Crush are more restaurants that serve wine (and expensive ones at that) than Wine Bars proper, Swirl is small, unpretentious, homey, and it has "hidden gem" written all over it.

Be forewarned, Swirl is easy to miss. Located on Queen Street East, the only real marker of the space is a Harry Potter-esque decorated black and white door with the words "946 and a half." Swirl doesn't look like any bar or restaurant you've ever been in. Instead, it looks like a very tastefully decorated one-bedroom apartment. There's a reason for that. It once was. Previously converted by the proprietors of Café Vert (in the space before), Swirl owner Janean Currie (veteran bartender and server, most recently of Miller Tavern) decided it would be a great spot for her first venture when her friends purchased the building to open the downstairs dog boutique store, The Bone House.

When walking into Swirl, the gut impulse is to "ohh" and "ahh" as you would upon seeing a friend's new apartment for the first time. The main dining room "sewing room" is bright, airy, and full of sunlight (even despite its miniscule size). Tables are made of recycled doors, sewing machines and church pews found on Craigslist, eclectic art lines the walls, and every chandelier and furnishing is handmade or handchosen by the designers, Elan Marks and April Foss (a.k.a. FAME). A smaller "harvest room" features a single six seat dining room table that can occasionally be reserved (otherwise there are no reservations) or acts as communal seating. Even the bathroom is eye-catching.

I can't think of many bars or restaurants in Toronto that are as conducive to friendly social interaction. Seating is basically shoulder-to-shoulder, but the cheery atmosphere and alcohol will ensure you'll be chatting with your neighbour in no time. Swirl's consignment-only wine list, created by sommelier Trisha Molokach, is designed to come across as an interesting and eclectic selection, but also accessible and affordable. Bottles range in price from $23 to "a whopping $65," and many are available by the glass (actually a jar) or jug. For good measure, there is one single available beer, an Italian artisinal brew called Theresianer Premium Lager.

The most striking aspect of Swirl may be its menu. Since Toronto's archaic liquor regulations require that any establishment serving alcohol must also serve food, and since Swirl is too small to contain a kitchen (yes, really), Janean enlisted her friend Joan Olsen, sous chef at Brassai, to create some dishes that could easily be stored and served at Swirl. "She really took it to the next level," Janean gushes. Almost every edible offering in the place is served in a handy mason jar and available for $6. Everything from Marinated Goat Cheese to Chicken Liver Pate to desserts like Pineapple Upside Down Cake is housed and served in these little jars. Otherwise, a cheese plate (made up of cheeses from Leslieville Cheese Market) and charcuterie plate ($15) feeds the more traditionalist eaters.