Restaurants can transform neighborhoods, but a neighbourhood can make a mark on its restaurants, too. Just consider the ongoing evolution of the Gren Room. The Green Room, located in the back alley off Brunswick Ave, is not exactly off the rack. But a good spot when you’re feeling “been there, drank that.”

Unless you’re down with the paper bag varietal, finding booze in a bar down an alley in the Annex sounds like a dubious proposition. There is one exception: The Green Room, which is not dubious at all, but a small highly atmospheric bar (if you enjoy furry creatures scuttling over your feet), hidden but for a barely visible sign above its door in the alley. Stuck in The Annex and in dire need of a caffeine hit? Unexcited about the prospect of Starbucks or a similarly sterile cafe? Green Room's just the place.

Take a seat on one of Green Room’s mismatched couches or plant yourself at a wooden table. Then relax. The coffee drinks are infused with two shots of the blessedly strong Lily espresso, so anything you pick will perk you up.

Don’t go too late on a weekday, the place gets hopping mad. By 7:00 pm, the lonely ladies and U of T boys are filling up the room. Courtyard patio seats 50. Pad Thai, all day breakfasts, Southeast Asian-style cellophane noodles with shrimp, chicken, Chinese greens and scrambled eggs, chicken avocado sandwiches. If none of the food at Green Room grabs your attention, you can addle yourself with a series of loopy cocktails or coffees while partaking the regular readings, performances, special events.

And while there's plenty of Bohemian and students, you'll often find some surprisingly hip and sophisticated stuff going on here. Saturdays are hot, drawing a beautiful, decadent but jaded crowd, heavy on intellectual types. - A.J.