he Matador Club

This Toronto landmark has been serving the needs of late night revelers for over 40 years. In that time, it has been the scene of many a party and impromptu appearance by local and international celebrities. Only open past midnight, exclusively on weekends, for a time it was the quintessential after-hours bar. Clandestinely lurking in the corner, one could always find a personable (sort of) gentleman or lady with an Adidas bag full of reasonably priced post-party libations. Country music blared from the jukebox or the band while patrons from varying, seemingly disparate scenes mixed and partied. Since the end of the furtive booze and ubiquitous smoke days, the bar has hit tougher times; to help pay the bills and counteract the change, the Matador has opened its doors to more special events, bands, and movie shoots. It's still an eclectic late-night destination, but sadly tamer and more flaccid. -B.D.