t's easy to overlook Zemra Bar, a couple-owned storefront drinkery on a less-than-busy stretch of St. Clair. There's nothing attention-grabbing about the awning-covered exterior, nothing to suggest that this is anything more than a run-of-the-mill red-sauce joint, even when you factor in that it’s a fresh addition to the block.

Far away from the hipster drinking epicenter of the city, (It’s near St. Clair W. and Christie), Zemra’s causing a few couples - with more energy than they deserve - to make the trek uptown. Why? The eyesore that was once the Budapest Diner now has martinis, food, a shorter name and - put on your Steve Maddens, boys and girls - salsa lessons!

The owners followed a simple rule: If you're going to make people drive to St. Clair West for nightlife, you have to be willing to provide it. Even industry players who live in the area may be skeptical of spending a night in their own neighbourhood when College Street, Queen West and Clubland, are short night-crawls away.

To make their little bar work, owners Nadia Ghandour and Marjan Simoni produced an entertainment lineup to bring something different each night to attract that desirably hip crowd. That meant offering Blues and Motown on Thursday with Earl Fisher, (he’ll be the one dressed to a T); jam and open-mike night on Wednesday for people to just venture in and just play rock star - and really, people do; Friday and Saturday has the house party kicking in.