With dozens of hot spots vying for the almighty nightlife dollar, this is, hands down, the reigning king of clubs.

The Idea
With dozens of hot spots vying for the almighty nightlife dollar, fickle partygoers have had it easy crowning the best of the lot. And the Guvernment, of which the location has housed clubs forever in various incarnations (RPM will be with me ’'til death), attracts a crowd as diverse as the music they have come to hear; club fashionistas mingling happily alongside hard-core ravers. Eurodance and Trance dominate however Progressive-House is the toast of the night as the crowd loves it to pieces. Be prepared for a lineup though. I swear I saw people in line that were there since the ‘80’s.

But people do get in. To fit into the image, the club kids shed their jeans and sweat shirts and pull on the standard little back outfits. At some clubs, however, that isn’t enough, and those who violate this code are sent away from the door, but at the Guvernment you’re in there like swim wear.

A warren of eclectic high-concept venues under one roof: the main room: Kool Haus, the Drink, the Orange Room, the Acid Lounge, the Warehouse and new VIP lounge Charlie’s ; Tanja) and two patios (Skybar and the Patio). Rooftop patio with room for 400 plus a licensed ground-level patio for 150. Feel Fridays: R&B, hip-hop, reggae, house w/ DJ Dave Campbell, BaByYu, Smooth B in main room; Hot Buttered Soul: R&B, hip-hop, house w/ DJ Christopher Michael’s in Charlie's. Sat: Spin: Progressive house, trance w/ DJ Mark Oliver.

Here's how Saturday nights break down: [ 70% ] Eurodance/High-Energy. [ 20% ] Progressive-House. [ 10% ] Various commercial music which includes slow-Dance and R&B. No Hip-Hop all night! And be sure to glide into the high-voltage house, funk, disco, and old school for Rolla Boogie night. Sundays from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Not to be missed: Roller skating and roller blading at the Kool Haus. $10 cover. $5 rentals.


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Reader Reviews

Get styled up and check out Guv't on a Saturday night
Kevin B. Toronto
January 1, 2004
No matter how much one considers themselves reformed, those who dove deeply into the rave and house explosion of the 90's in Toronto will never be able to shake it completely. I speak from experience as currently I spend 40 hours of the week working for one of the big banks but as this past Saturday displayed I am ready to be deployed at a moments notice when those incredible friendships formed back in the 'Heyday' present a more social and enjoyable way of earning a dollar. Fortunate enough to be working for the innovative, enjoyable, and clever AGURA photopods which allows you to take a picture of you and your mates in action, then e-mail them out to a few friends unable to join you, I had the delight of mixing it up with this latest generation of clubbers. While that uneasy tone of muscle and defiance is still sparsely found, I will go as far as to state that the days of the tough and bad attitudes spanning out to interupt the entertaining times of the pleased punter are all but done. Perhaps even more noticeable is the way that many of today's clubbers seem very content with only the club atmosphere and not the means of amplifying it that was so frequent in days gone by. For any serious party-experiencer, even those matured and refined enough to appreciate this fashionable trend of exquisite martini bars, the truest way of judging a city's nightlife is by how they get down to business and this is exactly what takes place at The Guvernment week after week. I think the media in and around Toronto should be making more of the great work Mr. Khabouth has done in creating such a world-class establishment. From the unrivalled sound system to the changes in layout and decor which seem to always differ even within the short timespan of my bi-monthly visits one should be proud to live in this city where included in its many offerings is one of the greatest clubs on the planet. My message to all that are still thrilled by a loud and hard groove but feel they are an expatriate of some sort compared to today's party crowd, "Get styled up and check out Guv't on a Saturday night with enough $$ to get you enough drinks (Make sure a few of those are REV's--you'll appreciate the energy) and a happy and friendly attitude". My bet says it will get you far! Oh Yeah, and be sure to stop by an AGURA photopod for a great pic so you can rememeber your fantastic night for many, many years to come!


come on.......
Henry D, Torotno, ON
may 4, 2002
At one point this place was the hotspot, but like so many other bars, they got greedy. Instead of hiring more waitstaff and bartenders, they let customers wait in line for 45 minutes for a drink, not worth it to see the same people every weekend.


Don't get me wrong
Steve Wintrop, Toronto, ON
Feb 8, 2002
The DJ was Mark Oliver. After visiting the main room at Guvernment several times on Saturdays over the years I grew a fondness of Mark's style and track selection (I loved his CD). Anyway, I was hoping to hear that same style last night. But I was a bit disappointed. The music played for the most part of the night is mostly house with some progressive and as the night goes on Mark starts to play more progressive and some trance. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the music throughout the night, but I was hoping to hear a little more progressive stuff but you can't really go wrong with Mark Oliver. His mixing last night was superb...very smooth.


it was nuts last night
R. P., Toronto, ON
Jan. 14, 2002
i was there last night and there was a line around the block and girls everywhere.


Seemed okay
Kim, Toronto, ON
Jan. 23, 2002
I stopped by there on a Saturday night around 12:00 and it was full, with a major lineup. I been to Guvernment a few times, and what I like is the fact they don't try to be like every other club.