lub-goers are a notoriously trigger-happy bunch, too quick to call the next scene, up to and including calling that scene’s premature death. I’m no better than the rest of the lot, so I have to admit to having run with a minimum of evidence on thoughts regarding a new entry, Red Planet. One sole visit to the latest drinkery to open its doors at 7 Maitland is all it takes to decide that this address has entered a new phase of its colourful existence - one that ranks a more gentrified positioning.

This address has history, as it was once a defiant little bar that few people knew about. It had no name (it was merely referred to as 7 Maitland) and only open when the owners felt the urge, thus keeping it extremely in-the-know, bumping up its appeal even further. Eventually, 7 Maitland would change hands and be christened as Wett Bar (profiled in this column last summer), a deep blue, aqua setting for what was basically a gay bar. Wett would last a year.

Both of those gambles paid off as short-lived venues that were more exciting than the current Red Planet. But, as some ambitious replacements are more attractive (to the masses) than the product it’s replacing, and while Red Planet may not excite or unsettle the club kids, or the nearby gay scene, it's likely to have the longest life-span by that very gentrification.

We’re not talking Wendy’s gentrification here, but it is a bit of a jolt to see this location - tucked a few inches east of Yonge Street - so... polished. All things blue are now (big surprise) red. There’s a physical sign now. A boldly-lit indication that a public lounge exists here, and that that very public is welcome to partake.
Once inside, there is no mistaking that this bar has a very strong sense of its new self. The Red Planet version of this location has a more sturdy and accommodating feel than it had as Wett Bar; in addition to cocktails, it also spins out - was there always a kitchen at the back? - food.

What we get is a more out-of-the-box lounge - fancy furniture, fruity drinks, red cement walls, steel bar, retro bar stools and multiple overhead TV monitors fixed to music video feed (expect lots of Madonna). A wildly erratic crowd - gay, straight, young, old, well-heeled and over 30 - is, interestingly, an experimental bunch. At one nearby table, a party of four drank themselves through the entire colourful martini list for no other reason than “...I haven’t had this one yet.” Cocktail lounges in clubland and Yorkville would do anything for adventurous tables like that. Anything!

Anywhere Lounge: a one-stop shopping area where you can buy a used stove, get a buzz and buy a parakeet. Life is good. ... Brassaii Jules SpaHa Wish

On a street that's almost invisible, this grown-up gay (but straight-friendly) bar stands out, even with its Trading Places makeover. If it doesn't sustain the high level of lunacy Wett Bar did, there are still some cool chemicals churning just under the designer skin. It’s that metaphorical back-door off the clamorous chaos that is Yonge Street. A stone's throw away from practically every dollar store in town, this club-lounge doesn’t try to compete with the cool factor of it’s predecessors. It has other things in mind. With already a loyal following in place, this mod lounge is the first at 7 Maitland to draw customers.

Upshot: Wouldn’t Planet 7 have been a cooler name? - DE




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