The Imperial Pub Tavern, Toronto, Canada - pub details
Address: 54 Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1C7 CANADA
> Current user rating: 8.3/10 (rated by 3 users)
user reviews of the Imperial Pub Tavern, Toronto
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
| I love this pub - it's so depressing, it's funny. It's one of those pubs where you can just tell from looking at it: it's not a place to drink, it's a place to get drunk and maudlin. It could be the nicest day of the year and you approach this place with a skip in your step, and then as soon as you walk in - BAM! - instant depression. At the back there's a dark and dirty pool room, with shutters over the windows. I went there once, and thought "my god it's dark here, what if I open the shutters?". The answer is - you're faced with a filthy window, prison-style iron bars (I presume to keep the customers in, rather than intruders out), and a rubbish strewn alley. The main room itself is caught in a (70's?) period time-warp. It's not a theme pub, it's just that it hasn't been touched since that period. In the middle of the central bar is a vintage fish tank for mind-numbing entertainment. I swear, even the fish in this place look like they want to kill themselves. There's allegedly an upstairs "library" bar, but I've never ventured up there - simply entering the downstairs bar strips me of all enthusiasm and ambition, so stairs are out of the question. It's additionally worth noting that there's nothing on the jukebox later than the 1950s (fact, not hyperbole), as the owner apparently doesn't like anything later, so you're faced with drowning your sorrows to silence, or the wallowing sounds of Gene Pitney. Anyway, I kid, but I love it. If you're ever in Toronto (as this is a UK focussed site), and you fancy a drink, do stop in this place - it's right in the centre of town by the Eaton Centre, and it will seriously affect your vacation experience. A trip to Toronto without stopping in The Imperial: "How was your vacation?" "Fantastic! I had such a wonderful time" A trip to Toronto with a visit to The Imperial: "How was your vacation?" "Who cares.........." topdog_andy - 20 Dec 2007 11:04 |
| Nice family run concern catering to a mostly local clientele. This bar is split into two levels and is only a short stagger away fron the Eaton center. Notasaffa - 24 Mar 2006 00:29 |
