The Red Light

came here for classic hip hop night. Best time I’ve had in a bar.
If you like bourbon/​whiskey (I only like bourbon, it was like ¹⁄₃ of the whole bar) come here its most of their selection although they also have a good selection of beer, on tap and in bottles and tall boys (woot!)
mixed drinks were $ 6 and I got a nice premium bourbon on the rocks for $ 7, prices seemed very reasonable
crowd was great (lot of bar hopping around here), people were very nice and into dancing. Don’t you hate it when everyone on the dance floor is an asshole and don’t dance with each other?
music and sound quality were superb, places for dancing/​pounding the music and talking. One of the subwoofers was underneath a bench I was on, most fun my nuts ever had. So funky!
I mostly I came for the tunes but its a great bar, far from where I live but worth it.
at one point in time they actually served 40’s of old english for $ 10, wish they still did.
only one shitty thing, the (fucking awesome) patio closes at 11. stupid noise bylaws.

Saturday at 11:00 pm, The Red Light was surprisingly quiet… though music was loud and pumping… there were plenty of empty tables.
I was wandering around the area looking for a drink, fellow Unilocaler’s promised of great beer selections brought me here. And I was not disappointed. Friendly and knowledge bartender was patient and going through some of the selections…
Dead Man Ale ($ 7) sweet with a bitter after taste really hit the spot.
Cozy and friendly atmosphere with a lot of locals hanging around the bar.
Drinking my beer and looking at the Red Lamp in front of me, and oh it is why it is call the Red Light, and here is not Amsterdam… nothing seedy here at all… and I felt so at home and relax… cheers!

The Red Light is a cool little bar located on Dundas West. The vibe of this joint is super chill and they also play excellent music. The front of the bar looks like it could truly be in the red light district in Amsterdam with a lady of the night provocatively dancing in the window. The bar is rather long, dimly lit, with hardwood floors, small pedestal tables, comfy Victorian couches, and a nice outdoor patio space. The bar menu is pretty decent. I have always had a good time when I have hit up the Red Light. Seating capacity is limited, so it may get packed to the rafters. The Red Light tends to get hipster spill over from Unloved up the street. I love Amsterdam’s red light district and the Red Light sneaks into the runner up spot in my heart.

Love this place. Great ambiance…

The eponymous dim, red-​heavy lighting gives this place a vaguely sinister vibe, but the barkeep is friendly, there are some really tasty and unique beers, and the music is frequently fun. I’ve always gone on random nights and found it quiet and neighbourhoody in a welcoming sort of way, so I can’t speak to what it’s like for a righteous night on the town. I also haven’t jammed on the jukebox yet. Things to do.

Owned by the same people as Sweaty Betty’s, I had high hopes for this place. I loved it the moment I walked in; they have a great beer selection and the décor is stunning — they’ve done a great reno job to this place.
We walked to the back when we arrived and found a great table and enjoyed the Tom Waits playing. A little later the place started packing up and things went downhill when the music was switched to the jukebox. I am on record as loving bars with jukeboxes. This one, however, is far too ironic to be enjoyable.
What makes jukeboxes so great is that a good bar-​owner can curate their collection to make it impossible for a patron to pick a bad song. At The Red Light, it felt like every other ’45 seemed to be an joke pick. And every douchebag with a few drinks in him wanted to play Rappers Delight for the 6^th time.
Do other jukeboxes have a limit on how often a song can be played? I have never heard the same song twice at the Communist’s Daughter — which is exactly where we headed when we couldn’t take listening to Funky Cold Medina again and again.

I put away my party animal scenestery type self 8 years ago when I turned 25 and began favouring the opera and ballet and the library, but once in a while, I like to indulge, hit the bars and dance to the rhythms.
I don’t know anything about ‘beats’ or ‘DJs’ or ‘dancing’ but I’ve come here and Swayzed and robotically danced into strobe lights a few times without a care in the world.
I haven’t thrown up at Red Light, but I recently saw a staff member quickly hustle into the washroom area with a mop exclaiming «oh no, someone puked!» I like efficient and attentive clean up.

Review on the Run
Interesting little bar on Dundas west of Ossington. We were there on the night of Nuite Blanche and it was fairly quiet. The place is intimate, it has beer, and the bartender was nice.
Conclusion: Drink Here? Sure.

Calm down hipsters.
It was pretty hot (only have a portable AC unit in the back), the patio furniture was like… homemade, and service was alright. Tall-​boys of PBR were $ 5.
That was my fist review.
I went back, played some Stones on the juke box, drank a tall-​boy, admired the classy chandelier and had a really nice time. They take credit and debit. I liked that. The bartender was very friendly. I like this place, a better choice than that Pinko’s Daughter (I was confused at first and got the two mixed up, oops)

This is still one of my favourite places in the city.
I admit that I have started DJ-​ing here on a monthly basis, but my complaints about past music are no longer valid. The DJ line-​up they have these days are more on the soul, funk, disco and hip-​hop tip. Lots of good DJs in the city are now playing here.
Best thing is they just opened a really nice back patio. Seating for about 20 – 30 people I would say. Nice little benches and small tables. Definitely going to be a good spot this summer.

I walked into The Communist’s Daughter and promply walked out when we discovered there were no seats left :-(My friend suggested we go to The Red Light, so we walked down 7 doors and landed in paradise.
As mentioned by my fellow Unilocalers, this place is like Sweaty Betty’s older brother. The place was dead on a Sunday night so my friends and I had the whole back area (with couch) to ourselves for 2 hours. The bartender even came to the back and brought us drinks from time to time.
The music was awesome ranging from Bowie to Elvis and the Juke Box had a wicked selection too.

I see that Red Light is getting good reviews, as it deserves.
Basically, if you’ve ever found Sweaty Betty’s too… mmmmm… young and derelict, this is a good half-​step up.
We often have a group drinking after work… you can stake out a section of the back room and defend it when the crowds arrive later.
Funky selection on the juke box. Will make you laugh.
Great selection of beers and Nick will make you an actual martini or other mixed drinks (within reason). Actually, they make martinis at Sweaty’s too.
Also: Can’t get into Pizzeria Libretto? Go to Red Light, then send one of your friends around the corner, get your pizzas and bring them back to Red Light.

Stop #2 on my night to experience all things Canadian in Toronto.
I had a quick bite to eat at the Black Hook and the bartender there told that I might enjoy The Red Light, since Communist’s Daughter was full.
I got there as a young man was being denied entrance and the door guy was explaining to him that there was a bachelor party going on inside. He looked at me and said,“Is it just you?” I nodded my head and he opened the door.
once in I found a lively crowd that wasn’t entirely my type but definitely having a good time. Say audibly «I’d like a Canadian Beer» once and everyone knows you might have a bit of blue mixed in with your red and white.
I honestly can’t remember what they gave me… but it was a decent beer. i was told by a young lady at the bar to try a … millstreet (?) Organic next. I took one drink, and decided that i’d like to give another venue a shot before last call.
Paid the tab, tipped the nice you man with a couple bucks and a hearty «Thank y’all» and hit the door. thanked the door man and was out on my way.
off to the Dakota…
all in all, the music was good, the room was super dark. The bartender was an extremely nice guy. The crowd was friendly, but decidedly less «hip”(did i just used that word) than I expected. Perhaps it was the bachelor party.
If I return to Toronto (and I hope I do), this will surely be on my tour de Little Portugal before I hit the Communist’s Daughter again for another 50. Definitely a solid fixture of a great little scene on what could be one of the hippest blocks I visited in Toronto.

If you like Communist Daughter and/​or Sweaty Betty’s, you’ll like The Red Light. It’s sort of a cross between the two, with a layout like Communist Daughter, only longer, a good jukebox, and very nice bartender.
The two times I’ve been there, the vibe was congenial and relaxed.
Good beer selection with some local and seasonal brews.
Nice décor. Red lights everywhere. Small tables along the walls. It does get crowded sometimes, but there are a couple rooms in the back, so keep looking!

Okay so I went here the other night and did something that I usually avoid doing, but I was already inebriated by that point and on a roll, thus at 1:55 AM a few of us rambunctiously and hurriedly threw ourselves towards the bar, hoping for one last drink. Like I said, I hardly ever do this as I know servers and bartenders and trying to close up. The bartender wasn’t overly nice, but understandably as she was probably in the process of cleaning, yet I somehow managed to get a few drinks (I swear I was served past 2:00). So I thank her for her leniency and patience.
I loved the décor and atmosphere inside of this bar so much. I talk about lighting in a lot of my reviews because I think the appropriate lighting is essential and this place was decked out beautifully very much so in ‘mood’ lighting (my absolute favourite and the only lighting I think a bar of this kind really should ever be decked out in). Red lights everywhere, illuminating the bar like candles.
And as everyone has said, the music was terrific. Great music is another thing absolutely essential, in my opinion, to ensuring a great bar experience and gives this place extra points.
And furthermore, I love that this place is so inconspicuous from the outside! I hadn’t even heard of it and when we were lead here, I was thinking, «Well, is it a hole in the wall or what? I don’t see anything!» The only really visible and distinct proof of life inside is the little red sign outside the bar. But this adds to the charm of the whole thing, because you step inside to a great place (and it’s like a hidden secret!).
I will definitely be back to check it out at an earlier point some night, so as to be able to enjoy the music and atmosphere for a much longer period of time.

I’m going to keep this one short.
After a margarita, okay two, at Reposado last night, my friends and I decided to leave it’s cramped quarters and check this place out. My friends live in the area but had yet to go here– and boy, we’re glad we did!
As Martin mentioned in a previous review, the music is quite something, and appeared to be coming from someone’s iPhone which was sitting openly on the bar, just waiting to be no, not stolen, provider of the next righteous tune! Dude! When we arrived Puff Daddy and Mase greeted us with «Mo Money, Mo Problems» and as we danced into the dark of the cold night the Boss’ «Dancing in the Dark» was bidding us adieu. Quite the wide spectrum don’t you agree?
Dude. SO, the bar was jammed with who were either regulars or one big family, as everyone seemed so happy to be in such close proximity of everyone else. Thankfully there was no issue getting to the bar, and my pint only cost me $ 6. The entrance, where there are a few tables, was pretty empty, so my friends and I tucked ourselves in at one of them and made ourselves comfortable.
If there’s something I can recommend, definitely go to this bar with friends who like to dance! One guy who introduced himself to me was totally into my friend Ryan’s and my dance moves and contributed a little enthusiastic arm grooves to our gangsta impersonations, and afterward showered us in bubbles (yep!) as we continued to cut a rug. The music was just so random and surprising that you can’t help but cut loose and enjoy yourself.
The back has a small sitting area with lamps, perfect for a group to hang out or a potential dance party and was actually completely empty while I was there.
Overall, we all had a great time at the Red Light and can’t wait to go back! If you’re looking for an alternative to Sweaty Betty’s (I agree with the bartenders being super friendly) then check this place out! Everyone seemed happy and welcoming, so get over there, down a pint or 3 and dance party!

I can agree with Martin S. on his description being «whorehousey». The portraits on the wall look classy at first glance but after a double-​take you notice the large amount of side boob and your feelings of class degrade a little.
The place was packed, though it didn’t take long to get our drinks from the bar. There were lots of people in and out to have a smoke which definitely fall into the hipster crowd as described in reviews earlier than mine.

The Red Light is for those of us West Queen Westers who love Sweaty Bettys but like to change it up through the week. (BTW, is it considered a «habit» if it changes locations?) To steal a line from my good friend Gillian, The Red Light is Bizarro Bettys. Run by the same owner and former bartender of SB, the new haunt is the mirror image of that hot Ossington hangout. The bar is on the opposite side of the room and seated there you will find many of the same devoted regulars or new people who just look like the Betty’s regulars. The tunes, like the elixirs are always cool and plentiful. Great energy, sweet staff and with a little more elbow room, but thankfully not too much… you know… for intimacy.

This new bar, opened by the owners of Sweaty Betty’s, and memorably described by them as «more Asian whorehousey» than their previous establishment, is one of my favorite destinations on Ossington.
I went opening night to check it out, and it was crammed to the point where it took ten minutes to order a drink. Despite the cheap drinks and great look of the place, I was not inclined to return, but ended up there a few nights later and had a great time. The staff is friendly (a consistency with them apparently, Sweaty Betty’s also boast of some of the nicest bartenders in the city), the drinks are cheap, there always appear to be fries to share at the bar, the back room is cosy and great for, on successive nights I was there, playing chess or random dancing, and the music is absoloutely wonderful: while YMMV, I have enjoyed awesome 90’s hiphop, great jazz, lots of excellent late 90’s indie and more, always in an idiosyncratic enough selection that I have never felt like I was listening to a typical mix of any sort.
My only negative comment would be the constant parade of beautiful people heading outside to smoke makes me wish I never quit… alas.