A bar concept that’s been making a splash in major cities like London and New York is finally landing in Toronto.
The in-progress Mirvish Village development at the southwest corner of Bloor and Bathurst may have only come at the expense of the iconic Honest Ed’s discount store, but, on the bright side, it’s already shaping up to be a pretty sweet place to be.
Word on the street is that the development, which will add a swath of mixed-use retail and residential units to the block of Bloor West between Bathurst and Markham Streets, will be home to Pizzeria Badiali’s second location, which is exciting enough on its own, but there’s even more good news about the development to deliver.
Taking over one of the development’s restored heritage homes on Markham Street, at the western edge of the complex, a brand-new concept called Book Bar will soon be joining the community.
Book lovers across the city have been mourning the loss of a go-to social space ever since book-themed cocktail bar Famous Last Words shut down in early 2025, but, at long last, this might be something to fill the void.
Inspired by similar concepts that have been gaining traction in the likes of London (BookBar) and New York City (Liz’s Book Bar, Anaïs) , Book Bar advertises itself as a spot “For thinkers and drinkers.”
Somewhere between a chic cocktail bar, a library and a bookstore, the bar positions itself as a spot equally designed for you to curl up with a good book as it is for you and your friends to connect over cocktails — or some combination of the two.
“Book Bar celebrates the connective power of wine and books,” reads the caption of a post on Book Bar’s Instagram page. “It is [a] place to shop; a place to eat and to drink. A place to debate, to listen and to learn. But above all, a place to come together.”
Hey, we have exotic animal cafes in Toronto where you can handle a chameleon while sipping a chai latte, so a bar that lets you leaf through the pages of your favourite classic with a cocktail in hand actually feels quite civilized by comparison.
While no opening date has been announced as of yet, the bar’s Instagram account is currently promising to open in the spring of 2026, which, believe it or not, isn’t all that far away.
Book Bar will be located at 600 Markham St.