A bar concept that’s been making a splash in major cities like London and New York is finally landing in Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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<\/a> discount store, but, on the bright side, it’s already\u00a0shaping up to be a pretty sweet place to be.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, which is exciting enough on its own, but there’s even more good news about the development to deliver.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> shut down in early 2025, but, at long last, this might be something to fill the void.<\/p>\n Inspired by similar concepts that have been gaining traction in the likes of London (BookBar<\/a>) and New York City (Liz’s Book Bar<\/a>, Ana\u00efs<\/a>) , Book Bar advertises itself as a spot “For thinkers and drinkers.”<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 or some combination of the two.<\/p>\n “Book Bar celebrates the connective power of wine and books,” reads the caption of a post<\/a> on Book Bar’s Instagram page.\u00a0“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.”<\/p>\n