The Local in Toronto

Lovely pub

I came here on a Wednesday night to support a local artist s show. While the quaint size and overall decor was stimulating to me, that s where my excitement ended at The Local. Darren the bartender made it clear that he doesn t want to serve black people at his bar. Being the only person of color at the establishment, I waited a lengthy time to even be greeted and when it was time for me to order he made me repeat myself and mocked that I was ordering chicken wings. I asked what red wines he had, he threw all 8 bottles of wine on the bar and said here they are . Shocked that I left a tip, he nodded and continued his conversations with the many guests at the bar. Why else would he single me out and speak to me in such a way? I did nothing wrong. When people treat you badly over the color of your skin, they don t remember that many people feel the same way they do. Instead of it being one bad racial encounter for the day, it s 10. People love to remind you why you re hated in the world. All because I am black and perceived in such a way by society? It s a lot to bear and it s so hurtful. A gentleman next to me felt bad at my wait time and how I was being treated. He began a conversation with me to ease the tension. Everyone at the bar was asked if they wanted refills, I was sternly avoided. I left the United States to avoid racism, and The Local was a rude awakening that racism is everywhere. Alive and well. I haven t felt so bad at a Canadian establishment in my life. While it was a great show, i will never be back at The Local again and if you re compassionate and care about where your dollar goes, you would skip this racist establishment as well.

Cute spot and the guy at the bar was really nice but the girl serving was insanely rude and honestly the weirdest energy I have ever seen we just walked out because I couldn t stand it. Kept complaining about the patio closing in 40 minutes when there s only a few people and can easily come in. Don t be a server if you can t leave your bullshit at home

Good vibe, beers were a bit pricey

The live music in the afternoon was great! Good food, excellent service

I love the local. Secret back patio. Local talent. Rotating taps. Good vibes.

Great spot for food and drinks ! Cozy and cool. A must if youre in the neighbourhood

The service top notch big up Mike!

Beautiful outdoor space and the friendliest of staff. Such a nice little spot. Thank you for a great afternoon!

Excellent food and service. Friendly atmosphere in a great location.

Great bar with attentive staff! The prices are very reasonable and the vibes are chill.

Order fries if you like burnt food

Great little place, a nice pub atmosphere, some days has a live band, friendly staff

Great atmosphere, great singer, the night we went

One of Torontos best live music venues Staff is amazing Guinness is top notch Food : 5/5

Great bar to escape from tv screens and pop music.

First time here after passing by many times. Very comfortable atmosphere, great service. Had a band, was a nice touch to the day.The burger was delicious, AAA lots of flavor, Im a big foodie, does not disappoint!

Amazing location and services thanks Melissa

Always fun to visit for dinner and some live music.

Always a great time. A true local watering hole. Love this place.

Great food, great location, and a friendly atmosphere.

Great local pub. Nice vibe, regulars at the bar give it that cheers feel or sit at a table. Excellent venue for live music as well.

The Local is a great space, fast service, good beer on tap and at a decent price. We came to see The group Press Gang Mutiny and had a fantastic time. Lively place with a Kitchen Party vibe. Food

If youre looking for a divey live music venue, then this it it. One of the few spots in Toronto to find great live artists. Their Guinness is decent as well.

Great atmosphere and next door to The Revue which is convenient. Fine for beers before a flick.

Nice local bar, right beside The Revue. Always great service when we pop in before a show. Live music most nights starting at 9. Wish they had more non-alcoholic beer options, wouldve loved to have had a Guinness Zero

Good vibes. Good location. Good decor. What else can you need from your bar? Drinks are reasonably priced and the live music is a plus when it happens. There is still ample space to sit and talk without the music overwhelming you as well. The bathrooms are also a must see.

Havent been here in a few years. The menu is now just basic burgers, compared to when they used to have proper pub food and curry dishes.

Quite honestly experienced one of the rudest wait staff I ever have experienced in my life. She was toxic.I never leave bad reviews, this was unbelievable. I m sure the establishment knows who I m talking about, how could they not? Let her go, it was atrocious.

Love this place! Every one who workers there is an absolute deer! Beers are great! And music is fun!

One of my favorite bars. Plus they have a Phil Lynott Mural

awesome vibe, great service

Fun bar with board games and great food. Good service. Guinness on tap!

Great spot, nice relaxed vibe. They have accoustic musical from time to time

A warm atmosphere, Great entertainment and food served with a smile. New years eve was wonderful at the local. Will be back! Walter C.

Went here with my dad like a year ago, was really nice. Probably still is

Live music at its best

I ve loved coming to the Local since it opened years ago and all the reviews that speak of the warm and friendly atmosphere and service are true. Since the pandemic, however, something has happened and I m not sure why it is but the music scene is not what it used to be and I long for the days when the great band lineups run throughout the whole week. I was especially disappointed on Saint Paddy s day recently (2023) to see just one solo singer-guitarist. I would ve thought that the great annual Irish celebration would warrant a multi piece band of top celtic musicians. I would ve gladly paid a decent cover charge for it.

Stopped by here for lunch during a recent visit to Toronto. Although I did not stay long (I had plans to visit a friend elsewhere), I did get the sense that this is a fun venue. Not only do they have board games that patrons can play, they also have live music. Would definitely come back.

Cozy place

A great place to see local live music. I saw a bluegrass band and then I saw the mandolin player the next day walking down roncy!

Loved this place . Gem of roncesvalles, in my opinion. I loved it mostly because of its ambiance and the kind of crowd that comes here. It can be both - a very happening bar and, sometimes a quiet and ambient place. Drinks are good. Bartenders and servers are welcoming and amazing folks. I hope this place keeps getting its customers and never has to see a bad day. Always recommendable for me.

Oh boy this place needs a facelift. And a good scrubbing

Great quaint atmosphere with an Irish vibe

Cute little spot, wish they had a few more things on the menu but service is good

The Local is the only bar we ever go to and have been since it opened 17 or so years ago. My partner and I love the comfortable atmosphere; All are welcome! There s no particular kind of crowd , only people who like good local craft beers and of course Guinness. They also have an array of excellent Whiskies to choose from. Their food is as expected at a bar with a few highlights; the burgers, fish and chips and the house salad with dumplings are delicious. Go, you ll make a friend and be treated right by those working there.

The thing I loved the most is the cozy and comfy open seating at the back. They were kind enough to allow our dog as well and he was able to make a few doggy friends. The beers were good and the food was great as well, especially the fries ! Would definitely go here again.

This place has a great vibe, and if I lived in the neighborhood, it definitely could be my go to for a casual drink. Would also be a good first/second date place I think? Beer was clean and crisp, and my veggie burger patty and salad were very yummy! Bun and toppings were meh, but when was the last time you got capers in a side salad?? So good!! My partner had the fish and chips and although he ate all of it, he said it was pretty mushy and wouldnt get it again. Vegetarian options: Veggie patty that isnt masquerading as a meat one. One of the better ones Ive had as it wasnt pasty!

Get. the. poutine. Truly the best i ve had in Toronto. Love this place, always such kind service and a great selection of different seating areas (including a very cute back patio)

Nice local bar (ha ha), food is a solid 3/5. Id come back but not eat here aside from maybe fries. Kinda specific but its very much not worth upgrading to poutine for $4 if youre getting an entree that comes with a side, its a tiny portion of poutine on the side so youre just wasting money. Get a full order of poutine and share with someone..stick with fries for the meals

Cute little bar by Roncesvalles.

Found this place by chance, definitely loved the welcoming vibe and atmosphere, drinks were really good.

I found the service and food here to be quite poor. The chicken bites were frozen nuggets dipped in sauce. Ordering anything but beer seemed to be a hassle. Overall it was a very disappointing experience. I would not go back.

This was our 3rd or 4th choice based on how busy the surrounding restaurants were. The restaurant was very busy and had bluegrass playing. It was nice, but somewhat loud, considering the time of day. I am not deducting rating points for this. What was ok was everything else. Server wasnt seen for portions of our meal. The menu is small and has incorrect pricing. It is higher than posted (not much, but enough). Considering the size of the menu, you would think substitutions were possible. There were no substitutions allowed on any meals. Again, not deducting a ton of points for this, but I fail to see the difficulty in charging me more for a plate of sweet potato fries vs. regular fries. Food was bland. Hummus platter is not worth the price. Burger was ok, but was a little overcooked. Fries were good and beer tasted fresh. Overall, there are tons of places in the surrounding area to check out. Id check those out before going back here.

Very busy place , what was irritating was the multiple servers and their lack of attention .

Man, I have a history with this place. FOND memories. My ratings speak for themselves tbh: ordered sweet potato fries and chicken bites, got no frills thawed nuggies and regular potato fries. ¯\_( )_/¯ I admit I didnt say anything (wasnt in the mood) Lets talk about the bathrooms. My gender has become more whatever since my last 4-5 years going here and struggling: and I gotta say-- FIX THE WOMENS WASHROOM. its so small I cant even BEND FORWARD TO SIT in the stalls. No bag hooks, nothin. I am SHORT and I cant turn around in the stall. Ladies. Use the mens washroom. Its HUGE in comparison if you can deal with the smell. Ive been going here since 2009 and Im MAD about how much bigger its been this whole time. The washrooms should be swapped and there is ZERO excuse not to do so when bros be pissin standing. This has been my Local ted talk.

A perfect untouched pocket of the Toronto we all know, love, and these days seem to miss. Youll feel at home in minutes with tremendous staff, delicious comfort food (poutine is a must!), and endless top tier entertainment.

Burger ok And you can ask for Moscow fog cocktail but without alcohol

Funky local dive bar with a friendly vibe, a colourful cast of regulars, and a welcoming front patio facing out onto Roncesvalles. Affordable and un-self consciously hip, The Locals a great place for casual drinks in yet another vibrant downtown Toronto hood.

Super friendly service, great atmosphere, delicious food ( Spinach and Artichoke dip served with freshly made corn tortilla chips; Fish & Chips; Dumplings - all good!!! ) Very good beer! Great spot for anybody waiting for the movie next door. Well be back for live music night! Highly recommend!

A pub-style bar with a very pleasant atmosphere. Dim light, candles on the tables, varied beer menu. The portions are small, but delicious.

This is a really cute pub. But the food was horrible. Like. If I can give thee food no stars I would .I had fish and chips. The fish was exstreamly soggy tater sauce was watery. The veggie burger is not even worth talking about. And the chicken nuggets was soggy too.. I just cant believe how bad this food was. The place if your just having drinks and hanging out is the only thing I would come back for.

Cozy backyard patio. Amazing sweet potato fries. Great atmosphere

Great vibes loved the place

My Sister & I Had An Awesome Meal At The Local Earlier This Evening... Such A Cool Place! And, I Loved The Halloween Decorations!!

The atmosphere has evolved in a major way since I lived on Roncy 20+ years ago. Great eats and looking forward to returning for some live music soon

Openly hostile owner, stay away from this place! Terrible food. I feel sorry for the staff who work here.

Spent a great afternoon having lunch and enjoying the live entertainment. What a treat to see the talented Mike Sixonate from NFLD. So. Much. Fun

Not sure what the hurry to open this place after Covid, the bar tender lady does not enjoy her job. Not sure if it was just rude or blatantly unprofessional. Won t be getting my business.

Awesome staff, great food, and killer live music!

Friendly and definitely neighborhood local vibe. Most people coming there are neighbors and locals. It feels authentic, simple, relaxing. Food was good. Contact with staff and customers super nice. Matty is the gate agent for T4. if you are a airliner.

Great beer, lively atmosphere, and friendly staff. Poutine too salty, wouldn t order again but other than that, twas a good night.

the best in toronto. if you arent at the local where are you really!

Got the poutine. Was a little light on cheese, but the gravy was fantastic. Seems nice, Id definitely come back again.

Great place. Great vibe. A very limited selection of food but the beer is great!

One of the best places I ve tried for fish and chips. Menu prices among the most reasonable in Toronto. Despite the late hour I was there, the staff were still full of friendly energy. It s a good sign when a restaurant has customers who have obviously been dining there for many months and perhaps years.

Friendly staff, good service, great beer selection, warm atmosphere and cute patio out back. Lots of nooks and crannies. Saw a live performance and the volume was good, ie not too loud. If I lived nearby it would be my local local.

Nice place! Nice serving! Good beer!

Delicious food, great beer and cider and amazing music. I love the vibe of this place!

LOVE the local. Its got such cool energy, full of funky art and great lighting. The staff stand out--everyone is fun and chatty. You wouldnt expect the food to be this great from a pub, but its excellent. Highly suggest having a pint here.

Good beer, excellent bar staff.

Ru runs a solid place. Great food specials, great taps. Love the live music and locals at Local. They even welcome United Fans

Simplest menu ever and everything was great. Some nice craft beer choices and the friendliest server. Thanks for a great meal on a beautiful evening

Pretty good little spot. Glad we stopped by.

Server staff totally forgot about our food and left us waiting for over an hour on the patio.

Yummy poutine, nice music

The bartender was awesome!

Superb Guinness

My favourite place, food is well its pub food so its decent and the price is right, great secret little patio in the back, they have live music again, I found the servers welcoming and friendly.

Fun, eclectic little spot for some beers and live music. Not in my neighbourhood else I d be a frequent visitor!

Great venue for drinks and even live music.

Love it

Where you feel like the place for Guinness :)

The bar was completely packed because Roadhouse was playing at the theater beside the bar, but Angie was a complete professional amongst the chaos and we had an amazing night because of her

Vegetarian options: Less Vegetarian options. On procoew end

It might be a tavern but it feels like a home. Great beers, some of the best bartenders on Dundas. Deceptively good venue for live music and they book really awesome performers. Sweet private patio in the back and another one up front if you like to watch the street while enjoying a cold pint. If you haven t checked it out you re missing out.

Regular bar in your neighbourhood! Had a pleasant experience. -1 star for the condition of the washroom.

The bartender at this place claimed that they do not have a menu, while I can clear see they have a bunch in the wire basket on the wall. No one served us or asked us during our 30mins stay there. To be honest, I love Roncesvalles community and being to a lot restaurants along this street, I have never being treated like this. Was it because I am Asian? Not too sure.

I came with my friend for drink and snacks before movie. We waited for almost 20min without a menu. The bartender came to us and we asked him for a menu but we re only told that there was no menu (while we saw menu on every other table). When we ask what scotch they have, he did not bother mention any option and just told as to walk to the bar and order. We stayed there for another half an hour without any waitress/waiter checking with us for orders. I have never had such experience before, unfortunately this happened right beside our favourite movie theatre Revue. Just hope no one else would have to go through this.

Nice little hideaway. Friendly staff. Great music.

Great vibes

Felt just like Melbourne

Friendly staff, great atmosphere, and good music

A great and unique in house made veggie burger , and delicious fries to go will have to keep me happy til the pandemic is over and I can go back to catch some live music a this great bar

Shoutout to all the service industry employees dealing with the patio rush now that they re open again! Had a delicious meal and good beer with great service. Will definitely be back.

Back patio is surprisingly rustic and cute. Staff are pretty cool

Try the little patio in the back.

Friendly staff qnd qucik service Loved it!!

Delicious food, super awesome staff front and rear patios.. Whats not to like?

Lovely neighbourhood pub with great food and extremely friendly service

The caesars are so good. Excellent service

Simply delightful. Some of the best service Ive ever had accompanied by amazing food. I cannot recommend the Local highly enough!

I came here tonight with one other person. We were sat promptly, but then sat and waited for about 20 minutes for someone to come around for our drink and food order. It wasnt until the table next to us, which had another person already sitting there prior to us, had one other person join them and they were promptly served, that we decided to leave. We would have liked to have experienced the food and drinks but it seems like we needed to either be a regular customer or have already ordered from the bar.

One of my most favourite watering holes. I love the kitchy decor, the live music acts are amazing. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Food is dirty in the best way, so tasty

Friendly and pleasant place. Small, simple beer menu and the waiter was efficient. A great neighborhood bar to spend a pleasant evening.

A wonderful spot! The staff are super friendly, the decor is perfect and the drinks and food are great.

Always What You Expect Good Drinks Good Times Good Friends

Very lovely spot, with great service, awesome fries and very good Irish cider!

Visited this place for the first time in the summer during patio-only restrictions. Super friendly and patient service, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, and their poutine was surprisingly delicious (the scallions are an excellent touch)! This is a great place to just hang out for some beers and pub food, highly recommend!

This is my favourite bar. I recently proposed to my now fiancé here! The staff are awesome! Will be coming back here for celebrate these amazing memories!!!!

Great vibes all year round - one of my favourite pubs!! Great atmosphere, kind staff, amazing community, and to die for food and drinks. Definitely would recommend!!!

My fav restaurant in Toronto. Great vibes and great people. The food is amazing and the staff are amazing too! Been coming here for years and always impressed

Great vibe. Mike the bartender is awesome and makes everyone feel welcome. Food looks decent and they have live music too. A great neighborhood bar.

I love the place and food! We have been coming here at least once a week and we are satisfied with everything except service, sometimes... It seems the most important thing here is to hire young good-looking people without experience and obviously without a proper training. It happened a few times so far where our servers would make several basic mistakes (like bringing us a wrong wine we ordered) so I think that well just look for a different regular place. Well give it a try again in a few months to see if anything approves.

Im not sure if the waitress was drunk, high, or both, but it was incredibly uncomfortable service. She brought us the wrong beers twice but we paid for them and drank them anyway. Pretty sure she under charged us for the amount of drinks we had, but I cant be sure as we never saw an actual copy of the bill. This is the second time Ive been here and the second time Ive had bad service, so I wont be coming back.

Amazing service! Great atmosphere as well

Great place for a casual drink. The staff was super nice. The classic rock quietly blaring added to the loose and friendly atmosphere.

Despite arriving just before the kitchen closed for the night, we were able to enjoy tasty food and a very friendly server. Also no loud music so I can actually hear my friends speaking

Great atmosphere, staff, beer selection.

Owner and all the staff very welcoming and friendly. Great cold beers. Small but very tasty menu. Place is small but very inviting and homely. Luckily arrived in time for some great live music. Plan to return.

Great ambience, nice staff, relaxed atmosphere, loved that they still had a pumpkin ale in December.

Love this spot, cozy ambience and great live music. Highly recommend!

Great music, had a drink called a blackbird, great service

Supporting local music since lemons were a Limerick.

Really enjoyed having a drink and some comfort food in the Locals well planned out back patio. Cozy, but socially distanced tables made a safe space to have a drink and satisfying poutine with a truly excellent dumpling salad. Savory but not too salty....just the right balance. Lovely night out!