Torontonians don’t just want to watch sports on an unnecessary number of flat screen TVs. No, they want to play sports (while maybe also watching sports) as they knock back their after-work tipples. Games-oriented bars — featuring everything from bocce to bowling — aren’t just for awkward first Tinder dates. Gaggles of grown-ups are crowding these venues, where tapping into Chuck E. Cheese’s–loving inner child isn’t only encouraged, it’s the point. Here are four fun-filled bars that epitomize this nouveau sports bar trend.
Cocktails meet snacks from Scout Canning on the menu at Track & Field.
Playing the field
Perfect for gingers who love outdoor sports, but can’t handle the sun, this subterranean bar has brought bocce and shuffleboard inside. Track & Field’s co-owners, Dustin Keating, Joshua Leblanc and Nickie Minshall, hauled two full-sized dead trees into the space and added Astroturf trim around the bocce courts for added nature appeal.
The best part of playing outdoor sports indoors? The booze! Although there is a direct proportionality between how challenging these aim-oriented sports are and how many on-tap negronis you’ve consumed. For those who work up an appetite hustling on the shuffleboard, spiffy bar snacks — like chocolate cake with honey glazed peanuts — from Charlotte Langley’s Scout Canning are on offer.
Track & Field, 860 College St.
There’s no need to worry about chasing errant serves at Toronto’s table tennis bar, Spin has a team of ball boys for that.
Aim like you mean it
Channel your inner Forrest Gump at Spin, the city’s only ping-pong nightclub. If, like Mr. Gump, ping-pong comes “very natural” to you, you might be keen to flex your skills at one of the many tournament nights. However, even if you aren’t the Serena Williams of table tennis, you’ll still have fun. We especially like that you need not run after every misfired ball — they have ball boys for that.
Spin’s menu (divided between shareables and sliders) is particularly vegetarian-friendly. A black bean–and-corn croquette on a cornbread bun is almost healthy, although dedicated athletes will likely stay away from the deep fryer and opt for something like the green goddess wrap instead.
SPiN, 461 King St. W., 416-599-7746
Just about every seat (and lane) at The Ballroom comes equipped with a view of a big screen.
Bowling bonanza
Bay Street bros suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome congregate at the Ballroom, a two-storey sporting cathedral, to escape the TSX. The Dow Jones might be down 15 points, but that doesn’t matter when you’re 10 points up and there’s only one frame left to bowl. On top of boasting nine full-sized bowling lanes, this sports pub is decked out with more TVs than a Best Buy. With 52 flat screens to careen toward — as well as eight wall-sized projection screens — a crook in your neck is near impossible. The menu of grown frat food ranges from belt-busting (a poutine-nacho hybrid) to near-healthy indulgence (grilled chicken wings).
The Ballroom, 145 John St., 416-597-2695
A side of sports
The Addisons Residence is a sprawling three-room space designed to mimic a Californian mansion. You enter through the family photo–decked foyer into an oversized, showroom-reminiscent kitchen, which in turn leads into a living room (complete with wingbacks and a faux fireplace). The final room is where the belligerent teens — or, in this case, condo dwellers — are likely to congregate: the games room. In between furious rounds of bubble hockey and foosball, King West yuppies sip on punch and snack on grub from the Food Dudes. Think grown-up chicken wings with fancy sauces like mole and butter chicken.
The Addisons Residence, 456 Wellington St. W., 416-260-9393
