Smokeless Joes - Toronto

125 John Street Toronto, Ontario Canada (416) 591-2221

What a spot! Last night, whilst wandering the streets of Toronto, I stumbled upon this gem of a pub. No fancy signs, no lights. Squirrelled away in the basement of a building, just around the corner from cinemas, restaurants & trendy cafes and bars. This is not the easiest place to find, but when and if you do find it, you won't be sorry.

Upon entering the bar, I found it to be wall to wall with people, the barman came straight from behind the bar and over to me to say hello and to inform me that they were at capacity, but my second stroke of luck of the evening happened, as just then; a gaggle of afterwork girls put their jackets on and left, leaving me with a prime seat at the bar.

The bar itself was a mix-match of signs and knick knacks, chalk boards fill the walls with lists of their latest available bottles and beers on tap. A worn but impressive beer menu is also available to peruse. Smaller chalk boards advertise the type of oysters available and the prices.

Proper glassware for the beers is certainly adhered to in Smokeless Joe's and the barman was happy to shoot the breeze with me despite the place heaving with customers. A quick trip to the bathroom confirmed that they were spotless, a very welcome bonus as I have found many Toronto bars toilets to be substandard.

This bar oozes character and history, it was warm and inviting, buzzing but not 'shout over the crowd' noisy, I enjoyed a very enjoyable hour here and am looking forward to darkening their doorstep for a long time to come.