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| - Bistro 422 is one of my favourite spots in Toronto!
The owner's name is Burger and he's super surly. But that's part of the hole-in-the-wall charm. It's located just East of Bathurst on the North side of College street, open 7-days a week and completely tucked away.
To get in, you have to walk down a steep set of stairs in to a basic hole of a basement with high bar tables on one wall, lined with a bench, and low tables on the other. At the end is a slip of a low-slung bar with Christmas lights for decoration. This is usually where you'll find a non-smiling, all business, Burger.
The attraction to this place is the cheap drinks. For roughly 10 bucks, you can get a mini-pitcher of whatever you want. Vodka soda, Jack and Coke, etc. Long island Iced Tea is my fav by the pitcher. They throw a straw in it and off you go.
Past the bar is what looks liek a kitchen, but I have never eaten there, nor would I ever. This is a drinking hole and nothing else. The bathrooms are decent, if you hold your breath the whole time. They always have toilet paper and soap though, so that's something.
To the left of the bathrooms is a door that seems to lead nowhere. If you peak around the corner at that door though you will find a narrow, broken staircase up to the very pleasant and inviting back patio, also strung with tons of white Christmas lights for ambiance.
They have raffles sometimes with shots and other drinks with funny names like "Slippery Nipple" and "Blow Job" as prizes and they get the whole bar to partake.
For all it's bruises and rough edges, Bistro 422 isn't trying to be anything else. It's a great community spot where the mixed bag of patrons (mostly young people from 20-25) co-exist happily.
It's also a great spot to hide out if you're on a secret date.
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