A bookstore-cocktail-lounge hybrid might sound like the kind of place that requires an intimidating dress code and strong opinions on obscure French literature. Instead, Book Bar offers readers a space designed to be easy to settle into.
The newly opened bookstore and bar is located in a two-storey Victorian townhome in downtown’s Mirvish Village. Upon entry, its distinctive, maze-like layout becomes apparent: one area has a fireplace, couches and armchairs; another has tucked-away window seating, while bookshelves wind through the rooms all the way to the bar. The different spaces offer plenty of spots to socialize or read alone.
The selection of books is fairly cosmopolitan. It mixes must-have literary staples with trendy new titles circulating in online book communities, spanning genres from romance to contemporary fiction and more. Visitors are encouraged to browse, enjoy a cocktail and unwind at their own pace.
The atmosphere is one of Book Bar’s strongest features, so much so that the space has already seen a couple of marriage proposals, which a bartender and bookseller at Book Bar describes as “very dreamy and romantic.”
The rooms are lively, with conversations bouncing between exciting new releases, debates over whether every novel needs to “say something,” and even the occasional group psychoanalysis of someone’s recent ex-boyfriend’s Freudian levels of avoidance. Mommy issues strike again.
One patron says she originally worried Book Bar would be “very pretentious and intellectual,” but that her first impression was instead “so great,” adding that the space was “cozy” and “not intimidating like I thought it would be.”
The bookseller remarks that the space attracts “everybody and their mothers,” with patrons spanning a wide range of demographics.
When there are no events, the staff member notes that people spread out more, and the different floors tend to develop their own personalities. “Upstairs usually has a more relaxed energy, whereas downstairs is where people are having conversations and meeting and chatting,” they explain.
With growing concern about screens monopolizing our social lives and their impact on the current state of reading culture, having a space to linger and socialize can feel refreshing. This is what we refer to as the ever-revered third space: a social environment outside the home, school, or work where people can connect (whether over a drink, conversation, or book).
Literary third spaces, in particular, are relatively uncommon. Toronto has bookstores, bars, and cafés in abundance, but few spaces combine all three with opportunities for readers to connect.
The bar’s events, from book launches and author talks to book-themed speed dating, give visitors opportunities to meet other readers, discover a new book to add to their never-ending physical TBR, and spend an evening around people with similar interests.
Book Bar does not need to solve Toronto’s literary crisis to offer something novel. It gives readers somewhere to stay awhile, whether they came for a book, a drink, an event or simply for the company. And, thankfully, Proust isn’t required reading for entry.
