The Paddock is Toronto’s 3rd oldest bar, opening up in the 1940’s. The bar has a rich history to go along with its classic art deco look.

The original owner was a big player at the old Woodbine Racetrack, where the bar got it's name from (The Paddock refers to the parade ground and winner's circle at the horse races). Involved with the races and gambling, the bar began its history as a shady get together spot for mobsters and local drunks, as the area north of Queen and east of Bathurst were designated “dry” spots in the city.

Even during The Paddock’s darker past, the bar still hosted numerous class acts. Below is a copy of an original advert of the great Oscar Peterson playing at the Paddock.

The bar’s transitions over the years has gone from being a hangout for drunks and mobsters, to 80's Goths, to Blues types and then to an eventual upscale fine dining and cocktail establishment by the late 90’s.

The Paddock today has made yet another shift, towards the more casually elegant. The food is still of great quality and predominantly made in-house, but added to the traditional fine dining options are gastro-pub items as well. For drinkers, the Paddock now boasts a wide variety of quality beer, 9 great draughts and a selection of over 30 different bottles, to go along with the still popular old-school cocktails, martinis, wines and whiskeys. The bar is generally populated by the film, theatre, arts and literary crowd, while still getting a sports crowd for watching the game on our excellent big screen TVs (without the feeling that you’re stuck in a beer sponsored frat house). The music selection tries to stay close to our roots, playing predominantly blues, jazz, Motown and old-school rock and roll.

The Paddock’s a great place to meet up for drinks and food, somewhere nice to bring a date or a friend, and for groups of singles to mingle amongst each other. We look forward to sharing our history with you and adding a new chapter as well.

Cheers!