Reviews

Muse life at Idiot

The pulse: Chris Atchison

Ambience: whoever designed the Village Idiot was no fool. The pub is a quaint hideaway at the corner of Dundas and McCaul Streets, and offers a perfect atmosphere for conversation. The maroon and hardwood interior has an old-world charm, while the garage-door windows give a nice open-air feel on warm summer evenings. The music of choice is jazz, which offers a welcoming backdrop to the conversation that buzzes throughout the night as patrons sip their beers and discuss the day’s events.

Crowd: The clientele is generally in its early 30s and older, with a mix of styles, with everyone from artistic types to neighbourhood locals stopping by for a pint.

Dress Code: Come as you are and relax.

Should I dance on the bar?: No, come here to write your first novel instead.

Best accessory: Plenty of free time to fully appreciate the ambience.

Will I get lucky?: You’ve come to think about life, not find your new love. Get your priorities straight!

Cocktail du jour: You’ll mostly find patrons drinking pints and bottles of beer with the occasional mixed drink passing across the bar. This type of place where an order consisting of scotch on the rocks and an import beer is entirely appropriate, so brush up on your knowledge of single malts and fine lagers.

"Our server was incredibly charming and polite, not to mention attentive. The iced tea (freshly brewed, not from a fountain) was one of the best, most fresh-tasting I've ever had (and I've had a LOT of iced tea in my day). Also be sure to try the Idiot Fries, which are smothered in some sort of unique szechuan sweet/sour sauce that's the consistency of BBQ sauce and are incredibly addictive." Kat F. www.yelp.ca

Atmosphere

"I love this place! They have tons of beer on tap and the staff is always so friendly. Best atmosphere when you want a relaxed night of drinking with your friends. Typical pub environment. The food is also really good and surprisingly cheap!" Emilyraben, www.ourfaves.com

Bars Spotlight: Village Idiot Pub

by Stacey McLeod

The Village Idiot Pub has claimed the ambiguous space bordering Chinatown and Queen West for four years now. Despite the name, locals claim that it’s a spot where both area residents and resident artists congregate for a deep conversation.

Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) students talk shop over lunch and drinks throughout the day and a more mature local crowd moves in at night. Even the décor is conducive to conversation, with no TVs to distract from the mood and a classic red-and-wood pub look with kitschy conversation pieces like a devil-horned mannequin and a mounted deer head. www.toronto.com