As a home-away-from-home for an eclectic bunch of characters, it’s not unusual to see someone reading a pithy novel by lamplight on the beat-up sofa. For others, it’s a pit stop, as with only a handful of vinyl seats and Formica tables it’s pretty much standing room only.

Taking up a tenth of this shoebox is a coin-fed jukebox that gets a lot of love and action. Here you’ll find limited food, mostly hard liquor and no more than four Ontario beers on tap, and live folk bands are squeezed in on weekend afternoons.

As a refreshing antidote to corporate glamour and high concept, this bar doesn’t try to fit in – but there will always be a place for it on the city’s drinking scene.