bars & pubs

The selection of bars and pubs in Kingston is decent at best. Likely you'll find a few good places that you like and return to them routinely. While you may be disappointed if you are used to the big city scene, what Kingston lacks in choice it makes up for with character.

Atomica: Located at 71 Brock Street, right beside Le Chien Noir, Atomica is a great place to sip a cocktails and watch the world go by. The food is fantastic, the prices are reasonable, and the bar staff is well trained and sylish. The atmosphere is, however, what makes Atomica so cool. The walls are lit and change colour throughout the course of the evening. It's dark and modern, and bodes well for a first date.

Ben's Pub: Ben's Pub on Clergy Street freaks the hell out of me, but I still secretly love it. Their food is okay and the atmosphere is creepy, but it's a great place to gather a group of friends, down a few pitchers, and rest assured that you'll have the whole bar to yourself. If you are in the mood for a good cuban cigar, for some strange reason or another they have a great selection.

The Brass: This is one of our favourite bars. The Brass does not put on airs, and it has an authentic, friendly atmosphere. Pitchers here are reasonably priced, and you can play a round of pool or darts while you enjoy them. The bar always has a DJ on hand or some good live performers. There are great deals on food after 6:00 pm throughout the week- especially on Wednesday, which features really cheap burgers and really cheap fries (REALLY cheap).

Clark Hall Pub: This is the engineering pub- but don’t let it discourage you from going. It’s small, and occasionally smelly, but intimate in its size. There are often bands playing here, and the atmosphere is always fun. Be prepared to be kicked out early, as we believe the staff want to get out on a Saturday night to drink before the bars elsewhere have closed.

Grad Club: Right on campus, at the corner of Union and Barrie, stands the Grad Club. It's a big old mansion that has been converted into a fabulous bar and one of the best music venues in Kingston. On both the first floor and the second there are bars where you can get anything your little drinking heart desires. There is a big screen tv, a pool table, some foosball tables, and loads of nooks and crannies and seating. During the day it's pretty quiet and is a perfect spot for a sandwich and some studying, or even group meetings, and then in the evening it turns into a full out bar. On nights when they have shows, don't hesitate, it's a fabulously intimate venue, a great place to meet people, and hands down of the best bars in the city.

QP: There's nothing quite like the QP. It's located in the JDUC, right on campus, so you practically have zero excuses to stop you from drinking six beers at one in the afternoon. Try a 'Legs Up', which is a strongbow cider with a shot of peach schnapps. It's sure to drown the midterm blues. On any given night the place is usually packed and you are bound to run into a few friends. While the food is kind of basic and boring (aka veggies and dip, bread with hummus etc.) they have a killer, and I do mean killer, autofry menu. The deep fried pickles are by far the best.

MyBar: This bar is so blue- not because it’s frequented by melancholic divorcees or Eiffel 55 enthusiasts, but because there are enough black lights that you wonder if you’ve stumbled upon a European techno club. It has great nightly deals (tallboy Tuesdays, for instance) and is generally a pretty good place to hang out or play some pool.

Philthy McNasty’s: Apart from having a totally asinine name, Philthy McNasty’s (please email us if you ACTUALLY like it) is a good place to hang out depending on the night. It has three floors of differing themes, however alcohol flows freely on them all. This bar also offers your typical pub fare at reasonable prices. In warmer months, there’s a very spacious outdoor area and beach volleyball court. The only drawback is the bar’s location, just a bit further from the hub than we’d like, but there’s a great shawarma place across the street where you can fill your drunken hunger void.

Shoeless Joe’s: Shoeless is a sports bar- a chain. This is a good place to go if you’re in the mood for wings – especially at suicidal spiciness. Otherwise, we are not huge fans, as we’ve found it a bit of a struggle to get food- and when it did arrive, we weren’t overly impressed.

Smijies: All of a sudden the Smij became really cool. Maybe I just delude myself, but on the right night this trashy towny bar can provide some good times. It's located pretty much right in the hub, across from Elixir and offers a stunning little dance floor, cheap drinks, and lots of cougars to keep the night interesting.

Tango: I've got a soft spot for Tango. The place and the people are pretty, the drinks are delicious and the sweet potato frites are delightful. The bathrooms downstairs sport grass floors and the dark bar upstairs is Kingston's version of a sleek New York martini house. It's pretty quite during the day, and a perfect retreat for a lunch out, but it's during the evening that it gets packed with the pretty people.

Tir Na Nog: Celtic music, fine beers, and maritime charm make the Nog the perfect place for some sloppy drinking. No matter what your mood, the Nog is sure to hit the spot, and if the beer is flowing then there's no doubt you'll round the night out with a little celtic dancing yourself.

The Toucan & Kirkpatricks: Toucan has an old-world style pub experience. The drinks and food there are good, reasonably priced (deals for grad students), and the atmosphere is great if you’re looking for something you can’t quite put your finger on. Breakfasts on weekends are fantastically cheap – including tip, 5 bucks should get you coffee, toast, eggs beans and fries. There are few better ways to cure a hangover. Try the sweet frites.