Toronto is a growing city multicultural city, with a rapidly expanding population as well as becoming a tourist hub – but what comes along with that is that the city has quickly started to garner a multitude of subcultures and respective hot spots. So no matter what walk of life you’re from or what your interests are there is somewhere in Toronto for you. However, if you’re like us, a 20-30 something-year-old, but not a regular in the nightlife scene, the huge variety of nightlife spots may be very daunting.
How many times has this happened to you: You go online, look up clubs in Toronto, find a generic club website where every club appears to be the best place online, with glamorous pictures and descriptions – but then you end up going there and…it’s either almost dead, a super weird crowd, or… the dreaded sausage fest. Luckily for you, we’ve been going downtown every weekend for years to keep you in the know for what’s hot right now. Gone are the days of relying on your friend’s opinions or taking a chance and spending a night out at a club just to find out its not your vibe.
The Best Clubs in Toronto
Here is our list of the best night clubs in Toronto for 2020, where we tried to rank them in order in where we would go from 10-1, but also tried to include a balance of those that have mass appeal but maintaining some of our favorite “high-barrier to entry” spots.
#10 – Lovechild
Address
69 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5V 2P6
Crowd
19-23 years old
Music
Top 40 / Pop Hip-Hop
Atmosphere
Young university/college crowd
Best Nights
Saturdays
For those that love a club that is packed to the brim and has college and university student appeal, there’s Love Child. Most patrons have a love or hate relationship with this atmosphere. If you are a 19 year old fresh out of your first year in university and are ready to party, you’re probably going to love it, and if you’re anything else it probably won’t jive well with you. But on a serious note, Love Child is one of the busiest venues on King St. West because it’s one of the only venues that draws in a college/university crowd so well while also maintaining a classy club aesthetic (unlike other University targeted clubs like Fiction Nightclub).
Now you’re probably asking why the hate? Isn’t a packed college/university club fun?
Yes and no. As mentioned before, this club is polarizing because if you are a university/college student you’ll probably love it because it’s a mix of frat/house party but in a beautiful King Street West venue. However, if you’re not a student you’re probably not one to be amongst a packed sweaty crowd listening to “All I Do is Win” by DJ Khaled, with 500 people waving their hands up and down. But we digress, there is a demographic for that scene and if you’re a 19-22 year old this is probably going to be one of the top spots on King for you, spinning top 40 with a mix of hip-hop and pop records, you’ll find a wide appeal at Love Child. With no chance of a dull night, Love Child earns it’s spot on the list as number 10.
#9 – Call Her Juliet
Address
510 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1K4
Crowd
19-25 years old
Music
Hip-Hop / Trap / Afrobeats
Atmosphere
Urban Youth
Best Nights
Saturdays
Call Her Juliet is a new club on King St. West, previously known as ‘Same Nightclub’ the club has been turned over into what is commonly referred to as just “Juliet”. Call Her Juliet has gotten a great facelift if you love blue, purple, pink neon aesthetics, this club is filled with just that. Juliet predominately plays hip-hop / rap / trap / and afro-beats, so the crowd here typically consists of only those indulge in this scene. This just might be the spot you’ll find your local trapper at. No really – he’s here with a bottle of Henny in his hand with a Toronto ting giving him a bubble in the corner – this is that spot. But it’s that type of spot in a good way, because the venue is beautifully decorated with a beautiful neon blue and pink ambiance. Juliet caters to a younger crowd who are looking for a night of partying to their favourite hip-hop tunes with a mix of trap and afro bangers. Call Her Juliet is almost like ‘Truth nightclub’ from Power, except with a bit more ‘Toronto mans’. Definitely a fun spot to visit if you’re trying to turn up to your favorite trap and rap anthems.
#7 – Lost and Found
Address
577 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M1
Crowd
20-25 years old
Music
Hip-Hop / Trap
Atmosphere
Young Professionals
Best Nights
Saturdays
As one of the “most exclusive clubs in Toronto” unfortunately Lost & Found ranks at number 7 on the list. Lost and Found nightclub does have a lot to offer in terms of a unique crowd and non-mainstream hip-hop bangers however the high barrier to entry is what the biggest gripe is. If you are a group of solely females, this won’t be a problem for you. However, if you are in a mixed group, or a group solely consisting of guys, be prepared to get bottle service or be turned away. Our advice for you is to make backup plans if you aren’t ready to get bottle service, as guestlist may not be a sure bet for a mixed group. Something to keep in mind if you do get in is that Lost & Found, is a smaller underground venue with its dimly lit vibe, so it can reach capacity quickly and become shoulder-to-shoulder crowded.
Lost & Found does consistently draw a large crowd every Friday and Saturday night, as well as the infamous Lost & Found Mondays, nights on which celebrities may occasionally stop by (best example is the Weeknd’s reference lyric “I f*ck a bitch from Lost and Found like every Monday”). The music is undeniably fire, since Lost and Found plays the hottest hip-hop anthems and a range of underground and top 40 trap. Lost and Found holds its own on our top 10 list of Toronto nightlife.
#5 Toybox
Address
473 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1T1
Crowd
19-23 years old
Music
Pop Hip-Hop
Atmosphere
College / University Students
Best Nights
Saturdays
Toybox is a relatively new club on King St. West, as it first opened its doors early in 2019. Previously this location was Uniun nightclub, so if you are familiar with the layout of that club, not much has changed in that department. However, once in the venue you’ll notice it’s a completely different vibe. Toybox is a top 40 / pop hip-hop club (whereas Uniun was previously EDM centric), the music targets college and university students who want a night out with their favourite pop hip-hop songs, and top 40 anthems. The décor of the club is black and red tones which provide a dark sultry feel but a fun vibe.
Toybox is most prominently known for its mascot which is a small beige bear that parades around the club and proceeds to dance and pretend to drink from bottles. As gimmicky as it sounds it works and it’s the only club in Toronto that has a mascot like this. Toybox is known amongst the younger crowd for being a central hot spot and is generally quite busy on most nights.
#3 Rebel
Address
11 Polson St, Toronto, ON M5A 1A4
Crowd
19-50+ years old
Music
4 Rooms – 4 Sounds (Hip-Hop, Top 40, EDM, Latin / Reggaeton)
Atmosphere
Mixed venue
Best Nights
Saturdays
Where would a list of the best clubs in Toronto be without Rebel? Rebel nightclub is Toronto’s take on a massive Vegas multi-room nightclub and is by far the biggest club in Toronto. This enormous venue holds up to 4,000 people so expect a vast venue that appeals to the masses. The club consists of 4 different rooms/sections. The main room plays Top – 40 / EDM mixes / Hip-Hop mixes, while the purple room plays pure R&B and Hip-Hop, the Noir Room located upstairs plays EDM, Tech & Trance, and finally the Savage room plays Top Latin / Reggaeton bangers.
As you’ve probably noticed reading through this guide, most venues in Toronto are smaller niche type environments, with each club appealing to a certain demographic, crowd and musical taste, however, Rebel is the exact opposite and aims to target everyone. While some do not like the mass appeal, some love that the club has a change of environment just a walk away and is packed with so many people you’ll never see the same face twice in one night. Rebel nightclub is definitely a spot to visit at least once in Toronto if you’ve never been because it’s unlike anything else in the city. If you’re looking for the biggest venue with the most people, and some crazy vegas-style pyrotechnics and LED lighting, this is the venue for you, just keep in mind the crowd will be very mixed.
# 2 – EFS
Address
647 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M5
Crowd
20-30 years old
Music
Hip-Hop / Trap / Afro
Atmosphere
Young & Mature Professionals
Best Nights
Fridays and Saturdays
EFS has been a primary club location in the King West club community for the past 8 years. Amongst a multitude of other clubs constantly opening and closing their doors or shifting to public rebranding, EFS has remained steadfast in its name, music, vibe, and the crowd. But how and why? One word. Consistency.
EFS consistently brings out a solid crowd each and every weekend and has continued to maintain its prestige as one of the hottest clubs in Toronto. EFS keeps its standards high with a high level of crowd control. Expect to only get into this venue if you get guestlist ahead of time, with the exception for those with bottle service and or a booth booked. Additionally, you should show up dressed to impress as the bouncers at EFS take the dress code seriously, and from what we’ve noticed, they try to maintain the image of the club by being selective about who they let in. The music is always impeccable here at EFS nightclub, spinning Hip-Hop, Trap and a lot of original Hip-Hop mixes. It also helps that the crowd is always diverse yet professional and stylish, so you won’t be seeing a lot of sloppy and rowdy drunks here. Just like Lost and Found, expect to see celebrities drop by this venue on special nights, including Nav, Young Thug, or even Drake. EFS objectively maintains its spot as one of the top clubs in Toronto and is always a solid choice for any night out.
#1 – Lavelle
Address
627 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M5
Crowd
22-30+ years old
Music
Hip-Hop / R&B / Chill House
Atmosphere
Young & Mature Professionals
Best Nights
Fridays
At number 1, it’s the infamous Lavelle Rooftop Lounge. To say that Lavelle has redefined the expectations of Toronto’s nightlife would be an understatement. This astounding venue has set the bar for what club-goers expect when it comes to an upscale vibe, atmosphere, décor, and music. Once this beautiful spot opened its doors as primarily a hip-hop lounge/club, we saw many other spots trying to keep up with its swanky image and posh décor. If you haven’t already noticed the white Lavelle sign in every girl from Toronto’s Instagram (similar to the Cabana’s “On-the-lake skyline shot”), then take our word for it that this a staple spot in Toronto’s nightlife scene that everyone and their friends are talking about.
There’s just something about neon-lit pools in a vast spread out venue, on a rooftop with a view of Toronto’s core that is undeniably breathtaking. Combining these core elements with Lavelle’s new appeal to the younger crowd and change in its lounge music to Trap and Hip-Hop on Friday and Saturday nights, the venue is generally very busy every weekend. In the summer, expect the club to reach capacity by 11:30 PM, in the colder months this might happen closer to 12:40-1:00 AM. Lavelle has earned its number one spot, and will likely keep it for some time until another venue can achieve this holistic balance of décor, vibe, music, and crowd.