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LCBO - Summerhill
Category: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
10 Scrivener SqYonge and Summerhill
Toronto, ON M4W 3Y9
Neighbourhood: Rosedale
(416) 922-0403
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for LCBO - Summerhill
Review Highlights
"This is hands-down the slickest liquor store in town."
(in 5 reviews)
"They have even had whiskey tastings on occasion."
(in 6 reviews)
"Classes sell out fast, so you need to act fast."
(in 3 reviews)
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16 reviews in English
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Review from Fay X.
Toronto, ON
12/21/2011
Fave LCBO, i already made a quick tip but im on a spree of writing reviews of things ive been to multiple times to give a fair review but I LOVE this place.
SOOOO many options about everything. The location is gorgeous and HUGE. yes the caps are for extra emphasis. Each region/country has its own section in the store. For even just browsing around except a good 40 mins to just walk around.
The have cooking and wine tasting classes you can sign up for weekly. The workers at the store really know their knowledge about everything. They will ask what you need the liquor for, cooking? dinner? budget? flavors you want or enjoy. Just really helpful. If you have the time, check this location out! -
Review from Jeff C.
East York, ON
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was introduced to this LCBO location years ago by a friend who lived in the neighborhood. For wine lovers this is the ultimate LCBO location. They have room after room for different regions. The vintage section really does go for several rooms. They have tastings of selected wines for a fee and there are the odd cooking demonstrations as well. One time I asked for advice on a wine to buy for a dinner I was having and the staff member did an excellent job of picking the wine. He even asked about the ingredients I was using to best match it to a wine.
Whiskey drinkers take note that they seem to have a huge selection. I am not a whiskey drinker myself but have heard from some that this is so. They have even had whiskey tastings on occasion. -
Review from Krystina R.
Leslieville, Toronto, ON
2/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great selections!
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Review from Steph L.
3/10/2011
Heaven... If your idea of heaven is rows and rows of booze.
OMG, I love this location!!!
This store has an extensive collection of wines, this store is stacked.
Samples as you peruse, it's like shopping in a candy store.
What is standout about this location is that they offer tasting classes.
There aren't too many LCBO locations that offer classes or a good variety of them. Also, being so close to Summerhill subway station, you can stumble back to the metro and feel at ease.
I'm a big fan of tastings...okay, big fan is an understatement, I'm an addict.
I just attended a Scotch (single malt) class, so admittedly, I'm sort of hammered right now...surprisingly I can still type).
It was a pricier class at $125 for 1.5 hours (the classes range in price depending on if it's a single class or a series of classes, and also the alcohol served affects price).
We sampled 7 scotches, reviewing the distinct regions of production.
The instructor was awesome. He really knew his stuff. The pace of the class is lightning fast. They chose scotches that were noticeably different and served them with small samples of complimentary foods.
The instructor went through methods for tasting and we were given a list of what was served so we could make notes.
I had a GREAT time. I'm not just saying that because I'm drunk.
I can't wait to sign up for thier wine courses.
Classes sell out fast, so you need to act fast.
I'm excited for my next class here! -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
6/9/2011
Write a review of a LCBO store? Sure. That doesn't say I am a lush or anything. Phff.
Anyway, how could I not? I mean this LCBO store has it's own Wikipedia page for Pete's sake. The original building (The Summerhill-North Toronto CPR Station) was finished in 1916 and the tower was inspired by Saint Mark's Square in Venice. Who says you can't buy your liquor with class & style? Also it would make sense they would build the Summerhill Subway station a minute away from this previous train station, no? So it makes it very accessible for your liver-killing needs
This used to be my local store when I lived in the hood for about a year a while back, walking to it and seeing it come into full view always made me smile. It is a very nice building.
Okay, now to the booze. Since this is the LCBO flagship store, the place is huge! With a consumer choice to match. You want to try wine from Belarus or Tunisia? Sure, they got it too. Also, thanks to the selection you can get some really good vintage wines as gifts and special occasions without having to break the bank (hint, hint). Although you can if you wish.
Also some weekend afternoons they will have Liquor and Spirits Tastings on their, (I guess you could call it) 'party room' at the west end ($2-$3 per glass) just off the middle of the store plus regular wine sampling in the middle of the store (free) right past the main room, walking from the south side.
They also offer Wine classes, a product consultant and are bilingual. Go LCBO!
Oh, and how could I forget? They also stay open late,10:00pm everyday except Sundays, 6:00pm. This store has scratched many a wine itch and saved many impromptu get-togethers.
If you are/live close, this is all the LCBO store you need. From aesthetics to selection, it's the best in Toronto & and the largest in Canada.Listed in: My Reviews
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Review from helen y.
Toronto, ON
2/5/2011
I love this place! everything and anything i need as long as it has alcohol in it, they have it.
great selection on rare bottles to vintages, to simple organic beer...!!!
muah muah!!! -
Review from Brenda S.
11/9/2010
As LCBO stores go, this one is the best and biggest. People come from other parts of Ontario and if they want booze I have to take them here just for the spectacle. The selection is fantastic, whether you want wine, beer, or harder stuff, and whether you want to spend $10 or hundreds on a bottle of wine. There are cooking and tasting classes available in-house.
I do have a love-hate relationship with government-run liquor stores. On the one hand, they can get some great stuff in. On the other hand, they often get it in once and not bother to get it again even if it sold like hotcakes, because there's no competition. -
Review from Teena D.
11/9/2010
This is an awesome liquor store!
It's huge ... I love that we've kept the history and the building.
We landed there a couple years ago on Robbie Burns Day and didn't know where was a celebration at this liquor store ... haggis, whiskey samples, bagpipes, etc. We ended up spending a couple hours ... it was so much fun!Listed in: Shops and services I like
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Review from Dave O.
Toronto, ON
10/27/2009
The LCBO evokes a certain ire from me when I think of all the wonderful beers that I could be drinking if not for their restrictive import policies. But I put it aside when I visit the Summerhill LCBO, which is often as it's only a two minute walk from my front door. But fear not, if you aren't as close as I am, there's a spacious parking lot and it's only a minute from Summerhill station.
This is the temple of the spirits, the holiest of booze holies, a divine shrine to fine wine. The building has been exquisitely restored and is absolutely stunning, worth the trip just to see the historic architecture.
The vintage spirits room has single malt for all wallets, a thirty-two thousand dollar bottle of Louis XIII cognac, and a blown-glass bicycle bottle full of whiskey. If you can't find it here, you probably won't find it in Canada.
The vintage wine selection is unmatched, you can get lost wandering just around the Bordeaux. The seasonal beer releases always get stocked at Summerhill, and they generally have plenty available.
The staff here is friendly and helpful, they happily found me some honey wine and also fetched some of my favourite Baco Noir from the stock room. There are samplers during peak times, guided wine tastings, and a giant kitchen with a new cooking demonstration every week.
The Summerhill LCBO has everything you need, so go get wasted! -
Review from Kevin D.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2009
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE STORE!
I feel like a kid during Christmastime shopping for goodies and delicious treats. This place has charm, friendly staff and selection that would rival any booze emporium on earth.
They give samples (of the good shit too) on a regular basis and tastings every week. I love the VINTAGES section. Great gems not seen at most LCBO's. Love it!Listed in: KD's Neighbourhood- St.…
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Review from Denise M.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2008
Don't get me wrong, this is probably the classiest liquor store in the country. It's huge, has a good selection, helpful staff and it's in an old train station which is pretty cool.
I have a love/hate relationship with this place. It's the closest liquor store to where I live which is way too far. I hate having to make almost an hour long roundtrip journey just to buy a bottle of Moosehead when I live in the middle of Toronto.
Also, the fact that you can't buy any alcohol (except at a usually overpriced bar) after 9 or 10pm is just ridiculous. Manitoba's system is nowhere near perfect, but you can at least buy beer at a few places until 2 a.m.
I do NOT support the government monopoly on liquor sales. I've spent too much time in the States to realize independent liquor sales aren't a bad thing. It's fine that there are government stores, but why can't ma and pa make some money off it too? -
Review from Dallas H.
11/24/2009
Lousy Communist Booze Outlet. Wouldn't it be nice if we could buy our liquor from whichever merchant WE THE PEOPLE select? Oh YES WE CAN. In Buffalo.
Why the citizens of Ontario aren't in total revolt against this price-fixing, monopolistic system of corruption I'll never understand. -
Review from Luke A.
Toronto, ON
8/18/2008 1 photo
This is hands-down the slickest liquor store in town. The building used to be a Beer Store (which has since moved across Scrivener Square), but before that, it was a train station; it's been totally renovated as a flagship LCBO. They still kept the "train" theme, with different sections of the store called "tracks." It makes it a little hard to get around at first, but all the twists and turns keep the store's vastness from overwhelming you.
All the great things about the LCBO are super-sized at this one: plenty of tastings and events, a monstrous vintages section, and an impressive amount of ultra-pricey high-end liquor that I could never afford to get sloshed from. But it makes for great window-shopping.
Only a few minor complaints: the beer selection isn't as interesting as I would like for a store this size, and the bourbon selection (since I happened to be on the lookout for a gift for a bourbon-imbibing pal) consists of the same three brands as at every other LCBO. -
Review from Lynda W.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2008 1 photo
I've learned that not all LCBO's are built equally. This is the biggest and most luxurious LCBO I've had the pleasure of coming across. The building itself reminds me of Grand Central Station. From the clock tower, and the train tracks on top of the building, it just has a nice feel to it.
When you first enter (from the North entrance) the store looks like any other LCBO. The regular wine, coolers and party section. Then you enter what they call the "Premium Spirits" that you get into the really hot and heavy stuff. This is where you find the really expensive bottles seen in rap videos!! I'm not a big alcohol drinker, and I have an addictive personality, so maybe it's for the best.
Trust me when I say that if there's anything you are looking for, you'll be able to find it here for sure. Just imagine your locale LCBO and multiply that by 3, and you have the size of this one. Best of all there's free parking for LCBO customers! -
Review from kelly h.
Toronto, ON
5/1/2011
The Summerhill LCBO makes me wish I didn't suffer from that unfortunate malady, the One Drink Hangover. With all the free samples this place doles out, it's likely I'll be three sheets to the wind before I even reach the checkout. The beer selection could be better, considering the floor space (and considering that beer is the only thing I really drink), but my heavens, what a magnificent specimen of a liquor store.
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Review from Jes L.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2009
Writing a review for a liquor store might seem strange to some people; however, this particular location is the crème de la crème of booze boutiques. Imagine yourself entering a shrine to the goddess alcohol - a gallery of beer, a museum of wine. The selection is nearly unbeatable, but its the building itself that provides a pleasing aesthetic to even the most discerning eye. It used to be the North Toronto train station, and was reinvented into the LCBO headquarters in 2000.
