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The Central
Categories: Restaurants Nightlife Bars Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Restaurants, Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
603 Markham StToronto, ON M6G 2L7
Neighbourhood: Palmerston
(416) 913-4586
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 2 am
Sat-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
22 reviews for The Central
Review Highlights
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"...good and come with fabulously crispy sweet potato fries." In 4 reviews -
"The patio is fantastic - try to sit upstairs, if you can." In 7 reviews -
"...a friend had the veggie burger that I sampled, which was..." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Jon O.
3/27/2012 3 Check-ins Here
The Central is my kind've place. Very chill and unassuming with a few good brews on tap and a full bar on the main floor if you're looking for cocktails.
The Central has space for any mood:
Soak up the sun: main floor patio
Live music: main floor inside
Cozy with a breeze: upstairs closed-in "patio"
Rec room: Upstairs on your left with a projector showing the live music from downstairs, a couch area, and large communal tables
Private Room: if you have enough people you can completely control the small room with the upstairs bar
Outdoors at all costs: If everything else is full, there's a small back patio surrounded by brick
If you're looking for a place to slug back a few with friends or watch some live music or meet some university/college kids, head to The Central for a good time. -
Review from Jonathan M.
Toronto, ON
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Shockingly good food. And not just for a dive-bar.
Influenced by his high-end Toronto kitchen experience, chef James renewed and expanded the menu eight months ago with a focus on fresh ingredients and innovative twists on typical bar-fare. Try the crushed-potato-chip battered Fish and Chips or the tofu Pad Thai (often a terrible choice at a bar, but The Central does it very well). Also recommend the wings -- huge and juicy -- which can give any wings spot in Toronto a run for its money. Order it with a cup of butternut squash soup.
Warning: Make sure James is working before ordering. -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Sadly this is one of those places that just can't seem to get their act together.
I mean on paper The Central looks great. Two stories high, two patios, and lots of different bands and comedy shows. They could be like a Baby-Tranzac. Heck they even have cheap drink specials every week. $4.50 pints on a Friday night? Having said that, nothing that I have seen here in the sense of food would ever inspire me to eat here.
However the bands are horribly advertised, same goes with their other shows. So whenever I have been there I have had the impression that most people in attendance are not actual customers but family/friends of the bands/acts themselves. I brought a number of people to the Strip Comedy a few weeks ago. A show where bad jokes are rewarded with the comedians having to strip a piece of clothing...!l However although the premise is unique and well, funny, most of the comedians were embarrassingly bad so the entire show is about half-cooked -plus in case you were asking, most are not worth seeing even remotely naked.
Plus on the previous show two of my guests got heckled by a sad "comedian" just because we would not laugh at his horrible jokes. The hostess of that show apologized for his rudeness but still this does not speak well for the venue in general.
Also, you get the vibe that this place is very disorganized. For example, a while ago, I was there with 8 friends, we had been drinking for hours, having a blast when all of the sudden --and without warning, we were being asked to pay if we wanted to stay, since a band, that had not been advertised --as I checked their website (which generally is awfully outdated both in design and calendar listings) was about to perform and wanted their money. We were like, "we have blown through some cash here and now you are telling us to pay up or leave?" Yup. So we walked out. Went down to the bar at the end of the street.
Would I come here again? Maybe during the Summer for a quick pint outside in the patio where I would not get charged to get in case they had a band or if there was a large party already happening. However Victory Cafe down the street falls under the same lines in decour yet it is superior in almost every way.Listed in: 30 Day Movember '11 Challenge
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Review from Sandra M.
3/31/2012
Likeaphenomena ( the girl who knows good food and beer) describes The Central as a small, dive-bar hang-out that has its own certain set of fans (who like small, dive-bars hang-outs) From my own visit, I'm not one. The server warned me that the kitchen was slow that day. Sure enough my order of poutine took just over an hour to arrive to the table and tasted horrible. The selection of beers on tap is limited.
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Review from Erin B.
7/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've had bad luck with the Other Patio Place on Markham this summer, so I've ended up at The Central a few times. And it's ok. The patio is fantastic - try to sit upstairs, if you can. There's something about looking down on the world that makes everything more exciting.
The beer selection is good. Lots of locals on draft, including a couple from Flying Monkey Brewery (yum!) - this is the only place I've seen the Netherworld Ale on draft, which is delightful. And there always seems to be at least one beer on special - I've never heard of Lighthouse Lager, but I'm sure it's as good as any other dull blonde beer, so why not pay less?
The food is also ok, though I'd steer clear of the nachos. Twice I've ordered them (alcohol makes me forget my previous mistakes) and twice they've been a thin layer of crappy chips topped with marble cheese and served with boring salsa. I had the grilled calamari with salad one evening, and that was good, if a tad overcooked. Still tasty.
And the service... Oh, the service. Terrible. Perhaps I'm being too harsh. I do get beer, sooner or later. Most of the time. But I have to chase the server down to get other things (hot sauce, utensils), and have found the patio servers to be... not, perhaps, the sharpest knives in the drawer. On the other hand, when I've been inside for live events, the service has been somewhat better - still not attentive, but at least not neglectful.
At any rate. This is a fine place to go if The Other Patio is packed and you need to down a cold beer sooner than later. But it wouldn't be my first choice.Listed in: Great patios!
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Review from Vivek S.
Sarah L and I have never had a bad time here. For some reason we often end up here when no one else is around, and one or more of us has a laptop, and we get to drinking, and five-way-Skyping and incredible times ensue.
Or we'll show up and and before we know it we were knee deep in a fundraiser featuring stand-up comedy. This kind of thing happens a lot at The Central where there is something going on almost every night. Live music, comedy, parties, DJs, what-have-you is always on the schedule.
Downstairs features a diminutive bar, their main dining space and a little stage (where the aforementioned comedy took place) for gigs. Upstairs features a more chill space with loungy area with couches and a TV. I believe there is also a patio up there, which combined with the large streetfacing patio brings their count to TWO. Impressive.
The foodstuffs are surprisingly decent and reasonably pricied. I remember the dip platter being more food than any quantity of people could handle and being delicious too. Hoorah!
Obligatory Title Pun: This place is in the MIDDLE of all the action.
Menu Readability: It's ALL right. I like the use of black stock.
Need to mention: They have Amsterdam, Wellington and Creemore Springs on draught. Pints are $5.
What this place teaches me about myself: The formula for fun is Sarah L + Laptops + Beer.Listed in: Live Music in Toronto, Adventures with Sarah L
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Review from Josefa M.
Toronto, ON
5/10/2011
Another evening, another terrible eating experience on Markham Street. I don't know if it is me, or that Markham Street is just better to go to for drinks. It's probably a bit of both.
I went to The Central last night very hungry and looking for a nice patio to have a drink and a meal. The drinks were fine, but there was but one server running up and down multiple flights of stairs. He looked exhausted. The very basic food ordered by me was a veggie burger and sweet potato fries and the chicken wrap by my brother. We both knew we were not coming for 5-star quality food. Or service apparently!
We arrived at 7:15 pm and placed our food and drink order by 7:30 pm. Two tables of couples got up and left because they were tired of waiting. But I wanted to believe! The beer came at 7:45 pm (thank god) and dinner arrived at 8:50 pm. A few pints had made me relaxed about the wait, but it was inexcusable. They told us the meals were on them because we had to wait for so long. I was glad because no person should have to pay for what arrived on my plate. It was a sloppy pile of some kind of mix that was deep fried and plopped out of the bun every bite I took. My brother's fries were wet and oily and mine were chewy. How do you screw up pub food?
I will still go back to Markham Street and head directly to the Victory Cafe. -
Review from Tamarah S.
Scarborough, ON
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went here to watch my friend play a show. A little cramped, but has outdoor and upstairs seating. The food was surprisingly good and the drinks are cheap! Will definitely be going here again, whether or not my friend is playing :P
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Review from Payam Z.
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars!
What did the lawyer say to the musician? "I know it's kinda random, but whaddaya say we open a bar?"
There's no punchline, but this is apparently how The Central, as we know it, was conceived. Two hip college friends, a little bored of what they were most familiar with, decided it would be fun to play bartender at night while taking care of their other gigs during the day! The eccentric owners alone have gained an extra star for Central in my book because chatting with them has reassured me this is the laid-back, no non-sense place I like to get a drink!
The design is yet another transformed Victorian house with diverse rooms. The main bar is in the downstairs area and this is also where a small stage is setup for musical performances. The second floor includes two cozy rooms (one with a foosball table), and a balcony-patio that is an ideal place to have a drink during the summer.
I'm not familiar with the exact schedule, but there are drink specials depending on the weeknight. I remember that during the summer their 'well rum' was Havana Club and it was a pleasure to know you could order round after round of the good/better stuff without putting a hole in your pocket.
The food options are also decent and served in large portions. Nothing too exciting to write about in this department as expected with most bars! -
Review from Sophia K.
Toronto, ON
5/4/2009
I really don't think the Central gets enough credit, and that probably comes from being situated near the Victory Cafe (tried and true and popular). However, I feel like The Central is more than just an alternative. It's pretty great in its own right!
Lots of patio seating which is essential in the summer. The main floor inside is pretty long and narrow but there are a few rooms upstairs as well, which I believe are available if not being used for a private function. The food is great, the drinks are better! You've got all your standards plus a few pleasant surprises (Manatoulin Island Iced Tea anyone?). Good music and friendly staff.
I've also been here a few times for live shows and had a great time, it's a great venue for bands. -
Review from Emily M.
3/30/2011
A little better than standard pub food in terms of food options, with several pastas, polenta, pad thai and fajitas on the menu. But for the love of god stay away from that veggie burger. Being a vegetarian I didn't have very high expectations of the veggie burger at a place like this, which is why I didn't order it, but my friend did. And let me just say that the "burger" was basically just a soggy greasy deep fried pile of mush. Sooo greasy, you can't imagine!!! *bleh*. I had the grilled veggie sandwich (a bit better) and my other friends had some buffalo chicken wrap which they said was really good. The sweet potato fries were good, but if you mess those up, then you have real problems. I dig the atmosphere as they have two rooms upstairs where you can socialize in a larger group, but one room doesn't have any music, which is a bit strange. The patio has real potential for the summer time. So I'll be back but I'll be trying the pastas next time instead. Or maybe I will just drink booze and skip the food altogether...
oh ya and the food is VERY reasonably priced....
p.s FREE foosball!!!!!! -
Review from Shawn R.
10/28/2008
I'm with Marissa...I was here for the same thing and getting around was, well, it was easier to stand out in the rain for a bit than try to move around in the bar.
And this may be the beer talking, but that burger is dreamy. There are plenty of great burgers around here, but I wish I could get a burger like that at home. I'll be seeing you World Champs weekend 2009, Central Burger. -
Review from Steven N.
Vancouver, BC
5/19/2010
Not a bad place.
I came here looking for a nice, chill and intimate place to hang out with some good friends. The setting is pretty nice, can't say much about the drinks but if you're looking good, wholesome place for a drink, come here to the Central. -
Review from Tammy Y.
5/23/2010
A good alternative to trying to cram onto the patio at Victory Cafe - definitely make your way up to the patio on the second floor for a nice lofty view of Markham Street. The space here is great (lots of flora and even some Foosball), but unfortunately service is a little lackluster and slow. We were wondering why some people appeared to be simply going to the bar themselves when there was clearly a server on the patio, but I guess after waiting 20 minutes for a pitcher of beer to arrive, I could understand why.
Also, the music is uncomfortably spastic. We covered country, dirty south hip hop, Buddha Bar, latin, piano jazz, indie, and hair metal all in one sitting. Despite all this though, hey, a nice patio is sometimes all you really want and The Central has got it. So suck it and your beef with country music up and just be grateful you've even found a patio with alcohol. -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2008
Central is on the same stretch of evening/night spots as Victory Cafe, and as a result isn't always filled. However, it's 2 patio spaces (ground floor and 2nd floor) saw it's popularity steadily grow this summer. With reasonably priced food and drinks as well as a good staff, this place deserves the good reputation it has earned.
They'll sometimes have Jazz or some other live music playing inside, but I'm not convinced it happens with any frequency.
Of all their different dishes, my favourite is the grilled vegetable sandwich. It's actually amazing, and with a beer it's a perfect late lunch on a warm day. -
Review from Marissa B.
10/27/2008
WRPS had our players reception here the other night. Most of us were some form of out of towners, but a great staff, cold beer, and delicious food made sure that the night was enjoyed by all. I just wish that the bar itself were a little longer, or the pathways a little wider... when this place gets crowded, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get from one side of the bar to another!
Probably the best $7 hamburger I've ever had, easy. -
Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
12/29/2010
Located in the Annex, in the middle of Mirvish Village, The Central is a bar, a restaurant, and a live music venue. The dimly lit house-turned-restaurant with the splendidly seamy vibe immediately and completely tugged at my heart strings. I loved the rickety setting and little details like the "Draught: Use Your Eyes" sign behind the bar.
But, as with any new love, first impressions can often deceive you; The Central played with my emotions. The menu - and be warned the online menu is not what you will find when you arrive there - has so much potential and I very much wanted the food to live up to my expectations. My party of three shared grilled calamari with side of salad greens in a light citrus dressing, followed by entrees of grilled mushroom salad with shrimp, a grilled vegetable sandwich with sweet potato fries, and a cheesesteak sandwich with Tom Yum soup, all of which (with three beers) came in at just over $60.
The menu items are not very risky, but still need to be done carefully to be successful. As much as I wanted everything to come out perfectly, it simply did not. First of all, the calamari was a very large serving - so far, so good. But, in grilling it whole, the tips became overcooked and the centre remained undercooked, and there was a hint of burnt charcoal flavour. The grilled vegetables were also overcooked, producing an all-over brown hue, making them completely lose their individuality. The cheesesteak had the right flavour, but again, the beef was slightly overcooked and chewy. Finally, after looking forward to trying one of the desserts in hopes for menu-redemption, like the candied strawberries or the ever-infamous deep fried Mars bars, we were told that all they had available was ice cream. Not so impressive.
While the main dishes and lack of desserts were disappointing, I do have to commend them on a couple of things. All of the side dishes were on-point; the dressing on both the calamari dish, and the mushroom salad were light, flavourful and had a good citrus tang; the sweet potato fries were crispy, and came with a side of a creamy cinnamon dip that was a great alternative to regular ketchup; and the Tom Yum soup was hot, spicy, and a great choice for a chilly December night.
I have decided that The Central could very well become a favourite spot of mine for drinks, and maybe appetizers, but is just not an ideal choice for a full dinner. The venue itself is one that you should check out, and I expect it is only better when the patio is open in the summer. If you don't want to sit in the main bar to listen to the band they have a cozy lounge space upstairs that can be rented for private parties. Also, they clearly take pride in the beverage menu, especially the beer choices. When we had some trouble deciding on a pint, we were offered a sample of a new label on tap called Netherworld, a Flying Monkey brew, which is similar to the popular Mill St. Tankhouse Ale.
I give them an A+ for atmosphere, but only a gold star-for-effort on the menu. -
Review from Michelle A.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2010
Nice alternative to Victory Cafe for a few drinks. It's a bit dingy downstairs, but the upstairs is large and open with an excellent rooftop patio. The food is also great and very cheap - a friend had the veggie burger that I sampled, which was great - made in-house from chick peas. The sandwiches also looked good and come with fabulously crispy sweet potato fries. Lots of beer on tap - good service.
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Review from Victoria S.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2011
this is a fun place to see an intimate show. there is a nice shady patio in the summer. lots of levels and different rooms. they have a foosball table! i've only ever gone for the music, so as long as the music is good i have a decent time. average beers, average prices but a little bit better than average atmosphere.
Listed in: best happy hour, best (live) music venues
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Review from Brenna K.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2009
I love this little place. I was invited out for a bday party and was really pleasently surprised as I had never heard of it. Good music, nice staff and just a chill environment. I have not eaten there so can't rate the food but the drinks are good!
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Review from Geoff G.
Toronto, ON
11/30/2011
TERRIBLE PLACE. Food was awful and expensive. Drinks and service - the same. The chef is an arrogant eccentric creep. He talks like a robot and is VERY condescending. I will NEVER go back (even if this was the last restaurant on earth). Restaurant makeover did a great job however the owners arrogant attitude destroyed all good that was done. Instead of buring their meau on the show they should have done us a favor and burned the entire place down (and not build it back up again). It's sad when people run a restaurant into the ground, get help to build it up again and become profitable, then run it back into the ground. The owners (including the arrogant chef) did a good job at doing this. Do yourself a favor and grab a beef patty and coke and sit in front of City Hall for entertainment. You'll have a MUCH better time and save a ton of coin. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.
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