Mixologists from some of Canada's best bars are opening a new concept in Toronto
A group of former mixologists from high-profile Toronto bars are teaming up to start their own venture, but they’re not doing it alone.
Cocktail bars have long been staples on the Toronto culinary landscape, and it’s not hard to understand why.
They’re sleek, they’re chic, they’re dimly lit. Whether sought out as a date location or a post-date rendezvous point to debrief with your friends, there’s a conspiratorial air about the cocktail bar that’s downright irresistible.
The only hang-up comes when the cocktail bar in question is too sleek and chic (read: uptight) to actually allow you to have fun.
Lonely Diner, the latest venture from a team of notable mixologists, bar managers and restaurateurs, though, blows the lid off the hoity-toity cocktail bar stereotype, opting instead for something that’ll feel comfortable and familiar, while still undeniably stylish.
In Lonely Diner, you can expect a vibe akin to a cozy, wood-panelled 1970s basement, but don’t expect the type of cocktails you’d dig out from your grandparents’ liquor cabinet.
Conceptualized and designed by sibling duo Andrew and Christine Pham, who also own Midnight Snack Bar, Midnight Arcade, and Big Trouble.
With three undeniably fun bars under their belt, they’re already on solid ground when it comes to guaranteeing another hit, but, being that Lonely Diner is the pair’s first venture into the cocktail bar landscape, they’ve brought in some cocktail-shaking heavyweights to help them.
First up is Kaleb Hansen, the former Head Mixologist at celebrity Mixologist Frankie Solarik’s Barchef, renowned as one of Canada’s top 100 bars in 2024.
Hansen is joined by another Canada’s Top 100 alumn in Sasha Siegel, who has acted as Beverage Director at the gone-too-soon Overpressure Club, as well as Bar Banane, which ranked number 22 on the 2024 list.
Finally, Jon Kim, the former Bar Manager of Japanese-style speakeasy After Seven, is also attached to the project, rounding out a veritable dream team of cocktail visionaries primed to keep the people of Bathurst and College well hydrated, indeed.
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They’ve paired it all with a food menu that, along with the beverage program, is “exciting, contemplative and unique,” Siegel tells Dished Toronto. Wrap it all up inside a “casual atmosphere,” and you’ve got yourself a winning combo.
The official opening date has yet to drop, but the doors at Lonely Diner should be opening this month, and with a team like this behind it, it’s all but guaranteed to make a splash.
Lonely Diner
Address: 432 College St.
Opening:Â Late August 2025
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