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Matador Dance Club

  • 466 Dovercourt Rd. (at College) View on map »
  • 416-533-9311
Behind the beat-up brick façade and ancient sign, the Matador is a pure piece of Torontonia. Opened in 1964, this after-hours honky-tonk hot spot was the brainchild of Ann Dunn, a single mother of five who wanted a business that wouldn’t interfere with her main job—child-rearing. Sounds exhausting, but Toronto nightlife is the better for it: 24-hour party people have been hoofing it here for decades (and the owner is now a great-grandmother). The crowd is a fun mix of Stetson-wearing old-timers and younger night owls looking for one last dance (even though the Matador has always been, ahem, alcohol-free). It also caught the eye of Leonard Cohen, who wrote “Closing Time” in its honour. Open 2 to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Location
  • map marker #1
    466 Dovercourt Rd. (at College)
  • 416-533-9311

Large map

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