Bars, clubs and taverns. Oh my!

Duncan Day-Myron

If you’re coming to Guelph for the first time and you’re over 19, one of things you might be thinking about is hitting the town. It may not have as many bars as bigger cities like Toronto or Hamilton, but Guelph has a pretty impressive array of establishments.

Macdonell St. in the south part of downtown is mostly a strip of bars and clubs. Trappers Alley, The Palace, The Tap House and Tabu all operate in the same building and they, along with Apartment 58, are the most popular clubs in town. Be sure to dress sharp.

Across the street from there is Tony’s, the best place to shoot pool in Guelph. The upstairs has lots of tables and is an easygoing crowd, comfortable to both seasoned vets and billiards newbies alike. They have discounts a few days a week, so think ahead.

Another popular event in Guelph is bar trivia. The Brass Taps, McCabe’s, Bobby O’Brien’s, Squirrel Tooth Alice’s and the Jimmy Jazz all have trivia nights, and they all happen on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. It’s a good way to get out in the middle of the week but still feel like you’re learning something. Get a team together with all your bases covered (music, science, sports) and win some prizes!

At the corner of Macdonell and Norfolk is the Albion Hotel. Upstairs has different genre nights Thursdays to Saturdays. The Gosh Damn DJs play on Thursdays and, while it isn’t promoted as a queer night, it has one of the bigger queer followings of any bar night in Guelph.

If you’re looking for live music, Van Gogh’s Ear, Frank ‘N’ Stein’s, Doogies, Pablos and the Jimmy Jazz and the Vinyl all regularly have live bands, either bar cover bands or touring bands. Each venue posters their windows so keep a steady eye on them throughout the week to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Lastly, there are the pubs. The Woolwich Arrow, downstairs at the Albion Hotel, Frugal MacDougall’s and the Pennywhistle offer a lot of great beers on tap. The Woolwich Arrow (The Woolly to regulars) has a menu of mostly locally sourced food and probably the best selection of Ontario and Canadian beers you’ll find in Guelph.

So no matter what’s your speed or what you’re looking to do on any night of the week, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a bar somewhere in Guelph to make your second home. Cheers!

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