Book Bar opens this weekend on Markham Street
A cozy two-floor reading lounge with books, coffee, wine, cocktails and conversation designed as a 'third place' to unplug.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Book Bar, a new reading lounge that pairs books with drinks, opens this weekend on Markham Street in a building that feels like a friend's living room scaled up.
The two-floor space combines shelves of curated books with a full bar — coffee and lattes on one level, wine and cocktails on another. Visitors browse for a read, settle into lounge-style nooks, or gather for book-club conversations, all with a drink in hand.
Co-founders Robin Storfer and Tom Freeman designed the space as what they call a "third place" — neither home nor work, but a refuge where strangers become part of a community. Storfer said the concept was born from kitchen-table gatherings with friends. "We spent a lot of time in my kitchen talking, sharing drinks and laughing. It's really an extension of our kitchen table to Toronto," Freeman added.
Each corner has something different to discover — coloured nooks, textures, reading alcoves tucked away upstairs. Storfer says books spark connection in ways a scroll through social media doesn't. "There's so much that you learn and connect over when you're talking about a book. Then, when you add a drink or a common interest to that experience, you get a place where you feel welcome and known and engaged." Wine pairs naturally with reading, she says — though Freeman is equally at home with a cocktail or cold beer.
Book Bar opens at 600 Markham Street with grand opening events Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, starting at 10 a.m. Storfer notes the space is designed as a non-judgmental place where conversation flows. "We want people to feel comfortable, engaged, interested, and that they can turn to their neighbour and have a conversation."