Inside Mirvish Village’s gorgeous new bookstore that’s also a bar
It’s called Book Bar for a reason
Name: Book Bar
Contact: 600 Markham St., bookbarto.ca, @bookbarto
Neighbourhood: Mirvish Village
Owners: Tom Freeman and Robin Storfer
Accessibility: Fully accessible
Tom Freeman and Robin Storfer, the owners of the swanky new liquor-licensed bookstore in Mirvish Village, were neighbours and friends who long dreamed of opening a bar together. That dream will become a reality when Book Bar opens on June 27.
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“We would both step away from our desks and meet at one of our houses,” says Freeman. “A quick drink would turn into more than one, and before long it had become a family dinner, with our spouses and children joining in.”
In other words, the pair loved gathering people together, building community and sharing stories over drinks. (Who doesn’t?) The idea of opening a bar stayed with Storfer as she travelled across the US and Europe, discovering bookstore-bar hybrids that seemed to effortlessly foster exactly that kind of connection. Back in Toronto, she realized that the city didn’t have anything quite like that—so she and Freeman decided to change that.
The project also benefited from a conveniently close connection to the neighbourhood. Freeman is married to former Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat, who was deeply involved in the planning and approval process that transformed the former Honest Ed’s site into Mirvish Village. During those years, Keesmaat was a prominent advocate for preserving the heritage character of Markham Street’s Victorian homes—buildings that now help provide the backdrop for Book Bar’s community-minded vision.
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“The process took far longer than expected before we finally got our hands on the keys,” says Storfer. “But we never considered walking away. The historic character of the space—and preserving its integrity—was central to what we wanted this project to be.”
The Food
The pared-back food menu keeps the focus on books and booze, with light snacks like charcuterie boards, popcorn and fancy potato chips as well as some morning café items including Blackbird bread with cultured butter and pastries from butter tart gurus Circles and Squares Bakery.
The Drinks
The focus here is quality over kitsch, so don’t expect a roster of cocktails named after the 18 episodes of Ulysses. Instead, the concise menu offers thoughtful, finely tuned interpretations of the classics. Case in point: the Citron Flip, Book Bar’s take on a traditional sour. Made with vodka, concentrated lemon, fresh lemon juice, brown sugar and egg, it’s shaken into a silky cocktail that drinks like lemon meringue pie.
The wine program is equally refreshing if less tethered to convention. The list includes seven reds by the glass, six whites, two rosés, a sparkling and an orange. “We select by what tastes good, not by where it comes from,” says actor, bookseller and hospitality veteran Daniel Roberts.
The Space
DesignAgency was responsible for the conversion of the Victorian townhome, whose walls are now lined with modern millwork, embroidered wallpaper and recessed arched bookshelves with graceful curves that hint at passages into unknown worlds (like books!). The main floor is anchored by a massive stone bar and a cushioned banquette, plus a separate book nook furnished with comfy couches.
Upstairs, a loft-like mezzanine wrapped in oversized windows feels more playful. Here, a children’s book section occupies one corner, and a second bar—resembling an oversized kitchen island in a beautifully designed home—grounds the space. It’s an intimate setting well-suited to (and available for) book launches and private parties.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
