Introducing: The Ballroom, the downtown bowling alley with UFC and gourmet chicken wings
Until recently, Bathurst Bowlerama—site of kids’ parties and seniors’ leagues—has been the only option for downtowners looking to play a few frames. That is, until now. The much-anticipated Ballroom is now open in the old Montana’s space at John and Richmond. It’s billing itself as “Toronto’s newest interactive entertainment centre,” and with 20,000 square feet of space, nine lanes, two floors, 52 big-screen TVs and seven 12-by-six-foot projection screens, the claims appear to be justified.
The Ballroom isn’t like the bowleramas of our childhood. There are no machines dispensing candy for a quarter, no cosmic bowling and, thankfully, fewer groups of screeching kids. “It’s a little more sophisticated than your average bowling place,” says Thanos Tripi, one of the five partners (the others are Andreas Antoniou, Paul Donato, Warren Needler and Matty Tsoumaris).
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The space is awash in design quirks, like the bowling pin light fixtures, barrel side tables and a mosaic wall. The partners have also teamed up with chef Tawfik Shehata, formerly of Vertical, to offer comfort food staples with a foodie twist (the organic, free-range chicken wings, for example, are grilled, not fried). Having opened ahead of schedule to deal with a heavy demand over the holidays, The Ballroom is serving a limited menu, which will expand over the next few weeks. The full menu will be in effect at the beginning of February. The Ballroom also has 16 brews on tap to quench thirst and provide excuses for gutter balls.
Perhaps the only things that didn’t get an update are the shoes. As Tripi explains, “They’re not old, they’re brand new, but they’ve got that classic retro style that everyone recognizes. In fact, people have already been stealing them.”
Bowling $25 per half hour before 5 p.m., $37.50 per half hour after 5 p.m. Shoe rental $5.
The Ballroom, 145 John St. (at Richmond St. W.), 416-597-2695, theballroom.ca.
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Until recently, Bathurst Bowlerama—site of kids’ parties and seniors’ leagues—has been the only option for downtowners looking to play a few frames. That is, until now. The much-anticipated Ballroom is now open in the old Montana’s space at John and Richmond. It’s billing itself as “Toronto’s newest interactive entertainment centre," and with 20,000 square feet of space, nine lanes, two floors, 52 big-screen TVs and seven 12-by-six-foot projection screens, the claims appear to be justified.
The Ballroom isn’t like the bowleramas of our childhood. There are no machines dispensing candy for a quarter, no cosmic bowling and, thankfully, fewer groups of screeching kids. “It’s a little more sophisticated than your average bowling place,” says Thanos Tripi, one of the five partners (the others are Andreas Antoniou, Paul Donato, Warren Needler and Matty Tsoumaris).
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The space is awash in design quirks, like the bowling pin light fixtures, barrel side tables and a mosaic wall. The partners have also teamed up with chef Tawfik Shehata, formerly of Vertical, to offer comfort food staples with a foodie twist (the organic, free-range chicken wings, for example, are grilled, not fried). Having opened ahead of schedule to deal with a heavy demand over the holidays, The Ballroom is serving a limited menu, which will expand over the next few weeks. The full menu will be in effect at the beginning of February. The Ballroom also has 16 brews on tap to quench thirst and provide excuses for gutter balls.
Perhaps the only things that didn’t get an update are the shoes. As Tripi explains, “They’re not old, they’re brand new, but they’ve got that classic retro style that everyone recognizes. In fact, people have already been stealing them.”
Bowling $25 per half hour before 5 p.m., $37.50 per half hour after 5 p.m. Shoe rental $5.
The Ballroom, 145 John St. (at Richmond St. W.), 416-597-2695, theballroom.ca.){kind=link}
9 lanes? I was hoping for more, Can you reserve lanes?
WAIT A SEC>>>>
Bowling $25 per half hour before 5 p.m., $37.50 per half hour after 5 p.m. Shoe rental $5.
That $70.00 an our??? And they still add shoes on to that…
I give this one year…..Tops
It is very expensive.
Here are the details:
Lanes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Lanes can fit up to 8 bowlers and will be billed by the hour — $50 (inc. taxes) before 5PM and $75 (inc. taxes) after 5PM with food and beverages ordered a la carte to your lane! There are two bars and ample lounge space downstairs. Upstairs is a full restaurant/sports bar and home to our small arcade and ping pong tables.
open daily 11am to 2am
WOW I can get an xbox and that new movement thing and bowl at home on my 61″ and be happy. I will go for drinks and food. No set price if a couple just wants to go bowl? I can see this being okay for 8ppl but even then you are likely to just get one game with 8ppl.
I thought the idea was amazing when I first read about this but now…
This place looks awesome. Welcome addition to the downtown scene.
1. This isn’t even a real bowling alley. It’s a bar with two bowling lanes in it. Nothing different than Vinny’s back in the day. Except Vinny’s had video games and the like.
2. That’s pretty insanely expensive to bowl on a tiny bowling lane.
3. Bathurst Bowlerama is not the only bowling alley. And it’s kinda ghetto for sure. But if you got 5 minutes north (god for bid, right hipsters?) there is a much larger bowling alley with a bar, cosmic, etc.. . NOT TO MENTION there are two other bowling alleys in the city. Not downtown, but still within transit accessibility.
Further to my comment. The lanes regardless of size, 75.00 to bowl for an hour is beyond ridiculous. Another crap place downtown that’ll close in a year.
WOW. So when did this become the penny pinchers anonymous forum! This facility is in DOWNTOWN TORONTO … they need to keep the lights on.
Place looks great … food will no doubt be top shelf.
If you want to bowl for $5 an hour I’m sure there are some great crap holes in Hamilton or Oshawa … enjoy the drive!
Not sure where you bowl. We had a party there for 15 people – 2 lanes. We all had so much fun. I think its a great idea for Downtown Toronto. Not sure where you bowl if you call this place Ghetto?
Melissa must have got a lump of coal in her stocking …
Before I could even finish writing my comment back to you Melissa you posted another comment. I know exactly where you shop. McDonalds!
Not gonna make any friends with those kinda outbursts …
what kind of dingbat buys a 61″ TV but can’t afford $25 to bowl for a half hour … sounds like you may have over indulged on your idiot box
Looks like the ballroom bosses have their staff fake commenting here rather than taking care of guests. This concept is great, the execution is horrible. I’ll never bring Ty Pennington here. Shout out to Vaughan Mills!
Its not the 61″ matters to the point of anything Sir, Its the fact the are called bowling alley its over priced. So if they opened a bowling alley have more lanes maybe drop the price. Yes its in Toronto, So push the food that will be served the ambiance the drinks and what not.
My 61″ maybe an idiot box but its more then you have and trust me I know how to indulge and love spending my money, so please hold personal comments to yourself. I know your ego may of been hurt but its a friendly blog and unfortunately we are entitled to opinions and comments.
On the other hand the place is gorgeous and will be by this weekend with friends to have a drink and check it out. It will be a good article for my blog. Turkey Turkey
I like how they posted the prices by half hour, just to make it seem (at first glance) that it wasn’t such a rip-off.
I took my girlfriend last week and had the time of our lives. Unreal food, amazing music, and the atmosphere is killer. Service was a little slow, but it just opened so I can forgive. Vinnie’s? Are you kidding me? I love how people hate on something so much before they even experience it. Same haters that probably pay $200/seat at the ACC with a smile on their face. Who’s the idiot now? If you’re too cheap, go to Lucky Strike in vaughn and save your $10.
Been around the game for nearly 30 years. And no I am not some fat old dude bitching about how hipsters are ruining bowling (I will leave that for another post). Here is the deal, a bowling lane costs a hell of a lot of money to purchase and maintain. Couple that with downtown land cost, and there’s your $75 per hour lane rate. That is why bowling centres have not been seen anywhere near downtown in decades. Got a feeling the new owners are banking on some Bay St. corporate parties to bring in weekday revenue.
Btw, plenty of transit accessible centres exist besides Bathurst (Thorncliffe, Newtonbrook, Bowlerama West, Playtime…). They just do not have microbrews and bottle service… well Playtime I believe does now.
**AWFUL EXPERIENCE***
As far as the restaurant goes – they are completely unprepared, nonprofessional and disorganized. I brought my friends here for one of their birthdays last night and our reservations were lost, our food took an hour and a half to receive and then when we did receive it 3 meals out of 6 were wrong but we were so hungry we ate it anyway. The waitress was kind, but the floor manager was a tyrant. When we asked to speak to him he was arrogant and unprofessional, trying to tell us that our undercooked/ overcooked food was apart of their “cuisine” and would not take accountability for their unpreparedness. When he left he grabbed our waitress by the wrist and exchanged words. I have worked in kitchens and understand things can get insane. However, some form of responsibility and empathy needs to be demonstrated. I would suggest waiting for a couple months for management to get their staff trained and menu pinned down before visiting this venue. There are too many places in Toronto then to waste your time here, at least for now.
$75 per hour to bowl? I guess the recession is over.
This is the worst bowling alley i’ve ever been too. I can’t believe how much the cost was to bowl. It’s more of a restaurant you can check out, but if you want a night out bowling, go to Playtime or something. Also, food was terrible, service sucked, it was just a crap of a night there.Tons of other great restaurants in the area with much better service. My friends and I won’t be back, one of the worst experiences we’ve had in a while.
To all you broke asses bitching about the price to bowl……..you need to take in to consideration that this is a DNTN location, not some butt f#%k low rent suburban strip mall. And yes it is more of an upscale alley than most
I like how people speak of broke ass people and penny pinching. DO you know what some people do for a living? How they enjoy life. I think what most ppl get shocked bc they read of this being a bowling alley, again in my opinion this should of been marketed with more emphasis on the ambiance of being a lounge like entertainment place with the addition of bowling. I like stated won’t bowl there but def go by for drinks and such. Maybe one night get a group of ppl and bowl who knows?
But Culinerd it IS a bowling alley…… there are 2 floors, and 10 FULL SIZE lanes (not 2 as previously mentioned by Melissa, whom speaks without knowing !!) on the main floor. The second floor is where the majority of the lounging, eating and drinking happens. i love it when people comment and judge without having been to the venue themselves.
oh and Culinerd, i have a 58″ screen an Xbox and one of those “new movement things” of more commonly refered to as Kinex…..it is fun, but no where near the real thing….
Great Comments! love the passion
im checking out this place tonight, got to see what all this passion is about
Not Broke, I am more of a PS3 person sorry I didn’t know the name and to be honest I don’t even know the name of the PS3 version well call it glow balls. See I am going there either tonight or tomorrow to check it out since to bowl there I made sure to put overtime in hahahaha. Not but real talks I have to go bc it will be in my blog so need pics and can’t wait to check it out. Any recommendations on what to eat??
Hey culinerd, I was there last night too !! Ate, bowled and went back upstairs to have drinks, food was good, considering the kitchen is 2 weeks old. Fried chicken was a hit, along with the fried pickles. I guess ppl arnt too put off by the prices to bowl as it was packed and there was a 4h waiting list to bowl. They actually cap the lanes at 2h to allow for people to get on the lanes. what did you think ?? what is your blog ??
Oh Culinerd, I also heard that the, I think they call it, best chicken is amazing but haven’t tried it yet. That might be the best move.
Give it a shot
I would highly recommend the Ballroom to anyone looking to try something new and exciting in the city!
I’ve been here a few times and the food is the best pub food I have tasted in awhile! The staff was lovely and my overall experience with customer service was excellent.
What I like most about this place is that it can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages, as it caters to practically everyone.
For anyone complaining about price, remember again you get what you pay for… prime location, great food and an awesome atmosphere!
Perfect for a date, family night, corporate function or just a night out with friends!
Bringing this concept to Toronto was a great idea! It has reaped major success in the US and I’m sure the same will follow at it’s first Toronto location!
Keep it up Ballroom!
The Ballroom is a lot of fun! You should check it out if you haven’t already!
Erica
i think this concept is excellent for the downtown crowd and priced accordingly with one exception mentioned, which is when 2 people want to bowl(perhaps on a date). I get that have a lane to yourself and your date could be considered a premium luxury, but $75 seems steep even for that luxury. Then again, the downtown lifestyle and income might dictate that as a reasonable amount to spend. the food menu looks great and what i would expect for a place with such an atmosphere and pricepoint for other entertainment and events.
Perhaps they should consider selling memberships to those who are avid bowlers(not king pins, but those who enjoy it more than once a week), and offer discounts or reduced rates to those who will frequent the place moreso than others.
another thought to consider would be “tournament hours” where anyone can walk in and play pick up games (on a pay per game basis) where your scores are entered into a tournament which is tracked via membership(all logged and kept digitally).
I dont see many leagues being available here like other alleys with it being so small and on a first come first serve basis, but perhaps they could offer something similar to offices and companies where employees can come and log games and compete against co workers who work different shifts etc etc, upload it to a website where the co workers can see each others bowling scores, thus providing a competitive but fun natured work environment.
a great concept, lets see how it fares, i wish it all the best, its too bad it couldnt be 24 lanes with the same services! perhaps they can buy out the space next to them if it catches on… who needs a jack astors there anyways pffftt
Mr. Hood those concept ideas are pretty good I hope someone from there sees those, BTW good call on the Jack Astor’s.
Not Broke I did get to swing by didn’t get to play and after seeing the cap on time I can see how it would flow. I had a couple pints with my GF. Didn’t order anything to eat(time wasn’t on my side, Will return) its beautiful and well laid out. What I did see from the food coming out smelt very very delish but also the Chef isn’t just a whatever Chef and I would only think the food is amazing.
My blog is still in typing mode trying to have about 20 entries written before it goes up, It will be found under bestfan.com and am still contemplating my own blog site. I am hoping to have my first entries in March will be about the closing of an amazing restaurant downtown and my years there and the last days in the kitchen.
Great times!
Hey culinerd how do I get in touch w you. Not on this page ??
you can email me at [email protected].
This is weird. Clearly half of you are staff members.
Are talking about staff at The Ballroom? or Toronto Life?
I know I don’t work there, I own a small food manufacturing company and catering company. Also have other businesses that deal with lifestyle and Life branding
I’ve eaten the yummy food (the pork pie is the best combo of comfort food with gourmet taste), enjoyed the action and it’s a fun place to hang. Good for family get togethers for people of all ages: I’m 64 and I had dinner with my young adult kids here, and I’ve seen toddlers having a great time, too. There’s ping pong and arcade games: I had fun shooting at moose!
Melissa is correct it’s a bar with a bowling alley, how else would get someone into to the BASEMENT of a restaurant/bar. Corporate expense accounts for corporate events in the basement will support it……also idiotic bithday parties for the over the hill crowd….
I love this place. I don’t like clubs, but I like to get out. It’s nice to go to one place where you can eat good food, talk to your friends (because the music isn’t too loud to have a conversation, listen to great music, dance and bowl.
I live downtown and I don’t drive, so having this place walking distance from home is amazing.
At first I thought the food and bowling prices were a little too high, but when I went back last night they’d been lowered! Bowling is now $65/hour during prime time and I think less during weekdays and weeknight, which is totally reasonable for 4-8 people.
Anyway, now that I’ve been four or five times, I’m making this a weekly activity!
Also, try the cobb salad, hot-bbq wings, the chicken/quinoa salad combo! Yummy.
Hey dumbstuff
People like you bug my ASS
have you even been there dumbass …….
It’s a main floor and second floor.
Stupid
+ $10 for parking…
Like they say – there is a sucker born everyday.
I agree with the writer who says – give this place a year..
WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT THE CHEF MAKING BAR FOOD ?
THATS TORONTO FOR YOU
Went to ballroom on Feb 5 to watch UFC as they advertised that it will be shown at their bar. Called in ahead to try and book a table but they said they were not taking any reservations. When we got there, half of the tables had reserved signs on them! so much for “we do not take reservations”. Decided to stick around anyway. We went to their lower level and got a decent spot and ordered drinks and food (which was not cheap by any means). At 10 pm, the UFC PPV started but suddenly, all the TV screens were switched to hockey so we decided to ask one of the staff why they took out the UFC and they said we have to go back upstairs and PAY cover to watch the fight! thats the biggest scam and BS that I have seen a bar pulled! they did not have any sign indicating you have to pay for PPV and we did spend money for drinks and food at their place too! NEVER again we ae going back to this place. Pure BS! also, they do not serve tap on the lower level!!! went to a Fionn McCools down the street and they were showing the fight for free as most if not all of the other bars downtown Toronto.
They totally screwed us on a FabFind deal. They claimed they weren’t good for sat/sun matinee bowling but the voucher and deal page said nothing about the restriction. Oddly The Ballroom’s own twitter makes no mention of this restriction. After some complaints they seem to be honor the vouchers on weekends but it was a little too late for us. We’re never going back.