Little Portugal gets a sporty new addition

The Contender, a new sports bar in Little Portugal, is a bit of a departure for the trendy stretch of Dundas between Ossington and Dufferin. (There is one other dedicated game-watching venue nearby, The Dock Ellis, but its velvet sofas and wonton-chorizo nachos aren’t exactly standard.) The new bar is reportedly backed by a consortium of local business owners, including The Lakeview’s Alex Sengupta and John Vetere. And it appears to be the real, no-frills deal: the place is huge, the decor is nondescript and the walls are spotted with about 100 variously sized televisions. (Well, maybe not 100, but a considerable number.) The laid-back vibe extends to food and drink, which are also pretty basic—there are 12 beers on draught and a short menu of concession-style snacks, including pretzels, foot-long hotdogs and nachos (the regular kind—no wontons here).

The Contender, 1166 Dundas St. W., 416-792-3513, facebook.com