What’s on the menu at Sounds Good, the newest addition to Toronto’s burgeoning listening bar scene
Featuring a former Alo sous-chef in the kitchen
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Name: Sounds Good
Contact: 1756 Dundas St. W., soundsgoodtoronto.com, @soundsgoodtoronto
Neighbourhood: Brockton Village
Owner: Dylan McArthur
Chef: Carson Corbeil (Alo)
Accessibility: One step at entrance; accessible washroom
In 2020, Dylan McArthur wasn’t sitting around wondering when the world was going to return to normal—the self-described “nerdy audiophile” was dreaming of opening an event space that would house both a sit-down restaurant and a listening room as well as a separate area for ticketed parties. “I wanted a space with a sound system unlike any other in Toronto—specifically designed with an early American horn-based system and full powered amps,” says McArthur. The DJ and owner of the label Tambourine Party Records was passionate about his dream, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone. “My interest and expertise was in building a truly superior sound space, but if I was going to make all aspects of my idea work, I would need a proper team of collaborators with a vision that aligned with my own.”
Related: The Little Jerry, Toronto’s first listening bar for serious audiophiles
He brought on hospitality vet Rob Turenne (Quetzal, Bar Isabel, Parts and Labour) as a consultant to build out the restaurant portion of the space, and Turenne loved the project so much that he stayed on as general manager. Through his industry connections, Turenne hired chef Carson Corbeil (a former sous-chef at a little place called Alo) to make music in the kitchen. Now, Sounds Good—the latest addition to the city’s burgeoning listening bar scene—sits at the corner of Dundas and Lansdowne, offering hi-fi grooves, high-low snacks and, of course, bass-induced adrenalin highs.
The food
Featuring wholesome bar snacks that employ punchy global flavours without ties to any specific place, it’s a menu that prefers pop to pomp. There are deep-fried dumplings with miso, chili and sesame and a tartare made with local beef, aged cheddar and house pickles. Plates of pillowy gnocchi pop in brown butter enriched by tender squash and burrata. And crunchy-on-the-outside falafel arrives on a bed of creamy house-made tahini, hummus and bright tabbouleh.
The drinks
There’s a rotating list of batched cocktails as well as all the highball hits and crushable beers to match the low-key vibes of the soul, jazz and funk that fill the space. The real focus, though, is the wine program, built by vino guru and assistant general manager Kathy Marsh. All the bottles are low-intervention or fully biodynamic, thoughtfully produced, and a little weird (but in a good way). Like the food menu, the wine list doesn’t focus on certain regions but is a reflection of places Marsh has visited or people who have taught her what she knows about wine.
The space
On the main floor, walnut booths lined with mid-century-modern seafoam cushions sit on stark concrete flooring and run the length of the Dundas-facing windows. A spindled walnut bar suggestive of ’70s-style speakers faces a tiled DJ booth that’s tucked away, decidedly not centre stage. Meanwhile downstairs, there’s room enough for 120 party people in a space minimally illuminated by coloured strip lights and filled with enough speakers to power a music festival.
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