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What’s on the menu at Doc’s Green Door Lounge, a gorgeous new cocktail bar in the Junction

Featuring a build-your-own martini menu

By Liza Agrba| Photography by Ashley van der Laan

| February 6, 2024

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Name: Doc’s Green Door Lounge Contact: 3106 Dundas St. W, @docsgreendoorlounge
Neighbourhood: The Junction
Owners: Jayson Green, John Leddy and Matt Malloy Head bartender: Nicholas Elliott Accessibility: Fully accessible

Jayson Green used to live in Brooklyn, where he worked as a touring musician in a hardcore punk band called Orchid—but he also ran a business importing natural wine. He and his wife relocated to the Junction to be closer to her parents, and one day their new landlord casually mentioned that he wanted to open a bar nearby. Since Green had spent time in the natural wine world, he was put in charge.

Two men and one woman, each with a cocktail — From left, head bartender Nicholas Elliott, head server Taryn Wilson and owner Jayson Green.

“I told him that I didn’t have a lot of experience opening a bar. But then I realized that I walk by this building every day, and I would be very upset if it turned out to be a bad bar,” says Green. Buoyed by the thought that a lifetime of patronizing such establishments would at the very least lend direction to the project, he accepted the job.

And so, Green built the kind of bar he would want to go to and named it in honour of his late grandfather. There’s a solid wine list in which responsible production is the minimum barrier to entry, a focus on classic cocktails and a handful of simple but delicious snacks. Friendly and unpretentious, it’s the sort of local that already feels like a staple.

The drinks

Doc’s is equal parts cocktail and wine bar. One distinguishing factor here is the use of premium spirits, like citrus-forward Plymouth gin or Ketel One vodka. And with high-quality spirits as a solid foundation, the cocktails are deliberately alcohol-forward without being overpowering. Martini aficionados will feel right at home—there’s a build-your-own martini menu where guests choose the base spirit and the fixings. There’s also Doc’s flagship drink: a dirty martini with a funky combination of olive and blue cheese brine.

For the wine program, responsibly farmed grapes are the minimum standard, and anything with added sugar or juice won’t make the list. Naturally, there are quite a few organic, biodynamic and/or low-intervention bottles. There’s also a selection of local brews and some delightful mocktails.

A bartender makes a martini — The impeccable house signature is Doc’s Dirty Martini, made with a base of Plymouth gin or Ketel One vodka. It’s mixed with herbaceous, almost creamy Guerra dry vermouth and a heady combo of olive and blue cheese brine...

A dirty martini garnished with an olive — ...then finished with a dash of Maldon-salt saline and garnished with a blue-cheese-stuffed olive. Served ice cold. $20

A negroni with an olive — The house negroni is made with a base of dry, citrusy Plymouth gin. A standard negroni is equal parts gin, Campari and vermouth. Doc’s goes heavier on the gin and subs in Cappelletti Aperitivo (sort of a cross between Campari and Aperol, with the bitterness and body of the former and the sweetness of the latter) for the usual Campari. The vermouth base is a 50-50 split of sweet and dry, which helps balance the gin. It’s garnished with a Castelvetrano olive. $20

An espresso martini gets a dusting of nutmeg — An espresso martini gets a final dusting of nutmeg

An espresso martini — Doc’s take on this ubiquitous drink is (refreshingly) on the dry side, going heavy on Tito’s vodka, balanced with small amounts of Kahlúa and simple syrup—and espresso, of course, made using Sam James beans. $18

A rum old fashioned — Here we have the rum old fashioned, a mix of Havana 7—a cocktail-friendly aged rum—backed up with coconutty, butterscotch-forward El Dorado 12. It’s sweetened with house coconut syrup, balanced with a dash of saline, and finished with Angostura and orange bitters. $18

A mocktail made with pineapple juice — One of Doc’s truly excellent mocktails is the Junction, a mix of fresh pineapple juice and cucumber with lime, coconut water and house coconut syrup. In a twist we didn’t think would work till we tried it, it’s finished with sesame oil and hot sauce. Balanced and complex, this drink is greater than the sum of its parts. $13

The food

There’s no full kitchen here, making for a tight menu of snacks, but effortful details keep them from feeling like afterthoughts. Think house-marinated olives and pickles, whipped brie with crunchy pistachios, and a vegan cashew “gorgonzola” that has absolutely no business being as tasty as it is. Guests also get a complimentary snack (Japanese rice cracker mix, dried and salted broad beans) as soon as they sit down.

A complimentary snack of Japanese snack mix and dried broad beans — A complimentary dish of Japanese snack mix and dried broad beans

Dill pickles and olives — Lacto-fermented dill pickles flavoured with bay, garlic and chilies. To their right, house-cured mixed olives with a generous grating of orange zest. $6 each

Vegan cashew gorgonzola with Ritz crackers — This is a vegan cashew “gorgonzola,” served with classic Ritz crackers. The tangy dupe transcends its identity as a cheese stand-in—it’s a worthwhile spread in its own right. $15

Whipped brie topped with hot honey and pistachios, and served with rye bread — Here we have whipped brie topped with hot honey and pistachios, served with rye bread from Junction bakery Noctua. This delightful drinking snack is also available with gluten-free crackers. $20

Chicken liver mousse with bread — A solid, straightforward chicken liver mousse—think brandy, shallots, garlic—capped with duck fat and served with more of that Noctua bread. $18

The space

Doc’s is a lounge in the true sense of the word. It’s in a corner building with big curved windows looking out to the action on Dundas West. There are cozy banquettes, a beautifully backlit oak bar and soft (read: flattering) lighting. In the back, guests will find the Deep End, a small bottle shop where each wine is accompanied by a hand-written card that lists details and tasting notes.

The corner booth in a bar with a window that looks out to the street

A back-lit bar filled with bottles of liquor and glassware

Inside Doc's Green Door Lounge, a cocktail bar in Toronto

A Polaroid of a man in small frame hangs on a green wall — The original Doc himself: Jayson Green’s late grandfather. His portrait hangs above a little door, behind which is a bottle of rhubarb amaro served to guests on their way out

A door with the words Deep End painted on the window — This door leads to the Deep End, the bar’s bottle shop.

Shelves of wine for sale — Each wine for sale at the Deep End is accompanied by a hand-written card that lists details and tasting notes

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