The best strip clubs in Toronto have their spiritual home on Yonge St., even if they're actually out on quiet stretches of the Queensway or Dufferin, in heritage buildings near the Don River, or sitting on prime real estate on King West. A third of our list resides on Yonge, in locations that often date back to when they were bars with bands and maybe an MC who told off-colour jokes between sets, back when burlesque was a recent but fading memory and Toronto was till - at least in its own mind - "the Good."
Many of these clubs are family-owned - yes, you read that right - and as venerable as anything else in the town, with histories going back to the late '60s, when loosened city regulations turned go-go girls into topless dancers and Yonge Street went from seedy to sleazy. They look pretty much like you'd imagine - ripped and patched upholstery, neon lighting and walls painted black, with watered-down drinks and a staff of dancers who are either working their way through college or professionals with a kid or two to feed. (Or occasionally somewhere on the way from the former to the latter.)
These are the best strip clubs in Toronto, as voted by readers of this site.
With valet parking and a King West location, "Eyes" is the strip club for the upwardly mobile. There's a coat check, but on second thought thanks but no thanks. The stage is bigger than a kitchen table, and thanks to its proximity to the city's publishing and PR industry, Eyes has witnessed more than a few memorable evenings remembered by people who really should have known better. More »
A lot of good bands once played on the stage at the Zanzibar when it was a Yonge Street showbar and the strip was famous for its R&B and rock and roll acts. That was a long time ago, though, and nowadays you're more likely to see a lovely young lady with a few piercings and a half-finished sociology MA next to a peroxided pro who's paying off her implants before buying a ticket to L.A. to try and make some real money. More »
The Lancaster has two locations, one in rapidly-gentrifying Bloordale and the other out on the Queensway, in what was once a supper club that gave these clubs their name.
The downtown location is a bit grittier, the Etobicoke club more likely to see the odd wet-eyed suburban dad with a hard, faraway look in his eye. Both clubs are likely to feature the same girls with their intriguing Eastern European accents. More »
The only strip joint on the list featuring male dancers, it might be betting a bit of a boost from folks wondering if Magic Mike was realistic. (It isn't.) The crowd was once male only except for Sundays, but women have been given the run of the main floor later in the day, though the second floor is still a boy's club. More »
Strip club regulars say this is a well-kept secret, hidden behind a discrete door in Bloordale, with service and quality almost as good as Eyes or the Brass Rail. I say that these are good guys to know if you want to buy cheap furs or have your basement dug out without a permit. More »
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