NEAR: How Do I Get To Cold Tea Bar in Toronto?

Cold Tea!

Cold Tea is this new speakeasy that opened in Toronto in the fall of 2011 named after the after-last-call tradition in Chinatown and it’s quickly gaining popularity among the downtown crowd in Toronto. What’s so interesting about it is their clandestine location. The owners are probably going to hate me because I’m giving away their little secret. At the same time, what if I bring them business due to my post? Irony.

This is the thing: the cat’s out of the bag, so why not make a cool blog post about it? Because as G.I. Joe would say, “Knowing is half the battle.”  At the same time, I’m digging my own grave here because it’s still relatively unknown and I want to be able to come here without the infiltration of the 905 (sorry, GTA). Or maybe “too bad, too sad, Nat.” The Yelp Review is here with more pictures and another review with my pics is coming out tomorrow. Stay tuned!

1. You need to be in Kensington Market. Specifically at the corners of Kensington and Baldwin. Just south of Baldwin is Global Cheese. Beside that is Kensington Mall (yeah, there’s a mall. I had NO idea or I just didn’t pay enough attention). Voila. Here is what it looks like. It’s your entry point. Walk into the mall.

Kensington Mall just south of Baldwin on Kensington (before St. Andrew Street).

2. So now you’re thinking there’ s a bunch of vendors here, a store called “Exile” (it’s actually not that bad) and a long hallway. WTF? Where do I go? Keep walking down that hallway to the end. Near the end you may meet a vendor who sells antiques and he will try to get you to purchase old Playboy magazines as well.

This is what you'll see fist in the mall. Keep walking

Creepy right? Slightly.

3. You will see an unmarked door with a red light. This is the door with the light.

Was this the door you were looking for? Open it! Don't worry, Freddie or Jason from Friday the 13th isn't behind the door.

4. And here is the light. Sing to heavens! Hallelujah!

The light!

5. Cold Tea is open after 5 or 5:30 p.m. It’s so amazing when you step in. It feels like you found the shangri-la of bars in Toronto. You will be greeted by the lady who sells Dim Sum. You walk in to the left and then you’ll see the bar. And secret number 2: there is ANOTHER entrance via the backway but you have to know the owners to get in that way because there’s a security guy there on the weekends.

Look for the Dim Sum sign, buy the dim sum and then Nom Nom Nom.

HAVE FUN! Tell Oliver Natalie says hi and here’s the Yelp Review (5 stars, obvs!)