A Queen West institution since 1981 — The Cameron combines a neighbourhood bar with a serious live music room that launched Tom Waits' Canadian career (he lived upstairs in the 80s). The ghost of the old Queen West scene lives in these walls.
Neighbourhood: Queen West · Address: 408 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A7 · Hours: Mon–Thu 4PM–1AM | Fri–Sat 4PM–2AM | Sun 4PM–12AM · Price Range: $ · Phone: (416) 703-0811 · Website: https://thecameron.com · Editorial status: Not yet verified
You come for the no-nonsense drinks and accidentally catch a set from a band you'll brag about later. It's one of the few places where you can still feel the spirit of pre-gentrification Queen West.
The Cameron is one of the few venues left in Toronto that treats live music as a nightly essential, not a special event. Its affordable drinks, unpretentious crowd, and lived-in atmosphere completely set it apart from sanitized bars up the street. Plus, the place wears its long strange history right on the walls—there's always some local art or relic to discover.
Since the early '80s, The Cameron House has been the daytime dive and after-dark club for Queen West locals, music lovers, and visiting weirdos. Run by the Forde family, its muraled facade and mismatched old couches are legendary. The front bar slings Toronto's cheapest pints, and the back room has first-come bands most nights—everything from country to off-the-wall experimental. Expect a sticky floor, Christmas lights year-round, and a mix of old punks, neighbourhood regulars, and music students hoping for their break.
No reservations; it's first-come, first-served, even for most shows.
Grab a pint of whatever's on special—usually Steam Whistle or Wellington.
Great for groups up to 6; larger parties might find tables tricky on busy nights, but you’ll fit if you don’t mind squeezing in.
Most pints are $6–$8; live music cover in the back room is usually $5–$10.
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