Gift Shop

What is Gift Shop? Tucked behind the working chairs and clippers of Barber & Co at 89 Ossington Avenue, Gift Shop is a clandestine 20-seat cocktail den that pairs technical mixology with a playful neighbourhood attitude. Helmed by bar operator Mike Lamantia, the narrow room is bathed in warm amber light, lined with mirrored accents, and anchored by a compact bar counter where patrons sit shoulder-to-shoulder. It operates without Wi-Fi or fuss, treating its shoebox footprint as a social haven for close conversation and precise, spirit-forward nightcaps.

Gift Shop Menu & What to Order The cocktail list rotates seasonally inside retro comic-style booklets, spotlighting offbeat ingredients, intricate milk washes, and classic riffs. The standout order is the Cornstar Martini, shaken with roasted-corn pisco, reposado tequila, passion fruit, corn milk, and a savoury crown of Parmesan foam. Another house signature is Keep Me In The Loop, a clarified cereal-milk punch combining Fruit Loops, mezcal, pisco, pandan, and green tea. For straight-ahead potency, try The Spice of Life with marmalade-infused bourbon and salted thyme syrup, or indulge in the top-shelf Louis XIII Sazerac. Food is intentionally sparse—just warm bar nuts and dressed olives—so dine elsewhere on the strip first.

Know Before You Go With limited bar and ledge seating, entry is strictly first-come, first-served; larger groups will struggle, so keep your party to pairs or solo visits. Arrive right around the 7:30 p.m. opening to claim a stool, or expect to wait on Ossington during peak late-night weekend rushes. Streetcars on either Queen (501) or Dundas (505) drop you within a five-minute stroll of the front barbershop doors.