Rivoli

What is Rivoli? Anchoring 334 Queen Street West since 1982, the Rivoli is an essential Queen West institution operating as a three-part machine: a casual front resto-bar with a street-facing patio, an iconic 240-capacity backroom that helped launch The Kids in the Hall, and a bustling vintage pool hall upstairs. The ground-floor dining room pairs local art exhibits and low hanging lights with booths and bar seating, maintaining a bohemian energy that has outlasted decades of retail turnover along the strip. It remains an intimate, unpretentious cultural clubhouse for indie music, comedy bills, and late-night drinks.

Rivoli Menu & What to Order The kitchen delivers eclectic global comfort food designed for easy group sharing before a set or over a game of billiards. The non-negotiable starter is an order of Wookie Balls—Rivoli’s deep-fried, sesame-crusted sticky rice balls served hot with sweet chili sauce—alongside crispy Laotian spring rolls. For mains, the Rivoli Classic Pad Thai has been a menu staple for decades, rivaled by the crispy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich topped with pickled red onions and chipotle mayo. Pair your meal with local draught beer or highballs poured with house-label Rock & Union spirits.

Know Before You Go The resto-bar and second-floor pool hall operate on a walk-in basis, with the pool tables ($25/hour) filling up quickly on Friday and Saturday nights (which turn 19+ after 9:00 p.m.). For backroom concerts and comedy shows, buy tickets online in advance and arrive when doors open to secure prime sightlines in the narrow room. Take the 501 Queen streetcar directly to Peter or Spadina, or park at the Green P surface lot on Soho Street just north of Queen.