The Little Jerry

What is The Little Jerry? Situated at 418 College Street near Bathurst, The Little Jerry is Toronto's defining audiophile listening bar, modeled by co-founders Jodie Dewald and Saad Qaatan after Tokyo's classic jazz kissas. The dimly lit, amber-toned room is centered around a bespoke high-fidelity sound system and turntable booth where staff and guest DJs spin strictly vinyl sets spanning funk, soul, jazz, and disco. Seating extends across an intimate dining room of close-set tables, high-top bar counters, and a seasonal sidewalk patio out front.

The Little Jerry Menu & What to Order Rather than standard bar snacks, the kitchen produces a tight, thoughtful menu of shareable plates that balance bistro precision with izakaya comfort. Standouts include the crispy buttermilk fried calamari glazed in Szechuan peppercorn, orange, and honey, as well as the fresh tuna tartare laced with roasted nori and Japanese wasabi. Do not skip the warm house-made brioche with whipped butter or the savory okonomiyaki pancake packed with pork belly and shrimp. The drink program is built for discovery, offering an extensive list of low-intervention and skin-contact natural wines alongside craft ciders and amari.

Know Before You Go Full-dinner reservations can be booked through Resy, but bar stools and select tables are held for walk-ins dropping by for drinks and light nibbles. The kitchen operates until 10:00 p.m. most nights (11:00 p.m. on weekends), after which the space shifts into a livelier drinking lounge under a red-lit disco ball. Street parking along College is notoriously tight, making the 506 Carlton or 511 Bathurst streetcars your easiest transit option.