Vatican Gift Shop

Vatican Gift Shop is the east-end fake souvenir shop at 1047 Gerrard East: incognito religious merch out front, then a candlelit room of high-tops, tongue-in-cheek confessional booths, Neapolitan pizza, and a dance floor that takes over Friday and Saturday. Official site vaticangiftshopto.com: Wednesday–Saturday 6 p.m.–2 a.m., (416) 462-2682, info@vaticangiftshopto.com. Dinner 6–10 p.m., then the space tips into a neighbourhood party. It is the geographic counterweight to Dundas West — a Leslieville / Gerrard India Bazaar hide from the Poor Romeo / Pinkerton’s team. Not a quiet date cellar. Go for the door gag, the pizza, and last-call dancing. Book on OpenTable if you want a table before the DJ; walk-up later is a different night.