Get your eight ball moving in Toronto

Playing a round at the Charlotte Room

Get your game on in TO at one of the pool halls in the city. Whether you are looking for something retro, upscale or low-key, there’s a place for you to get your eight ball moving.

Andy Poolhall is a cozy club located in Little Italy is decorated in a 1960s theme soaked in psychedelic reds purple, turquoise, black and white with pleather chairs fashioned into trippy and bubbly shapes. The lounge also has row of black and red chairs designed by Pierre Paulin of Paris for the first-class Concorde departure lounge at JFK International Airport in New York City. Sit back in one of them and enjoy a drink and listen to the great soul music while you wait for one of the five well-maintained red-felt pool tables to be free. A great place to hang out.

The Charlotte Room is an elegant game club located in the Entertainment District with seven customized quality pool tables and four custom made poker tables. You can also grab one of the comfortable chairs, order something from the well-stocked bar and pick out something from the games library equipped with all the classics: Boggle, Yahtzee, Risk, Cribbage, Backgammon and more. There’s also a great menu with good food and nice change from the typical pool greasy pool hall offerings. Enjoy a classy, laid back evening at this club.

Home to the defunct Brunswick Balke Collender Company, once the largest manufacturer of billiard tables in Canada, the Academy of Spherical Arts is the ultimate spot for pool lovers. There’s 20,000 square feet of space divided into different rooms, each with a different theme. The Samuel May Room has some of the original 100 year old tables built by the Samuel May and Company while the George Chenier Room, the former loading dock, offers a room for smaller groups. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or diner at the club with a classic steak house menu and a bar well stocked with over 350 wines, 60 grappas, 20 vintage ports, 130 cognacs and over 100 international beers. There’s also a great selection of cigars.

The Rivoli Theatre, an old vaudeville and burlesque theatre from the 1920s, has an upstairs pool room with 13 vintage tables. Put your name on the waiting list and then head downstairs for a bite to eat or catch some of the entertainment in the Back Room. A great place to enjoy the buzz on Queen Street.

Prices to play vary from each location so check before heading out. Weekends are always busier so be sure to make a reservation when possible.