The Hideout is a music venue and bar owned by brothers Dan and Jimmy Good. Located next to bar/venue Sneaky Dee’s and directly underneath club Nest, expect live music here seven nights a week. This is a dependable venue for shows during Toronto’s many music fests.

This spot has a storied history, with a previous location on more grungy Queen near Spadina that lasted around a decade.

That spot was a lot darker with more obstructions in the way of viewing the stage.

They’ve managed to keep some of the nitty gritty charm of the old place with the same beat up old piano right near the dance floor and art by Stu of Playdead, though there are far more clear vantage points to the stage and the space is much bigger.

There’s a large U-shaped bar near the front, up against windows looking out onto the street. Indoor windows are one of many ways that vantage points have been expanded, with stage views possible even from small tables surrounding this main bar.

Also near the front is a small room that serves the same purpose that a back area in the old space used to, feeling a little more homey than the rest of the bar with a pool table, pinball game, couches, and packed to the gills with shelves full of books and whisky. This is another example of just how much was relocated from the old spot.

There’s another bar at the back of the dance floor for easy drink refills without missing any of a band’s set. A long, large table surrounded by stools pushes the crowd forward so the venue doesn’t suffer from the usual metres of empty dance floor in front of a stage.

Custom metalwork by Desiron gives the space an artsy but rock and roll touch.

The Violet Hour ($14) is meant to be a twist on a cosmo, purple instead of pink because of Butterfly Pea Flower infused Three Olives vodka, combined with cointreau, lime juice, and white cranberry.

What Happens in Vegas ($14) is Dan’s fave according to the cocktail menu, a unique base of muddled blackberry and mint with rum, cassis, lime, and simple syrup. Get it with a bubble tea straw so you can suck up the shredded blackberry bits.

True to its name, there are lots of nooks and crannies in which to “hide out” here, and a ton of distracting activities and events to keep your mind off anything but fun.