The Rail doesn't get its name from a stripper's pole, but actually predates this obligatory accessory to the exotic dancer's act. It remains in full garish vigor within walking distance of Rosedale and U of T and some of the city's best hotels, and was the sort of place where you were most likely to spot celebrities during the Toronto International Film Festival. More high profile than upscale, it put itself on the front line of the city's fight against lap dancing, if that means anything to you.

A lot of good bands once played on the stage at the Zanzibar when it was a Yonge Street showbar and the strip was famous for its R&B and rock and roll acts. That was a long time ago, though, and nowadays you're more likely to see a lovely young lady with a few piercings and a half-finished sociology MA next to a peroxided pro who's paying off her implants before buying a ticket to L.A. to try and make some real money.

The Lancaster has two locations, one in rapidly-gentrifying Bloordale and the other out on the Queensway, in what was once a supper club that gave these clubs their name. The downtown location is a bit grittier, the Etobicoke club more likely to see the odd wet-eyed suburban dad with a hard, faraway look in his eye. Both clubs are likely to feature the same girls with their intriguing Eastern European accents.

Strip club regulars say this is a well-kept secret, hidden behind a discrete door in Bloordale, with service and quality almost as good as Eyes or the Brass Rail. I say that these are good guys to know if you want to buy cheap furs or have your basement dug out without a permit.

It looks like a strip club from an old movie, and occupies a bend in Dundas East that has made it a high profile downtown landmark. Many years ago you'd find delivery drivers from the Simpsons warehouse filling the tables at lunchtime. Today it's supposed to be the entry level club for dancers working their way up to the Zanz or the Rail. One day its neon sign will be in a museum.