Beloved Toronto bar that closed has re-emerged in the space of another place that shut down

A Toronto bar that closed earlier this year has already been replaced by the remount of a beloved local watering hole.

After making waves with their crafty cocktails and sumptuous small plates, it appeared as though Roncesvalles Village bar, Golden Peacock, was a shoe-in to become a certifiable stalwart in the community.

Just two years after opening, though, the bar quietly closed its doors, announcing the closure with a cryptic Instagram post captioned “goodbye for now.”

While the post, as well as a landing page on Golden Peacock’s website which reads “closed for now,” led the bar’s many fans to believe that it was merely closed temporarily — perhaps for renovations or a rebranding — it now appears that the bar, at least in that location, is gone for good, as a new tennant has set up shop.

It’s always sad to lose a great bar, however, in the case of Golden Peacock, its replacement teeters to the sweeter side of bittersweet, as it’s been replaced by the revival of beloved bar, Thirsty & Miserable.

After holding court in Kensington market for a decade, the heavy-rock-meets-craft-beer-themed bar, which is named after a Black Flag song, shut its doors in 2021, much to the chagrin of its bounty of regulars.

Three years later, Thirsty & Miserable is back, this time taking on Roncesvalles Village, and owner Katie Warror tells blogTO that so far it’s “going well.”

“People seem to be enjoying the new location,” she says, noting that while “every day is different,” the clientelle at the new bar seems to mostly be old regulars, though plenty of new faces have come on to the scene, too.

What is it about Thirsty & Miserable that’s made the bar able to upkeep its cult following all these years later? Katie tells blogTO that her guess is the euphoric combination of great beer and an even better soundtrack.

“Of couse, those things are subjective, but our focus is craft beer and heavy rock, encompasing everything from proto-metal to punk,” she explains, and it’s safe to say that, entering the bar’s second stint in business, it’s a combination that absolutely works.

Thirsty & Miserable is located at 2102 Dundas West, and is open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. to midnight on Sundays.