Pravda
Vodka Bar
44 Wellington St. E.
416-366-0303
Ambience: For those who haven’t visited this stretch of Wellington Street in recent months, Pravda, the kitschy Russian-themed vodka bar, has relocated a few doors down with the same Soviet-era memorabilia and numerous brands of Eastern-bloc liquor. The space is drastically larger than the old location, now spread out over two floors, while the vibe is far more club-like than before. But the atmosphere is still largely the same — dance like a Cossack, party like a communist, wake up hungover like a Canadian. It’s also a great deal louder than in its first incarnation with some live traditional music to start the night followed by funky retro into the wee hours, but after a few martinis none of this will really matter, anyway.
Crowd: Older and corporate throughout the week, but younger on weekends.
Dress code: Pravda is a fairly casual place.
Should I dance on the bar? Not a chance.
Will I get lucky? The odds are slim, but they improve on weekends.
Best reason to pay a visit: There are 70 of them, all of which have the word “vodka” on their label.
Cocktail du jour: Vodka, of course.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.
