Woody's & Sailor

Gay bar · Toronto Church and Wellesley

The model for the pub in “Queer as Folk”: since 1989 Woody’s and its nautical sister bar Sailor have been the classic starting point of any night in the Village, with DJs, drag and cult contests like “Best Chest”.

• ★ 4.2 on Google (882)
• Since 1989
• Two connected bars
• Open daily

Address

467 Church St
Toronto, ON M4Y 2C5

Opening hours

daily 1 pm–2 am

Entry

free on most nights

Crowd

mostly men, mixed ages, locals and tourists

Flirt factor

high

Programme

Men’s contests (Best Chest, Best Ass, Best Legs) Thu–Sat
Drag show on Saturdays
Drag brunch on Sundays
DJs every night

Getting there

Wellesley subway (Line 1), 3 minutes’ walk

What makes Woody’s special

Woody’s opened in 1989 on Church Street, the Village’s main street around Church and Wellesley. In 1994 the nautically themed sister bar Sailor was added next door, and the two are connected inside. In the early 2000s Woody’s served as the model for the pub in the US version of “Queer as Folk”.

On several levels there are video bars, a small dance floor and DJs every night. From Thursday to Saturday the well-known contests such as “Best Chest” and “Best Ass” take place; on Saturdays there is drag and on Sundays drag brunch.

Atmosphere and crowd

The crowd is mostly male and mixed in age, with locals meeting tourists. Woody’s is considered one of Toronto’s busiest gay bars, so it gets full at weekends. Drag, the atmosphere and the contests get praise.

Contact

Editorially researched, as of October 2026. Sources: bar website, Out x Out, Google reviews (4.2 stars, 882 reviews). Opening hours, prices and programme may change, please check before visiting.