] For anyone who’s ever found him/herself downtown, killing time before a film at the ex-Paramount, now Scotia Bank, theatre, the Dominion Pub, located just across the street on Meltcalfe, is a revelation. From the outside, its only draw is a prominent neon sign advertising pig knuckles, but I swear the place is vegetarian-friendly—I have yet to see a single meal served there, let alone the aforementioned pork-a-licious delicacy. This delightfully unspoiled time capsule is a true-blue old man bar. At any given time, one can expect an average of approximately zero to five patrons, generally comprised of faceless, ubiquitous, salt-of-the-earth gents (or alternatively, cads) taking advantage of the Dom’s premium central location, and its friendly working-class prices on pee-weak varieties of Canadian beer. As a further recommendation, it’s adorned with olde-time-y wall sconces and a pleasant general sense of controlled dilapidation. Recently, the bar has fallen under new management, but so far the atmosphere remains unchanged. Still, you’d better head down there soon before the Dom loses all its innocent charm, in favour of marketing ploys aimed at attracting the dreaded Crescent Street runoff. [

Dominion Pub, 1243, Metcalfe St. / 514.878.6354

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