Toronto Trivia Nights: Where to Play and How to Join Solo

For a first Toronto trivia night, choose a general quiz close to home. You do not need to know every episode of a TV show, and it is easier to return the following week.

Our first pick for a simple weekly plan is The Rhino on Monday at 8 p.m. Its own site states the day and start time. For a confirmed free-to-play host format, try Quizmaster Jess's general nights at Local Public Eatery Leaside or The Drake. A reservation is still required.

For a big fan night, check the themed events at Cassette or Black Sheep. Read the topic before buying. A whole evening on a show you barely know is a bad way to test whether you like trivia.

The main catch for solo visitors is seating. A public event does not promise that the host will find you a team. Ask before booking. We did not find a published citywide solo-matching policy, and we will not pretend one exists.

Schedules and source pages were checked September 22, 2026. The weekday table below is a planning guide. The dated ticket or reservation page is the final check, especially around holidays and private events.

Trivia nights by day: the useful starting list

The Jess venue patterns come from the host's current locations page. Its FAQ says general quizzes are free to play with a reservation, while themed events use paid tickets. Food, drinks and any venue conditions are separate.

1. The Rhino: our straightforward Monday pick

Address: 1249 Queen Street West, Parkdale. Published start: Monday at 8 p.m.

The Rhino trivia page gives a clear weekly time and directs readers to host Matt's latest announcements. That makes this a stronger starting point than an old social calendar with no update trail.

Good for: someone who wants a regular west-end night. The catch: we did not confirm a fixed entry fee, team limit or automatic solo seating. Ask the pub before treating a casual dinner reservation as a quiz booking.

Arrive early enough to find the host and settle the seating. If you are alone, say so when enquiring. A free seat at a table is not an invitation to join a team's answer sheet.

Choose The Rhino if Monday in Parkdale fits your week. Check holiday changes first.

2. Local Public Eatery Leaside: general trivia without a specialist theme

Address: 180 Laird Drive. The host lists weekly Tuesday general trivia here.

This is our best starting point in the Leaside area if your friends have mixed interests. A general quiz gives the history fan, sports fan and music fan a better chance to contribute than a single-show event.

Jess's FAQ gives a 7 p.m. first question and roughly 9:30 p.m. finish for its Leaside public night, with doors at 6 p.m. Recheck the dated booking because special events can differ. General admission is free to play, but a reservation is required.

Good for: a planned midweek group outing. The catch: a two-and-a-half-hour quiz is a full evening, not a quick stop before another booking. Allow time to order and settle the bill.

Use the host-linked reservation listing. Choose this for a repeatable Tuesday plan. Ask about a solo place before reserving if you have no team.

3. The Drake: a Queen West general-knowledge option

Address: 1150 Queen Street West. The current host schedule lists Wednesday general trivia.

The Drake is a useful choice when your group wants Queen West but cannot agree on a TV or film theme. Check the specific general-trivia listing for the date and start time.

Good for: a mixed-interest group that wants to book ahead. The catch: a free-to-play quiz does not make the rest of the evening free. Look at the menu before choosing it for a low-cost social plan.

Do not assume a room elsewhere in the hotel is the quiz room. Follow the event's arrival directions and ask staff when you reach the venue.

Choose The Drake for general trivia on Queen West. Book the event rather than hoping for a spare table.

4. Saint John's Tavern: useful, but not every Monday

Address: 117 John Street. Jess lists general trivia every other Monday.

The alternate-week pattern is the detail that matters. A calendar reminder set to “every Monday” can send you to an ordinary pub evening.

Good for: a downtown group with a flexible Monday. The catch: the weekday alone is not a confirmed event date. Use the host-linked listing to select the correct session and see the start time.

This is a free-to-play general format under the host's stated policy. Reserve and ask about table size. If someone in the group will arrive late, find out whether the team can begin without them.

Choose it when the dated event fits. Do not make the trip from an old weekday list alone.

5. Cassette at Gladstone House: choose the subject carefully

Address: 1214 Queen Street West. The current host page lists weekly Tuesday themed events.

The Cassette ticket collection is the useful page. Pick a topic your whole group wants to spend the evening discussing.

Good for: friends who share a favourite show, film or music interest. The catch: casual knowledge and deep fandom are not the same thing. If one person chose the theme and everyone else is just being polite, book a general quiz instead.

Read whether the ticket is per person or per team. Check the permitted team size before dividing a large group across tables. Do not assume two tables can submit one answer sheet.

Book Cassette for a theme you actually love.

6. Black Sheep: a themed Monday in Liberty Village

Address: 165 East Liberty Street. Jess's current list places themed trivia here on Mondays.

Use the Black Sheep event collection for the subject, price and date. The paid themed format is different from the host's free general quizzes.

Good for: a Liberty Village group that wants a set activity instead of an unstructured night out. The catch: the ticket price is only part of the total if you also order dinner and drinks.

If you are building a team from acquaintances, share the topic and likely spend first. It is easier for people to say yes when they know what they are joining.

Choose Black Sheep when the theme and neighbourhood both work.

7. Eastbound Brewing: the first-Wednesday music pick

Address: 700 Queen Street East, Riverside. The host lists two Wednesday events each month and identifies the first Wednesday as music trivia.

That makes Eastbound a useful choice for a group that remembers songs better than geography. But “twice monthly” does not tell you the second date. Open the current music-trivia booking and check the rest of the calendar.

Good for: music-focused teams east of the Don. The catch: audio rounds can be difficult if you have a hearing access need. Ask about the format and seating before buying a ticket.

Choose the dated music event if that is your strength. Do not assume every Wednesday is the same quiz.

8. Brunswick Bierworks: an East York themed option

Address: 25 Curity Avenue. The current schedule lists themed trivia on two Thursdays a month.

This is a useful local option when a downtown trip would make the evening too long. Check the Brunswick event collection before planning the trip.

Good for: an East York group with a shared topic. The catch: twice monthly is not weekly. Check the exact date, ticket price, start time and team cap.

A brewery setting does not establish an event's age policy. Ask about under-19 players if that matters. Choose a non-alcoholic drink if you prefer; buying alcohol is not what makes you part of the game.

Use Brunswick when the current theme suits the group and the shorter journey makes it easier to return.

9. Sweat and Tonic: check the branch before leaving home

Jess lists a monthly Thursday event at Sweat and Tonic, with The Well or Yonge and Shuter as possible locations. The venue's current schedule must settle which one you are booking.

Good for: someone who wants a social event outside the usual pub circuit. The catch: a brand name is not an address. Do not book one branch and travel to the other.

Read the listing for public access, any membership condition and what admission includes. We did not verify a blanket rule that every trivia event is open to non-members on the same terms.

Choose this only after confirming the exact branch and entry rules. The maps below identify the two areas, not a confirmed event location for your date.

10. The Rec Room: music trivia with a later social plan

Address: 255 Bremner Boulevard. The host lists a monthly Friday music-trivia and dance-party event.

This is our pick for a group that wants a night with a second part after the answers are marked. It is a weaker choice if your main aim is a quiet conversation.

Use the host's Rec Room collection for the date, topic, admission and age policy. Do not assume entry includes arcade credits or other activities unless the ticket says so.

Good for: a planned group night with music. The catch: the venue name alone does not tell you the event's age limit, finish time or included extras.

Book this for the combined evening. Choose a simpler pub quiz if you want to be home early.

11. C'est What: a central Wednesday lead with its own calendar

Address: 67 Front Street East, at Church Street, downstairs.

C'est What's trivia archive carries its Wednesday series. Use the current event entry to confirm the time. Do not rely on a time copied from an older guide.

Good for: an Old Town group that wants a pub setting. The catch: the downstairs location makes access details worth asking about before booking. We did not verify a step-free route for every event space.

The venue FAQ also matters for age and reservation rules. Its general policy is not a guarantee that a particular quiz table can be reserved in the same way as a large private booking.

Choose C'est What when the current Wednesday entry and access details meet your needs.

12. The Stone Lion: check the current Tuesday quiz

Quiz Coconut's host guide lists The Stone Lion on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. That gives you a useful starting point in the Beaches.

Good for: an east-end quiz plan. The catch: we could not confirm the complete fee, team-limit and solo-seat rules on a dated venue booking. Contact the pub before travelling for a specific Tuesday.

Ask whether you need to reserve a trivia table rather than an ordinary dinner table. If you want to join a group, make that request part of the first enquiry.

Use this as a host-supported lead, with the week's details confirmed directly.

13. Hemingway's: follow the dated themed calendar

Address: 142 Cumberland Street, Yorkville.

Hemingway's own calendar lists individual themed events. It also marks cancellations. That is exactly why a dated calendar is more useful than saying the pub always runs the same topic on the same night.

Good for: choosing a night around a particular fandom. The catch: the calendar can mix trivia with sports and live music. Read the actual event title and booking rather than treating every listed evening as a quiz.

Check arrival time separately from the first question. An event block beginning at 6 p.m. can include time for seating and food.

Choose the topic first, then book its specific date.

14. Nickel Brook Etobicoke: a west-end host listing to check

Address on the host listing: 1589 The Queensway, Etobicoke.

An earlier Ruby Wednesday listing named this taproom. That ticket link no longer resolved during our final check on September 22, 2026. Use the official Etobicoke taproom page and Ruby's current venue finder to ask about the next event. Confidence is low for an upcoming date until a new official session is listed.

Good for: someone in south Etobicoke who wants a closer quiz. The catch: the current registration page must confirm the start time, cost, team size and age conditions. We could not finish checking those live booking details.

Ruby describes a format that uses phones for scoring. That is different from using a phone to look up answers. Charge yours and follow the host's rules.

Keep this on your west-end shortlist, then confirm the selected session before travelling.

Other quiz leads: what is not confirmed yet?

Checked September 22, 2026. Confidence varies by lead. These are useful follow-ups, not confirmed weekly bookings.

Storm Crow Manor, 580 Church Street: its indexed official page describes Rue Morgue horror trivia on the last Wednesday at 9 p.m. for $12. The fetched current page did not expose the same dated event details. Confidence is medium that the series is a relevant lead, but low for the next session and current price. Check the Manor's events before paying or travelling.

Sportsnet Grill, 1 Blue Jays Way: Jess's current page explicitly says the next sports-trivia date is to be determined. That is high-confidence evidence that we should not give you a weekly date. Wait for a new dated ticket.

Bickford Brewing, Pegasus on Church and WVRST: earlier suggestions named them, but we could not establish matching current event details. Conflicting times for Pegasus are another reason to ask the venue. Confidence is low for a specific upcoming quiz. An official dated announcement would change that.

Older listings for Nerdin Trivia, The Corner Place and other pub series need the same check. Do not plan a night around a 2022 or 2023 post. A host can move, pause or change its format.

Going alone: how to find a team without an awkward surprise

Send the host a short question before booking: “I'm coming alone. Do you place solo players with teams, or can I play as a team of one?” Add the event date so they can answer about the right night.

If they can help, ask when to arrive and who to find. If they cannot, ask whether a team of one is allowed and whether the price changes. You can still enjoy the questions without turning the evening into a test of how fast you make friends.

At the venue, ask the host for help instead of walking from table to table during a round. Respect a group's answer if it wants to stay private. A regular return visit is often a more useful plan than expecting instant friendship on the first night.

A general quiz is our first choice for a new solo player. A specialist event is better when the topic gives you an easy starting point for conversation. Choose the one you would enjoy even if you do not meet a future best friend.

What does a Toronto trivia night really cost?

Separate the quiz fee from your whole night out. For Jess's current general format, the published play fee is zero with a reservation. For themed nights, read the paid ticket and checkout total. Other hosts set their own rules.

No public code was verified for the events in this guide. Do not assume an old host promotion applies to a new ticket collection. Compare the final total before paying.

20 checks before your first trivia night

1. Open the current event. A venue's ordinary hours are not the quiz schedule.
2. Read the topic. General knowledge and a single-show quiz are different nights.
3. Confirm the date. Every other week is not every week.
4. Check the first-question time. Doors and start times can differ.
5. Find the finish time. Make the journey home part of the plan.
6. Count the team. Ask about the cap before inviting more people.
7. Read the ticket unit. One ticket may mean one person, not one table.
8. Reserve the right thing. Dinner seating may not include a quiz place.
9. Ask about solo players. Team matching is not automatic.
10. Check age rules. A brewery or restaurant name does not settle the event policy.
11. Ask about access. Confirm entrance steps, washrooms and the actual quiz room.
12. Ask about audio rounds. Hearing needs deserve an answer before you book.
13. Check visual rounds. Screens and small print can affect where you need to sit.
14. Read the menu first. The food bill may be larger than the ticket.
15. Agree on spending. Friends should know whether this is a drink or a full dinner.
16. Charge the phone if scoring uses it. Follow the host's rule about devices.
17. Do not search for answers. Ask the host about disputed wording instead.
18. Choose one answer writer. Let everyone contribute, but avoid two competing submissions.
19. Read cancellation terms. A sold-out event may still have a firm no-refund policy.
20. Recheck on the day. Holidays, private bookings and host changes can interrupt a regular series.

For a first attempt, keep it simple: one nearby general quiz, a clear booking and enough time to arrive calmly. If it suits you, return to the same series before chasing every special theme.

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Frequently asked questions