St. Patrick's Adventure in Toronto's Best Irish Pubs ☘️
Happy St. Patrick's Day, road trippers! | 6
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Saturday morning, after our weekly stroll to St. Lawrence Market to stock up on meat, veggies, and my absolute favourite Apple Fritter from Carousel Bakery (imported straight from The Big Apple in Colborne), I found myself walking into McVeigh’s Irish Pub. I thought grabbing an early Guinness to kick-start the celebrations might be a little weird and expected to be the only one in there!
But then, I remembered the time Gordana and I arrived back at our Airbnb late one night in Dublin and couldn’t help but laugh as three ladies in their 80s stumbled out of a pub. One thought I was their Uber driver. Hilarious—I just love these people!
My point is, Guinness is like a comfort food, it’s good anytime, but surprisingly, McVeigh’s wasn’t empty at all. There were several people inside watching the Rugby match between Ireland vs. Scotland: Ireland, winning 43–21, securing the Triple Crown. As someone who played rugby in high school, I grabbed my pint and joined in on the excitement!
In today’s Edition:
👉🏾 A Brief History of St. Patrick’s Day & The Irish Connection to Toronto
👉🏾 The History of the Parade and Highlights
👉🏾 Behind the Scenes: Digital Guides & Our Facebook Community Insights
From Dublin & Belfast to Downtown Toronto & Ontario
There is something about the Irish spirit I absolutely love: the accent, the humour, the folklore and stories, the energy, the music, and that incredible traditional Irish dancing. Gordana and I experienced it firsthand during a dinner and live show in Dublin, and it was honestly the best thing. (You can read all about our adventures in Dublin here and Belfast here.) I even love shows like Derry Girls (Yes, I love this show) and Bad Sisters, as well as actors like Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, and Liam Neeson, whose voice is almost as sexy as mine 😜)
But I digress, you don’t need to cross the Atlantic to feel that warmth. The history of St. Patrick’s Day and its connection to Toronto runs deep, woven into the city by early Irish immigrants. The annual St. Patrick’s Parade is one of Toronto’s most cherished traditions, bringing generations of Canadians together in joyful unity.
Highlights from the 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
My 5 Faves:
Toronto’s Best Irish Pubs for a Pint & a Show. If you want to experience the heart of Ireland—and maybe catch some live music and dancing—right here in Toronto, these are my absolute favourite spots:
McVeigh’s Irish Pub: Serving Toronto for over 64 years, this gem at Church and Richmond feels like home. They host live bands every week, and walking inside immediately transports me back to the cozy old pubs like The Crown Bar or Kelly’s Cellars we loved in Belfast.
P.J. O’Brien’s: Tucked away behind the King Edward Hotel, they serve what many call the best pub food in the country while offering fantastic live music and entertainment.
STOUT Irish Pub: A hidden gem located in Cabbagetown, they go all out with “St. Practice Day” leading up to the holiday, complete with live Irish dancers.
Belfast Love: Down on King St W, this spot offers “Northern Irish love” with live musicians every week and traditional Irish dancers for their St. Paddy’s party.
Dublin Calling: Over on Adelaide St W, this is your go-to sports bar for catching the game, playing pub games, and dancing the night away (if you’re of the younger generation).
👉🏾 Things To Do In Toronto + Places To Stay
👉🏾 Things To Do In Dublin + Places To Stay
👉🏾 Things To Do In Belfast + Places To Stay
Road Trip Updates & Community Insights
To all our awesome Facebook Group members who recently provided their emails to join this Substack newsletter—thank you! We loved reading your answers to our welcome questions. Here are a few exciting updates based on your feedback:
Digital Trip Guides: Many of you explicitly asked for digital guides, and we are proud to announce we are currently working on two of them (with more to come)! We will be randomly selecting a few of you who expressed interest to test them out and give us feedback before they go on sale. Of course, our beta testers will get to keep the final version for free!
Road Trip Gear: You asked for more clothing and physical products, and we heard you! We are working on adding more cool apparel to the shop. Plus, every two weeks, we will be dropping exclusive discounts on various pieces, so keep an eye on your inbox.
Hotspot Destinations: The data is in, and your top geographic hotspots are the Bruce Peninsula, Georgian Bay, and Prince Edward County. We are already working on creating more incredible content for those regions this summer!
Calling All Local Businesses: We noticed a few business owners in this community and the Facebook Group! We would love to hear from you and see how we can support each other, especially if you are located in the hotspot regions mentioned above. Leave a comment with your business name, URL, and email so we can connect!
Speaking of the mall, it was a bit chilly outside on Sunday while we were enjoying the parade! So, to help you stay warm on your early spring adventures, we are offering a special discount:
Take 20% Off The “I AM 🍁” Heritage Hoodie! Use the promo code LUCKY20 at checkout: https://road-trip-ontario-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/LUCKY20
Join the Conversation! Where is your favourite local pub in Ontario to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Let me know in the comments below!
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Keep Calm & Road Trip ON,
— Christopher & Gordana
So fun! Commenting from Windsor/Essex here - it has been a few years since my husband and I celebrated St. Patrick's day out (we have 4, soon-to-be 5 small kiddos) but our beloved Dominion House in Windsor was the spot of choice. Looking forward to content on HotSpot Destinations. - those are some beautiful locations.