Why it matters
The Bamboo combined a nightclub, restaurant and rooftop gathering place on Toronto's Queen West strip. Richard O'Brien and Patti Habib officially opened it in August 1983, creating a social setting that connected food, live music and the neighbourhood's arts community. Its Thai and Caribbean menu was part of the experience rather than an incidental bar offering. The original club operated until 2002. Food, music and the neighbourhood's arts community made the original Queen Street club a distinctive meeting place.
