Harry Potter-Inspired Bar Opens in Toronto

Wizards of drinking age have a new spot to drown their sorrows about You Know Who — there's now a Harry Potter-themed bar in Toronto. Named The Lockhart, after Hogwarts' cheesy fraudster of a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, the bar is full of super niche HP references and enough wizardy bits and bobs to make JK Rowling ponder legal action.

With less actual magic than The Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks, The Lockhart is run by two self-described Hufflepuffs (lol), Paris Xerx and Matt Rocks. Of course, it's not the first HP-themed bar in the world, but we're glad to see one more. The cocktail menu, while it's missing butterbeer (for now, they're coming) or Madam Rosmerta's famous mead, is full of themed potions like the Shacklebolt, Befuddlement Brew and Ludo's Debt. There's also a cocktail on the menu which you can have for free if you can figure out the seriously niche HP ref.

Dare to try the potions & elixirs on the cocktail menu at Harry Potter themed @thelockhartto? #newrestaurants #toronto #harrypotter

A photo posted by Toronto.com (@torontodotcom) on Sep 9, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT

The food menu hasn't a Harry Potter reference at all. No Bertie Bott's? No Cauldron Cakes? No self-propelling custard pie? This is bit of an opportunity lost here.

Design-wise, the bar is truly subtle, looking more like a regular casual, cocktail bar than a Disneyland-like novelty bar. The Lockhart, instead, is full of obscure references for serious fans. You can find the Deathly Hallows sign hidden in the bar, a little apothecary, and there's a big neon sign glowing with the famously terrible last line, "All was well." Ugh.

So if you're flying to Toronto, apparating or using the floo network, pop in to The Lockhart. Just be wary of cloaked strangers happy to part with dragon eggs in poker.

hey it's wednesday

A photo posted by robyn hoja (@rohojahoja) on Sep 9, 2015 at 5:06pm PDT

Serving our full menu this evening. Specialty popcorn tonight is a sweet and savory, lightly buttered popcorn with Cadbury chocolate drizzle. Yummmmay.

A photo posted by The Lockhart Bar (@thelockhartto) on Sep 10, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT

Via The AV Club.