Last Friday I visited Tilt, Toronto’s largest vintage arcade bar. An out-of-the-blue decision, I wanted to do something along my interests, yet something new. I have never visited an arcade bar (the closest would be Chuck-E-Cheese’s), let alone a vintage one. On my way downtown, I could not help but listen to Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” to get me in the mood. Not only does the songstress sing about video games, but the video was shot with a vintage aesthetic borrowing nostalgic images from previous decades. Let’s just say, I had extremely high hopes that night.
Operating between the hours of 6pm to 2am, I was surprised to see how crowded it already was during the first hour of business. I could tell it was a popular joint from across the street, as Tilt’s facade consisted on tall windows that spanned from ceiling to floor. It is pretty genius marketing if you ask me. They did not need to explain who they were, but rather show the community what they were about. There were line ups for games, people crowded around tables, line ups for drinks, but what else is expected for a Friday night in Toronto?
Upon entering, I was immediately drawn with the laid-back atmosphere. There was a wall with around 20 various pinball machines from the 70s lined up, booths with large televisions equipped with Nintendo 64s, Ataris, and old Play Stations, Ski Ball, Pac-Man, and other classic games that I haven’t even heard of until my visit. The music was loud and the mirror ball was spinning. The only way the place was lit was from the lights of the games.
After playing several games (which were free of cost, just $5 for cover), it was nice to sit down for a bit and refresh with a cold cider. Tilt had a fully functioning bar that does drinks named after video games and classic arcade food like poutine, chicken fingers, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes, just to mention a few. After finishing my drink, the bar was packed. Everyone was having a great time beating high scores and reminiscing on arcade games that have been replaced by mobile apps.
If you are bored on a Friday night, I strongly suggest you visit Tilt. Located on Dundas West, I guarantee you will have an amazing time basking in a nostalgic atmosphere playing arcade games that paved the way for today’s current video games. I recommend heading down early to snatch a table (as they go extremely fast) and to take pictures in their stairwell that boasts hundreds of posters of old video games. Tilt succeeded my expectations and met my standards when it comes to vintage aesthetic.
Candidly,
Jonah
