Uniun

10/12/2014

One of my favourite clubs of all time!

Now don't get me wrong, I love guvernment, but this EDM club takes the cake. EDM literally gives me life, and a club full of it!? I'm in heaven.
The bouncers are pretty nice. There was one time my friend and I decided to go last minute and didn't want to pay cover, so we told the bouncer we called in last minute to reserve guestlists spots and they were simply like "I'll let you in, make sure you have enough time next time!" Sweeeet. I'm not too sure about cover price every time though, but saturdays is free cover for guestlist (?)

This club is pretty narrow at the front but it leads all the way back into a decent sized dance floor. The lighting and atmosphere is crazy, and it makes it rave worthy. The booths are pretty decent, and seating is comfortable. No squishy seating where you have to be pressed up against each other.
This crowd is so much more different than most clubs! Since it is an EDM based club, most people here are here for the music and just want to have fun and rave! No creepy guys that want to dance behind you and feel you up. (Of course there are a few everywhere, but definitely a lot fewer than any other)
The crowd is super friendly, and will straight up rave with anyone- it's like a rave family here. The music is on point and you can always dance to it. They also host really cool DJ's that know what they're doing.

The worst thing is probably the bartender service, the female bartenders usually only respond to males. I was dying of thirst at the end of the night, and waited at the bar saying 'excuse me' for around 10 minutes and being rejected by 2 bartenders before I decided to just leave.

5/15/2014

Maybe it was because I went in with low expecations, maybe its because I was admittedly intoxicated on arrival. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised with the good times we had here.

Cool interior, and adequate but not overpowering lighting and sound. Drink prices were standard for Ink nightclubs (a mix drink and a bottle of Stella was under $20 including tip - not cheap, but not what I'd define as too bad either), and there are a couple of bars to work from so waiting for service wasn't a concern. The place was busy but not packed at any point of the night, so we were always able to find a place to dance and the downstairs provides a good place to chill away from the music and people.

We came on a Saturday. Judging by their website, the better nights for the name name djs is Fridays, but at least there was still decent house music played all night by the residents, only getting into the overly generic electro and EDM stuff during the final throws of the night. But no top 40 thankfully.

One thing is that the dj booth is not all that visible. I know this place primarily books dj's who aren't that exciting to watch (sorry big room house djs: heart hands and Jesus poses don't cut it while waiting for your 6 minute tune to play out to the mixout), but admittedly the view of the dj is not great unless you are right up front and centre and tall enough to see over the raised glass parchment.

2/19/2014

Uniun is really a nice looking club.  Overall I am a fan.  I would recommend this to people looking for a place to party and dance. And I will return.

The lights and sound system are really good. The layout is ideal with a chill out area in the basement allowing you to have conversations.  The bar staff all seem very nice and friendly.   And I like the effort they make with regards to the models and the different themes they have every night.

Bathrooms are large and clean.

Prices are reasonable for a downtown nightclub.  

The door staff can are pretty good.  Respectful and direct.  

It really depends on the type of music you like.  Check the DJ before you decide to go.  

Sunday Nights are good!

12/2/2013

This review is only for industry nights.

Uniun is my favourite club to go because

Music, music, music!    EDM 90% of the night and the DJs are awesome.

Lights -   When you listen to EDM at a club or a rave. If the lights are not right, it just won't do it. These lights are real babes

Atmosphere -   Less creepers, more dancers! There's gonna be a creeper here and there but most of the people that come here just want to dance. In my case I just want to dance alone without anyone behind me.

Price -   Ladies come in free before 11:30 and if you get lucky enough some people will buy you a drink. Now don't expect people to buy you a drink all the time. If that's the case you'll be disappointed. Bottles are $125 and drinks are $4.

Last reason why I like uniun......
There's really nothing else to do on a Sunday night, nothing.

4/18/2014

Uniun is an interesting place for a few reasons.
1. It's actually decently clean, considering the size and amount of people there.
2. The music is often pretty good, in my humble opinion, as they don't just play Top 40. That being said, there was a decent amount of rap with a techno backdrop played later in the night.
3. The crowd is upscale, but really unpredictable in demographic.
4. The drinks are not cheap.

It probably leans a little more towards lounge, especially because they have so many booths, but it gets pretty loud, so don't expect to do too much talking. The only thing I was not a big fan of was the smoking area, which was basically a small piece of fencing enclosing an area beside the outdoor line. I would expect a patio of some sort.

Location isn't bad either, you can get something to eat at the Thompson Diner when you leave, which is a 5 minute walk away.

Honestly, I'd come here over a lot of clubs, but I'd also take most actual lounges over the place.

11/17/2013

I've gone a couple if time, depending. What time and what day it is the line ups are either super long or very short. It's pretty hard to find since it's in the corner of a parking lot and ally way. I've had a few friend that knew the bouncers or people so I got in before others waiting In line. You have to be careful to check if there's a popular dj playing that night because if there is you'll be expecting to pay $40 for cover. Most nights I went it was either free( Because I had tickets ) or 10-20$. Once you get inside you wouldn't know where coat check or the washroom is if you haven't been. Both are downstairs & it's nice downstairs because it very quit. Near the washroom is a bar and pool table with sofas. Very nice place to just talk if you bump In to a friend.

My opinion on the drinks are that they are way over priced. The bartenders are rude and they try to over charge you. I've gone with some friends with out a booth and I bought the same drinks twice and the first time was around 13 bucks(2 drinks) and when I went back the second time it came up to almost 20$ for the same thing. So you have to be careful with that. The bartenders overcharge so they can pocket the money. Also when I went to pay for my drinks I was picking up my charge before tipping the girl and she gave me this dirty look where she expected tip from me. I got pissed off with her attitude so I didn't tip her at all and she reply " whatever " with a dirty look. I have a problem with people that expect tip.

If you go with a group of people that have a booth and seem to be popping a lot of bottles expect people to be chatting you up. This club gets very hot when there are a lot I people so if you want some air go outside to the smoking area. But beware ladies, guys may try to hit on you outside in the smoking area since it's not a loud and easier to bring up a conversation.

Amazing that it's open Friday, Saturday an Sunday. You'll see a lot more Asians on Friday and Sunday rather than Saturday.

2/13/2013

Been wanting to go to this club since Kris yelped about it and gave it 5 stars and from first impressions it totally is worthy.

The night was a Saturday, we found out an hour before going that it was, that freak show, Lady gaga's concert that night and the after party was happening at Uniun.
Red alert sirens went off! We begun googling new  plans only to then get a call from out of town friends who came for the concert and wanted to go Uniun.

So my first thoughts, this place is going to be busier than the titanic's plumber AND a pain to get in. Being the current holder for most impatient man ever, I did not want to stand around and wait in the cold.
Called up one of the promoters, guy was super and even called back after I left a message on his phone.

Since there was a large group of us and booths were sold out, we agreed to buy a few bottles at the bar and with that 8 of us got in free which was fine and the concert goers joined us after and also got in free.

Okay so the main bit the club, was my first time here so yeah it seems sketchy from the outside, like an abandoned warehouse, but I like that kind of back alley European feel.

The club is pretty much a long rectangle with entrance on one side with the focal point leading to the DJ area. On the way there you have the main bar to the left and also the stairs leading down to another bar, coat check, and a smaller chilled out area with some seating.

Washroom was huge from what I remember, line up of urinals. This is how a prison washroom must look.

I hardly remember the music as I was busy chatting with people but the highlights were:

1) barmaids were top notch - Hilary was our server and kudos to her for dealing with the masses and still paying enough attention to top our mixers and ice

2) the sound and lighting are massively top end, they have these light rods hanging down from the ceiling which at first you think HUH?? But if you look at them from either end of the club you see one awesome LED light show to the music. The promoter from earlier invited me to the Djs area for a drink, and from there you get a good feel for the atmosphere and effort put into this club.

3) the crowd was very mixed - usually I can in any club tell you within 5 minutes what kind of clients it attracts but it seemed like a decent enough crowd.

Looking forward to going again already and the best thing about this night was that gaga was not there!

Five Stars and no meat outfits or hibernation capsules in sight.

2/17/2014

I can't stand a club where the bouncers hold the line when nobody is inside just to make people grease them.

7/29/2013

$20 cover without guestlist, $10 with guestlist.. (note that the guest list line up is huge and the normal line is about 5 people long Saturday at 11pm).  From the outside is looks kind of sketchy (picture a mob of people trying to get inside a warehouse), but once you're inside it's got a really nice setup with LED lights hanging from the ceilings (i think they tried to make it look very ravey), and a good sized dance floor. Two rows of bottle-service couches are conveniently located close (but not on) the dancefloor. Downstairs has a pool table and couches; it's a good place to go talk because it's quieter and absolutely dead.  Also the bathrooms are huge (long rows of urinals and stalls), which is unusual for a club. Music is pretty standard for a Saturday night, top 40's + mashups. Crowd was a big mix of the usual club-goers.

Both drinks i bought the bartender tried to shortchange me, so watch out for that.

6/24/2013

The line here gets very long and very aggressive - either come early or come be prepared to wait in line with some very very drunk people. We arrived at 11pm for a Friday night concert and waited in like until 12:30 -  someone threw up on our friend during the wait. The line was basically a huge, chaotic mob - people jumping the line left and right. A couple of girls cut their fingers pretty badly trying to lift up the metal fence separating the ticket holders from the non-ticket holders. A pretty crazy scene to start the night.  Definitely quite a few boys in tanks with very coiffed hair, and more than one Macklemore fur jacket in view. Bouncers seemed to already have too much on their hands to be civil or even present most of the time.

Came for a house concert. The inside is absolutely awesome - amazing LED lights all over the place, and wall lights too that sync with the music. The crowd is very attractive - late teens and early twenties, a lot of very tight clothing and masks of makeup. The place was packed when we went, and the ground was littered with glass.

VERY rude bartenders who just ignored us when we tried to get drinks; they also just generally sucked as bartenders. We watched as they poured rows of shots for other people - a more than a third were literally only half filled. As expected, drinks were overpriced. Unfortunately, they're pretty strict about bringing in flasks and made us throw out all of our bottles (including our sealed water bottles). No water fountain meant our sorry, dehydrated asses had to shell out for bottles later in the evening.

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  Adventure club at uniun

  Adventure club at uniun

12/10/2012

For the first time in a long time a night club blew me away. It has everything, the total package. Great Music, Slick decor, Hot Staff (like unreal), and a light show that would trip out even those not partaking in recreational drug use.

Decor is comfortable and stylish, a far cry from the what used to be the white wash of Devils martini. Steel arches as you move about the main area and dance floor. A long bar takes up the left side of the room - I was fortunate enough to be apart of a VIP bottle service group so I didn't have use for the bar much...but from afar look well stocked and fab!

I think Uniun essentially stole the best looking bottle service girls, waiters, bartenders, etc from every other bar/lounge/club in Toronto. FELLAS this is the place for you and tip them well (or I'll find you) ha ha. Seriously though ladies of Uniun you were all gorgeous.

Music here was on point! I'm not huge into the EDM scene BUT I still appreciate and enjoy the art of well mixed (non-pop) tracks, spun live by DJ's. And if Saturday night is supposed to be a more mainstream night then Friday must really be off the hook! Any club that drops a Lady Gaga, or Brittany spears mix, or any top 40 track for that matter - should be closed and potentially burned down as an example (I kid...but seriously that stuff makes my ears bleed). Uniun is for people who enjoy the music you would here at The Guvernment but who don't want to associate themselves with the drug culture and sketch bags who occasionally frequent that place.

Now I've told you about the music, the decor and the staff... how about I tell you about my top 3 fave things about this place:

3) The people - quite possibly one of the best looking crowds in Toronto. Mal/Female, everyone brings great style and for my money being a seasoned people watcher - Holy Hell - the people don't get much better looking (for the most part - there is always a few cave dwellers in the mix).

2) The Light Show - Hundreds of LED powered light bars hang form the ceiling above and the light up in a unique series that i can only describe as more beautiful then fireworks!

1) The basement lounge - Looking for the bathrooms I was directed down the stairs at the rear of the dance floor just past the DJ booth. Fe-nominal! A small bar serves a virtualy empty lower lounge area where I'm told normally there are pool tables. I wish I could do this space justice with words but it is truly something your eyes need to see for yourself. Wall to wall couches, reprieve from the music above, candles...amazed!

Looks like my new-found bromance with Uniun is going to have me visiting far more often then I had anticipated. Time to break out the two-tone shirts, tight jeans, v-necks and dancing shoes!

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• See all photos from Kris U.

2/7/2014

This place wasn't that great. It was packed, so that was nice, but the design of the place sucks. Honestly the bar is ridiculous and the line up situation a farce. Don't even get me started about the payment traffic jam. Coat check was organized and friendly, but it stops there. Let me go on about the bar. The only thing this set up caused was a no-getting-through-without-spilling-your-drink traffic jam. Seriously it was just terrible, you couldn't get away from the body odour and you couldn't get anywhere. Dumb. Also the go-go dancers dressed unnecessarily trashy. Wouldn't go here again unless they redo the very stupid flor plan.

1/5/2013

Uniun is a pretty new club in Toronto and it already has been bringing top name DJ's to play at their club. The first time I was at Uniun was when Calvin Harris came to town.

Uniun is located in a very weird location. It's literally in a back alley so you have to walk by dumpsters to get to the entrance. The decor inside of the club is stunning and the people here are 90% good looking. The dress code here is 50/50...some in rave gear, some in more clubbier outfits. The party is actually on the second floor and the first floor is more of a lounge where you can catch a breather, buy a drink, or use the washroom.

The second floor is where the party's at! One side is lined up with bars and the other is lined up with booths. There's still plenty of dancing space though! The only downside was that it was literally 40 degrees due to the lack of ventilation and just 1-2 plug in fans at the front of the room. Sound system was great and the lights dangling off the ceiling were a nice touch to the club.

If you like/love EDM and aren't so into the Guv scene then this place is for you.

2/6/2013

A group of friends and I went to Uniun for a 'private' event. Diplo was playing (pretty big DJ, I like him). Allegedly you needed to be guestlist to get in (most of us were).

We went right at 9 to avoid the line (doors were at 9). The lineup was already 50-60 people long. I asked around, there weren't separate lines for guestlist and no guestlist. However, there was a media line/entrance.

The line moved super quickly, and when we got to the front, we realized guestlist wasn't even being checked. Oh well. We checked out coats (free) and were handed 2 tickets each. These could be redeemed for the new Bud Light Platinum (it was a launch party). Bud Light is absolutely horrific, I don't care how alcoholic you make it. That's a different story though.

The club was pretty cool. Party on the second floor, quiet lounge area plus washrooms and a bar downstairs. I liked this aspect of a breathing room.

Upstairs, the lights were really cool. Hanging strobe lights and stuff. The acoustics were fairly good.

Overall, the place wasn't bad. To be fair, the clubby club thing isn't my scene, but this place was alright. I'd come back for a massive DJ, but never on a normal night.

Oh, I've seen reviews for pushy bouncers here. This is true, I was kicked out at about 130AM. No specific reason why (mind you, I was mighty drunk, but everyone was). I got a big scratch under my eye too.

4/24/2013

The star-rating should more accurately be 2.5 stars if I'm being honest.

Writing reviews about mainstream Toronto clubs can be quite mundane, mainly because they are all largely the same. The bouncers are what you'd expect (pushy, power tripping) and the price of admission and drinks are average ($20 cover, $248 for a bottle of vodka with gratuity).

The ambiance isn't anything extraordinary. There are a crapload of lights though. I think that's the main attraction. I was really just impressed at how they had transformed the old Devil's Martini into a more functional space. If you have never been to Devil's Martini, then you will be much less impressed because then it just looks like any other club.

I feel bored just writing this review, and I think that speaks to this venue and the 'club' scene in general from my perspective (a yuppie 29-year old).

The only unique thing about my experience was the bouncer was pushier than usual. He really wanted to make a point about how much money he made as a bouncer and that he probably made more money than us (doubtful). Also the promoters did their best song-and-dance by acknowledging we were on the guestlist, but the 'complimentary passes' we were promised never actually existed.

So, my advice: be prepared to feign interest in the bouncer's speech about his salary, and don't get your hopes up about guestlist. Feel free to take your time and arrive after 11 on a Saturday night because there was absolutely no line-up.

12/4/2013

I love this place. Definitely my kind of place with great house/techno music; they have soo many amazing dj events. The inside is amazing, the decor and interiors. There is always an admission fee but worth it. The crowd is great, chic yet trendy. Never had a bad time here and can't wait to go back.

6/3/2013

Linda had her birthday party here last night...and there was no bottle service, and I had a good time. Amazing...
Standard drama at any Toronto nightclub, slight confusion at the door, having to line up momentarily even when we were on the guestlist and arrived on time. Bouncer looked at me funny.
Hemp dress pants, brown wingtips, French cuffs, white cardigan, white tie with purple leopard print, and a whole grey fox pelt scarf. Like, a whole pelt with the head stuffed.  Nothing funny.
The coat check girl received my fox in slow motion with her eyes almost popping out of her socket in horror. She hung it on top of all the other coats, and this girl in our party took a photo, and the photo was creepy as hell.

Two Redbull & Belvedere costs $28, + $2 tip. Thirty bucks for an energy drink with vodka...this place can go F-itself. I did end up ordering my usual, which is asking the bartender to make me the most girly drink that's not a Bellini. I had no idea what she gave me, but it was delicious, and she put it in a wine glass so everyone could make fun of me. That bartender was ripe.
I also noticed the totally not my type dancers who were pretty hot as well. Actually one was really hot, and I had to respect that ass by giving it a once-over, and then the second-over.  Little imagination went into their costume, if you know hat I mean.

The clientele was a nice mix of Asian Americans, and a few other ethnicity that I cannot decipher. There's a healthy abundance of silicone and saline bouncing around, and their hosts are generally as outgoing as their surgeries.
I bumped into my friend Mark, so I was now comfortable with being able to slide back and forth in social groups. Mark's friends had a table, so I found myself doing the "stand next to the people who had a table" dance which involves minimal body movement while holding an over priced drink that I'm trying to ration.  Serious, bloody cheeky prices!
Towards the end of the night, I retrieved my fox from a hipster looking coat check attendant. I sensed a slight disapproval from him with my fashion ethics, but he was pretty professional about it. The coat check asks for your initials, and there's a sign recommending you to take a photo of your ticket, which definitely came in handy when Linda needed to retrieve her jacket.

During the evening, I was molested by a number of girls because of my fox. One girl loved it so much she insisted on wearing it. I gave it to her, and she gave it back to me with the tail ripped off. I don't know what came over me, but I wasn't even close to being pissed off.  It sucks, but it still had the legs so I didn't mind. Usually I would flip out and slap her or something, but that simply didn't happen. Mark offered to pay for it, but I couldn't let him do that because it wasn't his fault, despite it being him to who introduced me to tag/tail poppin' girl.
My friend Ryan tried to get me to dance with these two girls who actually was all over me, and I pushed him back stating very clearly; "Rule #1: No girl at the club!"
"What's rule #2?" Asked Linda.
I uhh...I don't know." I replied, then pretending to be tipsy because I really didn't have a response. I'll admit, some of the girls here were pretty cute. But I just came back from China, and my standards renders me virtually girl blind in Toronto.

The lights here are truly ANNOYING. Sticks of LEDs descend from the ceiling in constant flashing. It's worse than a 90's rave. If you have seizures from these things, then this place is a death sentence.
It's pretty crowed upstairs, but the downstairs bar area is totally dead.
Uniun is where Devil's Martini used to be I think. The bouncers here are pretty cool. I don't know what else to say.

While waiting near the entrance at the end of the night, two girls approached me. The taller one put her hands on my fox and asked what it was. I told her it was a grey fox, and she asked me whether if it was real.
Yes I told her, and the exchange went on as follows:
"Don't you think it's retarded that you're wearing a fox around your neck?" She asked.
"Aha, umm..don't you think it's retarded that they put you on the no fly list?" I replied.
"You are grossly overweight." Said this total bully.
"Thank you, thank you" I said and left.

Really?  I know we still judge people by what they wear, but that was just elementary.

I told this story to Bobby. N when I saw him at a after hours Vietnamese restaurant afterwards. She called me "Hard".

11/19/2013

I've been to Uniun multiple times this year and I still only find it okay - for many reasons.

Size, although at first when you enter and you see the hanging strobe lights, it seems really narrow and long, there's a second level downstairs that makes this club feel bigger than it looks. The result of this narrow club is that those who have booths are located along side the walls. I was part of a both and what was annoying was that the people on the dance floor totally disregarded the black velvet that was separating the booth from the dance floor. This was an reoccurring theme throughout the night. Also, the waitresses and waiters were incredibly rude pushing through the people not only in the booth but those on the dance floor. I understand that they need to get through but whoever owns or managers this place needs to find a new way to have them go through the crowd without being so pushy. In addition to the architecture of this club, the second floor of the club makes the place more spacious with a bar and a lounge-y area with couches. The space that is available though I have never seen occupied to the max. I figure that being at a club with the DJ located upstairs that everyone would rather be upstairs then downstairs. What I find attractive about this club is the light production behind all the nights I've been here. I've been here drunk and sober and honestly the lights never ceases to amaze me.

Music-wise, I think the music varies depending on the day you come. I've only went to Uniun for a DJ but never on regular nights. But for those that are interested I think there's a lot of EDM tunes being played here.

Overall, I have a mix feeling about Uniun and I do recommend it but for those who can endure being crushed and pushed by others under the sweaty atmosphere.

-CL

12/11/2013

I went there on my short vacation up to visit some friends in Toronto and I loved it. The music was awesome, the décor was neat and the drinks were great. I will be going there again on another trip to Canada!

12/26/2013

Well getting robbed pretty much lowers my rating.
I got pick pocketed after 15 mins of being at the club which pretty much ruined my night.
I was there for a work function afterparty, and strangely enough another co worker of mine got pick pocketed as well.  Pretty much cold hard cash stolen.

I was talking to a friend about it, in a cab, and then the cab driver chimes in and said, "oh this place is known for....getting pick pocketed, i hear a lot of people...get robbed".

So anyway, The music was alright, but the sketch factor after ... that..kinda ruins the place for me.

10/22/2013

The husband and I were in town for a couple of days and were dragged here on a Saturday night by relatives. Man did this place remind me of clubs and bars that I went to when I was 18. We waited in line for about an hour. It was pretty disorganized and the cover charge despite being on the guest list was pretty outrageous. The crowd was young with a few sprinkles of older folks. The ambiance inside was really nice, but they need to do something about ventilation. It was so crowded you really couldn't get around let alone dance. It took about an hour and the floors were so sticky and wet that it would have been a safety hazard if people weren't surrounding you. Drinks were alright, nothing special. We left after an hour and a half and decided to get drinks at a local bar instead.

1/16/2013

It was a decent club.  The location was nice, just off of Bathurst, on Adelaide.  The decorations were cool.  It was a *big* venue.  The washrooms were GREAT - super clean and I never had to wait in line!!!  (Washrooms are a huge plus!)  The music was good when I went there (I saw MC Flipside and Deko-ze.)

The lights (laser show or whatever) are annoying.  The crowd is annoying.  It's all drunk people who keep running into you.  Not my type of club anyway.

I'd go back if there were good DJs playing, but I'd much rather go to Comfort Zone, Fly, Footwork, etc.

5/16/2013

Nice looking club...  crowd was too young for me though :(  But if I had fit in the demographics, I'd give it a 4!

3/19/2013

I visited Uniun on both a Fri and Sat night. I found the cover to be pricey ($25), but the venue, atmosphere and music make up for the cover charge. It is a large space filled with people who are looking to have a good time. There is some level of pretension but for the most part, the crowd was ready to let their egos go and party. The music on a fri is very electronic/house and on sat it's a little more mainstream with some hip-hop and top 40 hits.

4/14/2013

Good music, crowd and lighting. Overpriced and bouncer outside ruined my night. He stopped my boyfriend from entering because he was wearing a black tee with a logo under his sports coat. It was the most ridiculous point I had ever heard from this guy. He sent the rest of my group in and then outright asked him for a 20 to let him pass. Bribery for the sake of bribery. Disgusting... If he had been wearing something inappropriate or a tee with an offensive logo, I would have understood. But this tee was very neutral and dressy looking, but the bouncer figured he can make some money.. Will never come to this place again. For an upscale place, having small-minded front line staff is off-putting.