SPiN Toronto

Okay, let me be honest. I'm not the most athletic or coordinated person. I can’t really catch a ball, throw… anything, and I'm unable even to skate (a Canadian cardinal sin). Which is why I'm always surprised to find myself at SPiN, Toronto’s ping-pong social club. And yet, I always leave generously intoxicated and looking forward to going back.

SPiN was established in part by actor Susan Sarandon, who established the first club in New York. It has since spread to our fair shores, and has been popular with the downtown professional crowd and hipster creatives ever since. It's set up in a subterranean space filled with ping-pong tables, and with a large bar in the centre. Good, because, did I mention how much I suck at ping-pong?

Call ahead to reserve a table or two for you and your friends. Each comes equipped with paddles and a pail of balls. Snag yourself a pint or three, and gain the liquid courage you need to wield a paddle and whack around a ball.

The food here is also great- the usual snack platters of sliders or crudités, but it’s good stuff. Order a plate of the fatty, skewered bacon and watch it disappear.

For the hand-eye coordinated, it's a riot. For those of you, like me, who should stick to their day job, chucking balls at your friends’ heads can be just as fun.