Crown and Dragon

Crown and Dragon (website, Twitter)
890 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4W 3P4 (on the west side, between Church Street and Frichot Avenue, the nearest intersection is Yonge Street and Davenport Road) 416-927-7976
Google Maps

Canadian Basement Gothic.

Crown and Dragon (they seem to dislike the definite article) has been on my radar for a number of years, but I’ve always kept on walking as it doesn’t really seem that inviting and given its location, it’s more the destination than a drop-in spot. (It’s also beside the prettiest facade in all of Toronto — the former Ridpath’s, the facade is being partially retained in the building’s next reincarnation.) The patio for (the) Crown and Dragon is cramped, the televisions all show sports, there is a faint leakage from the Yorkville crowd, it’s loud, and it’s a lads’ pub. That said, I did go back to Crown and Dragon and I will go there again if I happen to be thirsty and nearby.

There seemed to be a lot of regulars and a cacophony of cackling hags the first evening we went to (the) Crown and Dragon. There is a variety of seating in the pseudo basement-styled pub, with benches and movable tables, and high-top tables, and its dartboards, but it’s crowded or cramped depending on the time of day. However, Crown and Dragon’s claim towards “the art of pub” (again, missing the definite article) is a bit pompous for a place that isn’t that inviting and lacking a wide selection of drinks, more like the art of basement bar.

Number of visits by yours truly: two visits, most recently on a weekday afternoon in December 2016
TTC information: a four-minute walk north from Bloor-Yonge Station or a six-minute walk south of Rosedale
Booze selection: 11 beers including Strongbow cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: this pub is known for its wings and lays claim to “Toronto’s Best Wings”. (We were not impressed with the wings, but we are in the minority.) These said wings are available in unusual flavors, such as Classic Coke, Foghorn Leghorn, Bloody Mary, and Killer Bee. They also have other pub classics on their menu
Service staff: a bit negligent
Prices: expensive
Toilets: clean, but cobwebs on the ceiling and a bit scary around the toilet near the floor. Apparently the men’s has the sports page pinned next to the urinal
Patio: rather small, east and on Yonge Street
Wheelchair accessible: no
Televisions: six, all showing sports
Live music: nope
Piped-in music: Virgin Radio

Rating: three and a half pints (out of five)

The Borough

The Borough (website, Twitter)
1352 Danforth Avenue, Toronto ON M4J 1M9 (on the north side, between Linsmore Crescent and Monarch Park Avenue, the nearest major intersection is Greenwood Avenue and Danforth Avenue) 416-901-1429
Google Maps

Another excellent addition to the Danforth’s growing number of decent pubs! 

Fittingly named after Canada’s last borough, East York (1967-1988, requiescat in pace), and location of said pub, the Borough is putting the pub into gastropub. This is a touch ironic given that the borough of East York was dry for several years. The pub does have a focus on locally sourced food and takes part in the nearby East Lynn  Farmers’ Market. Like the nearby Wren, the Borough is child-friendly, but it doesn’t have a kids’ menu. It does serve Sunday brunch, but it doesn’t open until five during the week and on Saturdays. We found out twice the hard way.

The Borough has black-and-white pictures of said old borough on the walls, along with a three-dimensional miniature fairy door of 11 Downing Street, home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the sign for the pub looks very much like the street signs in London, itself full of boroughs. It’s a very bright establishment, despite the greys everywhere. Our welcome last-minute addition to the pubbing experience said that the Borough was, “Life in greyscale,” with flashes of red cushions and napkins. I should have replied with, “It’s fifty shades of grey on the Danforth,” but I didn’t and it’s not really that funny anyway.

A note on the picture, I took the picture at Christmas time last year as I had a camera with me and no-one was walking in front of the pub. They don’t usually have Christmas decorations up.

Number of visits by yours truly: my first, but not my last on a weekday evening in August 2015
TTC information: Greenwood Station, mere metres on the Danforth from the station
Booze selection: a selection local craft beers, with Thornbury and Duxsbury ciders (they don’t have Pimm’s because it’s not local)
Food selection: the food is local and organic, with a focus on British comfort food. Be warned, it’s spicy — my note says “perfumed by a manifesto”. It’s in my writing, but I’m not that poetic even after a pint or two
Service staff: great
Prices: expensive
Toilets: the ladies’ was nice, but the men’s apparently left something to be desired 
Patio: south-facing
Wheelchair accessible: has steps to the toilet, so no
Televisions: one over the bar
Live music: no
Piped-in music: modern and electronic, could hardly hear as the volume was low

Rating: four and a half pints (out of five) 

The Paddock Tavern

The Paddock Tavern (website, Twitter)
178 Bathurst Street, Toronto ON M5V 2R4 (on the east side of Bathurst Street, just south of Queen Street West) 416-504-9997
Google Maps 

A Toronto landmark. 

I have probably been by the Paddock Tavern a hundred times. My former brother-in-law used to live across the street, it’s just south of Queen Street West, and just north of Factory Theatre, however, I have never gone in before. I haven’t been in because it looks a little uninviting as you can’t see in. Is it open? Is it full? My better half and I finally went in as we were on our way to a football (soccer) game at BMO Field (Canada won over Cuba, 3-0) and needed nourishment.

The Paddock Tavern is a rather small venue, with a huge bar. It’s been around so long (1946) that its then-modern look is now fashionably retro. Unfortunately, its age shows in other ways with blown light bulbs and torn seat cushions, which looks like the present owner/manager doesn’t care. However, that did not seem to deter the regulars. When I arrived the bartender was talking to a fellow at the bar and when a group arrived, they seemed to know where to go and what to do.

Note, the Paddock Tavern doesn’t serve tea or coffee, the pub doesn’t open until four, the kitchen doesn’t open until six, it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays, but on the plus side, it’s apparently haunted.

Number of visits by yours truly: my first on a Friday evening in October 2012
TTC information: a 12-minute ride south from Bathurst Station or a 12-minute ride from Osgoode Station
Booze selection: eight beers, including Thornbury cider, a number of whiskys/wines (no Pimm’s) (according to the expert, the taps need to be cleaned)
Food selection: basic, but all the bases covered, except for those who are fussy  
Service staff: very attentive, when I arrived the kitchen was closed, but I was able to get my meal very quickly once it did open
Prices: lots of food for the money, my better half couldn’t finish his meal (I did it for him)
Toilets: could be cleaner, but not that bad
Patio: east
Wheelchair accessible: no
Televisions: three, two off and one showing an old black-and-white movie with the mute button engaged
Live music: might start in November on Tuesday nights
Piped-in music: alternative country pop music, I think

Rating: four pints (out of five) 

The Black Bull

The Black Bull
298 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5V 2A4 (on the northeast side of Soho Street and Queen Street West, the major intersection is Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue) 416-593-2766 ‎
Google Maps 

Probably the best patio for blocks! Certainly on Queen Street West.

Laying claim to being the oldest pub in Toronto, the Black Bull is an institution on Queen Street West. (In my humble but historically trained opinion, the Black Bull isn’t really the oldest as it closed for several decades at one point, so the real honour goes to the Wheat Sheaf.) The Black Bull is basically the only pub on Queen Street West since The Bishop & the Belcher up and left for Church and Bloor. Yes, there’s the Duke of Richmond and the Friar and Firkin, but they are off the beaten path.

Anyway, I’ve walked by the Black Bull more than a hundred times as I was an aspiring goth (I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair black and I wasn’t as pissed off at my parents as my other goth friends were at theirs) who tried her damnedest to hang out on Queen Street West as much as possible in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I, however, always felt that the Black Bull was a bit of a biker bar, and as a result, I haven’t spent my drinking money there very often. The Black Bull is a rather nice looking pub, despite the stuffed bull’s head over the Queen Street door, with wide aisles, high ceilings, personal coat racks, and retro-booths that seat four comfortably with a relaxed atmosphere with no frills whatsoever. The back of the pub has a pool table and karaoke on Sundays. Note, they do not provide separate bills.

Number of visits by yours truly: my fourth or fifth, most recently on a weekday afternoon in July 2012
TTC information: a five-minute ride west to Soho from Osgoode Station on the Queen Street West streetcar
Booze selection: 25 beers including Strongbow cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: lots of burgers — grease is my word du jour
Service staff: good
Prices: reasonable
Toilets: no hot water, no paper towels, and a smell that lingers
Patio: one of the best in the city and certainly the best in the neighbourhood. Perfect for people watching, lots of sun, and you too can look hip
Wheelchair accessible: nope
Televisions: three
Live music: nope
Piped-in music: early ‘8os

Rating: three and a half pints (out of five) 

The Wheat Sheaf

The Wheat Sheaf (website, Twitter)
667 King Street West, Toronto ON M5V 1M9 (on the southwest corner of King Street West and Bathurst Street) 416-504-9912
Google Maps 

Toronto’s oldest pub, complete with legend.

I’ve been to the Wheat Sheaf a number of times over the years. Its great location, at King and Bathurst, means it is ideal for a pint after going to Fort York (What do you mean you haven’t been? It’s fun!), a pint before seeing something at Factory Theatre, after going to the Ex for a convention, which was the case with us, or after a Toronto FC game. Before planning our jaunt, I remembered that the Wheat Sheaf is a popular sports pub, given its proximity to BMO Field, but I had forgotten how nice the Wheat Sheaf can be.

Perhaps because I have lived in houses that are centuries old, I feel at home in older places, such as the Wheat Sheaf, which was opened in 1849 and claims to be Toronto’s oldest pub. (Apparently, there is a legend that there is a hidden tunnel from Fort York to the Wheat Sheaf, created by the soldiers.) It has internal windows sans glass to let light into the back room and an Old World feel that only decades of wear and tear can create. There is a jukebox and a pool table, but you might not be popular with the surrounding patrons as the pool table is too close to tables. By the way, the ratio of women to men at the Wheat Sheaf was about seven to one including the two waitresses, and I am being generous.

Number of visits by yours truly: my fourth or fifth, most recently on a Saturday afternoon in April 2012
TTC information: a seven-minute ride west to Bathurst from St. Andrew Station, or take Bathurst Streetcar south from Bathurst to King, which will take about 12 minutes. (Note, we walked from Bathurst to Yonge after the pub visit as there seemed to be TTC problems, it was only when we got to Roy Thomson Hall that we were passed by a streetcar.)
Booze selection: 18 beers, including Strongbow cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: standard pub grub. We had the calamari and enjoyed it
Service staff: very friendly. On a subsequent visit, my husband had a very rude waiter who misheard one of the group’s orders for Strongbow as Steam Whistle and refused to remove the error from the bill. He also berated one of the party for smelling like pot. Classy!
Prices: not bad
Toilets: decent, downstairs
Patio: large and on Bathurst, so it’s east facing
Wheelchair accessible: nope
Televisions: too many to count, I gave up after finding ten
Live music: no
Piped-in music: Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, a-ha, Adam Ant

Rating: three and a half pints (out of five) 

Irish Embassy

Irish Embassy Pub (website, Twitter)
49 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M5E 1J1 (on the north-east corner of Wellington Street East and Yonge Street) 416-866-8282
Google Maps 

This could well be the noisiest pub in Toronto.

Over the years I have been to the Irish Embassy Pub a number of times and on every visit, save the last, which was on a Sunday evening, I was overwhelmed by the noise and the only reason I went back this time was because I haven’t reviewed it for this blog. This pub could well be the noisiest in Toronto.

The Irish Embassy Pub clearly shows its former life as a nineteenth-century bank as the echoes of its past still resonate in the thick Greek columns, classical arches, and tall ceilings, which are likely to blame for making the place so noisy. (The glass-topped bank tellers partitions are probably not original.) As a result, the establishment doesn’t have much of a pub feel about it and no coziness, perhaps reflecting the business crowd it attracts. The Dublin Lounge — which can be reserved for large groups — was closed during our most recent visit and I have never had the chance to venture in there. The pub itself is often very crowded during the week and I recall walking by a long line up outside the pub on a recent St. Patrick’s Day that fell on a weekday. All said, it would appear that my dearth of warm fuzzies for the Irish Embassy Pub is in the minority.

Number of visits by yours truly: fourth or fifth visit, most recently on a Sunday evening in February 2011
TTC information: two intersections south of King
Booze selection: 20 or so beers, including Strongbow cider (yes, they have Pimm’s)
Food selection: fancy Irish. I had the vegetarian tikka masala, which is not on the online menu, leading me to think that the online ones are out of date
Service staff: good, but others have commented on the slowness. I guess it depends on the day, time, etc.
Prices: very expensive, but you are downtown
Toilets: nice and downstairs
Patio: nope
Wheelchair accessible: no, steps at front and the toilet is downstairs
Televisions: eight and it’s not a large pub
Live music: nope
Piped-in music: Mr. Bowie, U2

Rating: four pints (out of five) 

The Bull and Firkin

The Bull and Firkin (website, Twitter)
1835 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4S 1X8 (on the east side, between Balliol Street and Merton Street, the nearest major intersection is Davisville Avenue and Yonge Street) 416-485-2290
Google Maps

Good for a pint after swooning over graves of the famous at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. 

I’ve been to the Bull and Firkin a number of times over the years as we used to live nearby and as we have a number of friends who still live in the area. In terms of sitting, it has lots of booths, including seating for groups of six, but for larger groups, you are really only in luck if you get seating at the back, near the toilets. It has happened a few times that we have been part of a larger party gathering at that pub and have had to ask diners in that coveted area if they would mind moving up or down a few tables so that we can accommodate our numbers (these diners have always been gracious about this request, so that is a good reflection on the pub).

The Bull and Firkin is a sport bar, plain and simple. It has two dart boards, two pool tables, and at least two arcade games. The televisions, which are everywhere, show sporting events. Knowing this, I have even looked up the Maple Leafs’ schedule to avoid going to the pub when games are on. I remember going to the pub one evening in April a few years ago and being almost unable to converse with my companions because the noise was so loud.

And now a semi-regular feature of my blog: Toronto’s history. As mentioned in the dek, the Bull and Firkin is close to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, which is “home” to, among others:

• Banting and Best (but not together)
• Timothy Eaton
• Mary Fortune (Titanic survivor)
• Glenn Gould
• Foster Hewitt
• William Lyon Mackenzie King
• Oliver Mowat
• Alexander Muir
• Egerton Ryerson

Number of visits by yours truly: two dozen or so, most recently on a Saturday evening in October 2011
TTC information: just south of Davisville Station
Booze selection: 16 beers, including Strongbow cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: standard Firkin pub grub with lots of sandwiches and wraps
Service staff: pleasant and friendly
Prices: decent
Toilets: just two for the ladies, which isn’t quite enough given the size of the bar
Patio: on the street facing west
Wheelchair accessible: no!
Televisions: I counted seven from where I was sitting and all of them were showing a “vulgar sporting event”
Live music: I forgot to ask, but I doubt it given the layout of the pub as there are pillars and booths in the way
Piped-in music: sports was on, so music was off. There is a jukebox

Rating: three and half pints (out of five)

The Rebel House

The Rebel House (website, Twitter)
1068 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4W 2L4 (on the west side, between Gibson Avenue and Roxborough Avenue West, the nearest intersection is Yonge Street and Alymer Avenue) 416-927-0704
Google Maps

The place to go for tourists (and their hosts) who want to try a truly Canadian pub.

I’ve been coming to the Rebel House for years because it’s convenient and it’s good. I remember one time ordering a wild boar dish, loving it so much that I ordered it again and had seconds then and there! Alas, I don’t think they have that item anymore, but that might be a good thing. I like the food a lot, so when we did a three-part pub crawl in early July 2011, I suggested that we eat at the Rebel House as I was sure our meal would not disappoint. The Rebel House is located in an old building that was likely around during the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, which the pub is named in honour. The pub’s logo of the hanged man probably commemorates Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews, who were both hanged for their parts in the Rebellion of 1837.

The pub’s seating is very cramped, but that’s my only complaint (perhaps it would not be so cramped if I didn’t order seconds!). The walls are covering with horns of deceased beasties, Krieghoff prints, mirrors, and old etchings. They have a lovely stained glass sign upstairs in the window.

Update 2014.03.21: I tried to make a reservation for 16 people upstairs on a Saturday afternoon and they don’t take reservations. Fine, but when I explained that I wanted the upstairs for a sewing group, I was informed that I would have to rent the entire floor and pay $3,000. I nearly hung up on the server. Some places need to take themselves a little less seriously.

Number of visits by yours truly: a dozen or so, most recently on a Saturday night in early July 2011
TTC information: Rosedale Station. The pub is northwest of the insertion from Rosedale Station, however, you don’t want to crossed north and then west as the intersection only allows pedestrian crossing on the south side, which is annoying and dangerous
Booze selection: more than 30 in bottles and on draught, including Waupoos cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: local (i.e. Canadian) in focus, with meals featuring elk, moose, and buffalo, and barley risotto. They also have pickled eggs! (The menu is online)
Service staff: very good
Prices: expensive, but I think you get your money’s worth
Toilets: very cramped in the basement. There is a unisex toilet upstairs that is a little better
Patio: west and very nice with heating lamps and a parachute cover to protect patrons from the blazing sun
Wheelchair accessible: no
Televisions: we were sitting outside, I think there is one over the bar
Live music: nope
Piped-in music: we were sitting outside so there was no music

Rating: five pints (out of five)

The Duke of Kent

The Duke of Kent (website, Twitter)
2315 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4P 2C6 (on the east side, just north of Eglinton Avenue on Yonge Street at Roehampton Avenue) 416-485-9507
Google Maps

One of the more English pubs in Toronto and one of the better Duke pubs.

According to a dear friend of mine, the Duke of Kent Pub is not the place to go on a Friday evening. Older men crowd the doorway, drinking with their elbows sticking out, and ignoring all but the most insistent — but always polite — requests to move so you can pass. The penultimate time I was there, it was a weekday afternoon, rather empty, and we had a lovely time with no elbows at the ready and good service — this is after all a Duke pub and service is something I often find lacking with them. The last time we went to the Duke of Kent was a Saturday night and the crowd ebbed and flowed in the upstairs; it was quiet at ten, but very crowded and noisy at seven and eleven, and I had to squeeze through a few people to get to our reserved table upstairs — thank goodness there are toilets upstairs. The upstairs can get very, very loud. There are booths, which are a little big for two and a little small for four, cruiser tables, and regular tables downstairs and just regular tables upstairs, so you have your pick of seating. They have PubStumpers on Tuesday nights.

For those who enjoy a little history with their hops, the Duke of Kent is very close to the site of Montgomery’s Tavern, where part of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 was fought. Montgomery’s Tavern was burned to the ground after the Battle of Montgomery’s Tavern and the building that currently stands on the site is an Art Deco building with the royal cipher “EviiiR”, one of the few buildings that honours Edward VIII, who was on the throne for less than a year. The post office that used to be at that location is now being transformed into… you guessed it… condos. However, the facade with the royal cipher is being kept.

Number of visits by yours truly: a dozen or so, most recently on a Saturday night in January 2011
TTC information: just north of Eglinton Station
Booze selection: standard Duke pub selection of approximately 30 beers, including Strongbow and Bulmers cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: standard pub grub
Service staff: pleasant for a Duke pub. I left my husband’s camera once and they kindly called to let us know (we’d had a reservation so they had our contact information) and I hadn’t even realized it had fallen out of my bag
Prices: expensive like all Duke pubs
Toilets: at one point the ladies’ toilet upstairs was disgusting, but it was cleaned up after a while and much better. There are only two stalls in the ladies’ toilet downstairs, which isn’t enough for such a popular watering hole
Patio: north of the pub on Roehampton
Wheelchair accessible: there isn’t a wheelchair accessible toilet so it’s not wheelchair accessible
Televisions: several, with at least one upstairs
Live music: to quote the waitress: “rarely”
Piped-in music: standard ’80s

Rating: four pints (out of five)

The Flatiron and Firkin

The Flatiron and Firkin (website, Twitter)
49 Wellington Street East, Toronto ON M5E 1C9 (at the intersection of Wellington Street, Church Street, and Front Street) 416-362-3444
Google Maps

Lovely for a pint before a hockey game or to take the tourist who wants to see a different side of Toronto.

I like the Flatiron and Firkin for a number of reasons; the layout of the pub, the friendly staff, and the good food. Due to the layout a large group will have a tough time finding a good spot. However, if it’s just two of you, you’ll have a number of ideal spots and it’s great for tête-à-têtes as the booths are so private. The seating is very comfortable, but you can have a bit of trouble in getting in and out of certain spots as the seating and tables are fixed. The walls are full of various black-and-white photographs and old prints. The one thing I don’t like about the Flatiron and Firkin — and this is a complaint about the Firkin chain in general — is the number of televisions. Do you really need that many televisions and all showing the same sports show? The Flatiron and Firkin is in a great location, near the Sony Centre, the St. Lawrence Market, and the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

What’s a firkin? According to my nearest-at-hand dictionary, it’s a small cask for liquids or dried good, or a unit of alcohol that’s nine imperial gallons or about 41 litres. The Toronto “Flatiron” building predates the famous Flatiron in New York by a decade and the Toronto building is formally known as the Gooderham Building after distiller George Gooderham had it built for his company, Gooderham & Worts.

Number of visits by yours truly: two dozen or so, most recently on a Thursday afternoon in March 2011 (St. Patrick’s Day!)
TTC information: King Station, head east along King to Church, down to Wellington
Booze selection: about a dozen or so, including Strongbow cider (no Pimm’s)
Food selection: standard pub grub with lots of sandwiches and wraps. I quite like their bangers and mash
Service staff: pleasant and friendly, the busboys are very attentive
Prices: fairly decent
Toilets: very cramped
Patio: on the street facing south. At the moment, the building to the south is under construction, so you will only be able to enjoy the sun for a few months
Wheelchair accessible: no and the steps at the Church Street entrance are very uneven. I recall at least one friend tripping up the stairs
Televisions: yes, two from where I was sitting and I was facing a wall
Live music: no
Piped-in music: as it was St. Patrick’s Day, it was all Irish, all the time, so Enya and Sinéad O’Connor. On other days, the music is more ‘80s and ‘90s

Rating: four and a half pints (out of five)