Bellwoods Brewery

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

When I visited: April 2012.

What I had: Lost River Baltic Porter, Witchshark Imperial IPA, Berliner Weisse, various snacks, dessert.

What I liked: Comfortable, welcoming atmosphere, excellent timely service, delicious food and beer. Bellwoods is cranking out high quality takes on under-represented styles, and they blow Mill St. and Granite out of the water. I’ll be interested to see how other newcomers - like the Indie Alehouse - stack up.

What I disliked: Nothing. My only criticism is that the beer, while very good, falls short of greatness. These guys will continue to evolve, though, and I think their best is yet to come.

Would I go back? Absolutely.

Overall Rating: 84

07-22-2012 18:03:00 | More by cratez

Weebay

Ontario (Canada)

4.66/5  rDev +16.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

One of the great up and coming breweries in the city, the beer is fantastic.

It's on the smaller side, so if you are there on a Fri/Sat night either come early or be ready to wait. They will take your name/number down and call you when a spot opens up. The servers know their beer; and are passionate about what they brew. The prices are great for a Canadian bar.

The food is excellent but the kitchen is small so they have a limited number of food options.

01-23-2013 23:10:36 | More by Weebay

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Just realized that I haven't posted a review for one of my new favourite spots in the city.

Bellwoods is one of my favourite spots in the city. The beer is fist class, with constantly rotating taps that include a wide variety of styles and some very interesting wine oak barrel aged offerings. The Witchshark IIPA is a must have for anyone visiting for the first time and it usually (always?) on tap.

The atmosphere is great and the service is friendly and knowledgeable. The servers are well educated in beer styles in general and especially so in their own offerings.

Prices are more than fair.

The food was decent the one time I ate there, but the menu isn't geared towards full meals; more so finger foods and lighter dinner fare. Still, the food is creative and what I had tasted good enough.

09-10-2012 11:44:53 | More by TheSevenDuffs

MasterSki

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Stopped in at Bellwoods during a quick visit to Toronto.

A - Surprisingly packed on a Monday night. We were lucky to snag a big table inside, but I fear that if we'd been there any later than 6:30pm we'd have been in for a long wait. Decor is industrial - it is a production facility after all, but it matches the vibe of the neighborhood and is well-organized for the most part.

Q - I tried at least a few sips of everything they had on-tap, and the offerings ranged from adequate to pretty good. The Witchshark IIPA was particuarly nice. I wish the 'Baltic' Porter wasn't advertised as such, seeing as it's brewed with ale yeast and was largely American in style. The BA Bière de Garde could also have used more barrel presence. Still - pretty solid for a new brewery.

Sr - Service was relatively attentive, although the staff seems acclimated to explaining everything to less-informed Toronto beer drinkers. My server was surprised when I asked for the Imperial IPA, as apparently most customers don't know what IIPA denotes. She was also out of the loop on some of the food selections, but she quickly checked and came back with the correct information.

Sl - 9 of their own beers on-tap across a good range of styles, and a variety of guest bottles including a reasonably priced (by North American standards) Westvleteren XII at $20 CDN. There seem to be some interesting collaborations on deck with Dieu Du Ciel and Evil Twin, as well as a smoked Berliner.

F - I share the micro veggie Smörgåsbord with my wife, which was good as a snack. My friends enjoyed the sausages, but the coleslaw seemed to go largely uneaten. Kudos for having vegan/vegetarian offerings and being aware of what ingredients go into your food. However, not a place I'd got for a 'meal'.

All in all, a promising start and an establishment I will frequent when in Toronto in the future. Hope they get more regular hours at the adjoining building for off-sales, as I would have liked a growler of the Witchshark. A pox on Ontario liquor laws!

07-15-2012 19:28:46 | More by MasterSki

munro78

New York

2.6/5  rDev -35%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | $$

Left Bellwoods very thirsty and frustrated. Had a timeframe to shoot up there and grab a bite to eat and sample some of their beers which appeared to be off the beaten path. When we arrived we were told we would have to wait 5 to 10 minutes. Thinking, let's go to the bar I soon realized the bar itself had no room at all as it was about 10 feet long. HHHmmmm... Brew-pub with no where to drink a beer.... Then the hostess warned us to back up next to the entrance as we were blocking them from working. Had a fun time standing guard in the doorway and watching people drink. To seal the deal I looked right in front of me and ever so painfully watched some guy sitting at a table of four, no food, no beer, working feverishly away at his crossword puzzle. We left, I felt embarrassed as I with with company.

So Bellwoods...
a. sell beer and ditch the restaurant - so people can actually walk in, stand there and drink it OR
b. open up a bigger place. or let me brainstorm, how about a patio - it was 65 and sunny. (or brew off premise)

It appears that they are truly trying to make a good product, but if people can't try it then all I can say is good luck. Are they a brewery or a pseudo hip urban bar?

05-19-2012 16:05:04 | More by munro78

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

A microcosm of a good Brooklyn bar. Looks like a garage from exterior with a few tables and a medium and very woody bar. I am looking forward to the patio, the potential rooftop, and we think more patio out in the back.
I hear the food is good but I go for the beers.Every beer was very good, a reasonable or better representation of the style. A Bit out of the way in a hip area, it was worth the trip. Reasonable pricing. Good environment, it was nice to see young couples and their kids about.Very good service, very clean.

04-16-2012 01:36:10 | More by northyorksammy