Beer Bistro

CBA

British Indian Ocean Territory

4.03/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$$

Stopped in on a Monday afternoon for lunch. Tucked around the corner from Yonge - this place certainly caters to a higher end clientele - read Bay Street. As previously mentioned this is no local pub, or even gastro pub it's firmly in the high end restaurant category. (Noticed they had a chefs table in the back end) Sat at the bar overlooking King - where I had the pleasure of being serviced by a surly bartender. Ordered a fantastic roasted red pepper and tomato soup (it was freezing out) and the Kobe beef tacos - with the kobe part obviously being lost in amongest the taco...should've known better.

Give much respect for the concept - all items on the menu came with a beer pairing suggestion and were certainly well thought out. From their extensive list I just had a bottle of the Silly Saison. The prices are too inflated for my meager salary however I'm sure much of the clientele don't bat an eye.

Overall I appreciate the efforts put in and the healthy respect given to beer in this establishment and it comes as no surprise that Beaumont is behind this. However I'll give this a pass next time I'm in town looking for good food & beer and head to C'est What - as they are much more reasonably priced.

02-21-2007 16:34:34 | More by CBA

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5 | $$

I've been here a few time but never actually took the time to do a review so here goes

Atmosphere: This place is very inviting. The bar has a nice open concept with a fairly large dining area outside as well as a lounge area to grab a beer while you're waiting. There's a nice display of beers they have on offer as well as a nice decor. Great atmosphere.

Service: The waiter and waitress that I had were both very knowledgeable and had great recommendations. Exceptional service.

Selection: This bar offers a very great selection of Ontario brews as well as many American and Belgian beers. They only have about 20 beers on taps but have hundreds to choose from when it comes to bottles. There's a great selection of cellared beer also. I got to enjoy a 5 year old bottle of Dogfish Head's Raison d'Extra along with a few more gems.

Food and value: They have a great menu of higher-class cuisine for fairly reasonable prices. The beers are also fairly priced. This is definitely the place to go if you're in Toronto. I will be going back every time I go to Toronto.

05-08-2013 21:03:41 | More by SebD

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.78/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I'm writing this from the bistro itself, as their free wifi makes possible. I'm in town for a conference located at a hotel just a few blocks away, so this is my third visit to Beerbistro - it's that good (for me at least).

The atmosphere is simultaneously upscale and welcoming, cavernous and cozy. Super high ceilings offset small tables and a few tight nooks, with some large, vaguely Belgian-style beer-themed decorations on the walls. Very new and clean, but still comfortable.

The tap list is fairly limited (20 bottles) but has a good mix of locals and imports across a range of styles. Everything is available in a 300ml tulip or a 500ml pint, with prices being fair - particularly for the neighborhood.

Service has been attentive without being officious, and enthusiastic without being condescending. Just how I like it.

The real reason I've been coming back is the Cantillon selection: Gueuze, Kriek, Rose de Gambrinus, Bruocsella, Lou Pepe Kriek & Framboise, St. Lamvinus, Vigneronne, and Iris. The first four are in 375s for $15-8, and the last five are in 750s for $25-35. Amazingly fair prices (especially on the 750s!), doubly so for a central location in an expensive city.

If you don't like sours, you might prefer another place in Toronto, but if you're a Lambic fan like I am then you won't want to leave.

Cheers!

03-30-2013 18:13:50 | More by woosterbill

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

My wife and I strolled here for dessert and a night cap. It's business chic with well appointed, semi trendy decor inside and some decent outdoor seating. A nice tap selection of mostly Canadian craft beers with a few European brews thrown in to round out the list. Our server was excellent- super friendly, quite helpful and knowledgeable about both the beer and the menu. The dessert sampler we had was outstanding- all items made with beer and the beer shows through in things like the lemon cake and Dragon stout Skor ice cream. Prices weren't too much more than most other places we've tried in Toronto but the bottle list got pretty ridiculous. All in all Beerr Bistro is well worth a visit.

06-13-2012 03:00:51 | More by ThickNStout

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Located in the city's financial district and the look and feel reflects that. Mostly filled with "suits" around lunch and after 5:00. They do have a big bar area in the front as well as a large restaurant seating are in the back. The tap list is a mixed bag of locals, a few brews from Quebec and a few imports but overall not too exciting. The bottle and cellar list is incredible though. Tons of stuff from Cantillon, Lost Abbey, Avery, DFH etc. huge selection of barley wines and belgian styles. Some bottles can be a bit pricey though but you do get what you pay for here. The food is excellent weather its appetizers or full out meals, last time I was there I had bacon wrapped shrimp and french fries and they were amazing. They also cook every dish with beer and even have their cookbook for sale. They do a good job of mixing great beer and fancy dining but it lacks the feel of a great beer bar. It still is a great place to go for an occasion or if you feel like getting a rare bottle of something though.

02-16-2012 15:33:06 | More by peensteen

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$$$

In simple terms, this is the best beer dining experience I've had. At the end of the meal, I told my niece that this makes me understand what Europeans sit and eat meals for two to three hours at a time.

As a vegetarian, the choices on the menu were limited, but that had little effect on the evening. Started with Potato Truffle Perogies. Amazing complexity for a perogie! Sweet tang from gueze and sheep's milk cheese, I would guess, creamy and full flavored. Just amazing. Drank a Black Oak Summer Saison with the meal, as recommended by the waitress and the pairing guided on the menu. While the beer was good, but pairing worked really well. For an entree, we shared a Blue Mushroom Pizza. Meaty texture from the mushrooms and a tang from the Quebec blue cheese. Again, complex and elegant taste. Got lost in ordering a beer for taste at this point already, but still great. For dessert, we tried three of the beer scream ice creams. In order, we like the Vanilla Bourbon swirl, the dragon stout & skor bar, and finally the rocky road with coffee porter. Excellent finish on the meal.

For the real dessert, ordered a bottle of Cantillon Grand Cru 2008. Excellent aged bottle, a rare and fun treat that few bars accomplish for their patrons. While the night wasn't cheap, I was glad to have paid the price for such a rewarding evening of discussion, food and beer. In spite of it being upscale, it never felt snooty. Friendly and relaxing. If you haven't--you must--at least once.

07-28-2011 19:39:27 | More by FightingEntropy

mmurphy525

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I visited Beerbistro twice this past weekend during a trip to Toronto. I went their twice, once was Friday during lunch (sat on the patio) and the second time was around 7 Monday night (sat inside on the bar side). Both times were fairly busy inside and out. My entire reason for going to beerbistro was for the beer list, which is substantial. There is a decent draught list, massive bottle list that includes a “cellared beer list’ (cantillon, barely wines, and some big stout). The only downside to this bar is their bottle prices. They are pretty expensive and even the harder to get bottles that one would expect to pay a premium for cost more at beerbistro then other places. An example is Struise Black Damnation $22 at beerbistro and $17 at Barvolo.

As mentioned in previous reviews this establishment seems to service to the business crowd or downtown Toronto. However, the potential negative connotations (stuck up servers, etc) are not an issue. On both my visits I had excellent service from start o finish. The staff also appear to be very knowledgeable about their beer list.

As for the food, not my reason for going, was very good. I had the daily feature pasta on the first visit and the pulled pork sandwich on my second. Both meals where very good, but the pulled pork definitely stood out, it was probably the best pulled pork I have had.

For someone looking to try some bottles that he or she may not have a chance to access otherwise I would recommend this place. I will be heading back on my next trip to Toronoto.

07-20-2011 15:34:17 | More by mmurphy525

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$$

I have been here twice, once for dinner and once for lunch. When I went for lunch I got there at opening time and there was actually a queue of men in suits waiting to get in. Upon entry I was asked if a had a reservation and then told that there were only tables open in the first-come first-serve lounge area. At 11:30 on a weekday! Must be a popular place for business lunches.

The atmosphere is office-tower chic. It looks like a generic dress-causal restaurant with white table cloths and a few vintage European beer posters on the wall. The extremely high ceilings and borderline sterile decor are nice, but aren't really warm and inviting and it doesn't feel like the kind of place to linger over a few beers. I took a seat in the lounge, which looked like it should be serving martinis, but had a great tap list.

The selection was very good, with emphasis on Ontario and Belgium. All the beers were fresh and served perfectly. They also offer a tasting flight of any four draft samples for $6, which isn't a bad price and a nice way to sample their selection.

The food was pretty pricey but very good. Lunch (mussels, a sandwich, a tasting flight, one pint, and a ginger ale (my companion doesn't drink) was nearly $70.

05-09-2011 22:31:06 | More by

mrmanning

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I've stopped in here in the past, but it has always been to busy. Finally, I stopped in with MDS on Sunday and it was fairly quiet, so we decided to stay for a beer. The ambiance was modern and clean, quite chic and almost elegant. Not the typical beer bar that's for sure. Service was friendly and came equipped with never ending smiles and pleasantries. I'll add that our waitress was quite cute! Mike suggested I order what they had, so I got a Denisson's and it was tasty as hell and fresh. We ordered the fries, and they reminded me of old fashioned chips, and were tasty as all hell. Presentation was nice as well. The claim to fame here has to be the bottle list though. Many hard to get US and Canadian micros, along with many Belgians and other assorted bottles. It was nice to see Lost Abbey, Rogue, Val Dieu amongst others. Some of the bottles were pricey, but knowing what lengths the owners go to, to bring us these bottles has to be considered. Prices were overall reasonable and theres a high chance that I will be returning here soon.

02-12-2011 14:15:41 | More by mrmanning

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$$

We went to the Beer Bistro this summer based on reviews and the impressive bottle list. Seems very upperclass and would cater to the business class which makes sense given its location downtown. Arrvied fairly early and were the only ones inside since it was such a nice day for a patio. Wanted to take in the very cool design and atmosphere.
The bar and dining area was very clean and the server was friendly and quick.
Impressive selection of bottles! Some were priced high but as others have said, the beer is hard to import and costly.
We didnt eat lunch but the menu seems appatizing.

Overall I was very impressed and enjoyed the visit. I'd like to make another trip soon.

09-29-2010 22:53:40 | More by heebes