barVolo

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Can't say enough good things about this place. By far the best tap selection in the city and for the most part is made up of offerings not available in stores. Usually about 3 cask offerings from around Ontario with the odd Quebec or Fullers offering. The House Ales they brew on site are all interesting and for the most part very good. They get the best offerings from Great Lakes (ONT) that no other bar in the city gets. Impressive bottle list that includes a wide selection of styles that includes some rare and harder to find bottles. The owner is very friendly and will chat and have a beer with you, the staff are all friendly and knowledgeable. They also host some great events as well, tap takeovers and themed evenings. It does get a little busy here on the weekends and sometimes the service can be on the slow side but that is to be expected. Pretty solid menu, the pizza and veal burgers are delicious also a few good looking pasta dishes. Hands down the place to go for good beer in Toronto. Also, 5 dollar pints on Mondays.

02-16-2012 15:20:15 | More by peensteen

paulie

Connecticut

3.76/5  rDev -13.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3 | $$$

Nice corner bar with a great beer selection. But I doubt I'll bother going back.

Positives:

Enormous beer selection. Lots of local stuff. Good range of styles on the tap list, including cask ales, ciders, and sour beers. There is something for everyone. Fast service at the bar. Low-key, comfortable atmosphere. Mostly young customers who are lively but not rowdy. Relatively efficient (although not terribly friendly) service.

Negatives:

Very limited food menu, and much of that was "not available tonight". I ended up ordering a burger when I got tired of asking for unavailable things. The place was full but not what I'd call "crowded", yet it took 35 minutes for my burger to show up. Not large, or special, and nothing with it except some olives, for 15 Loonies.

Bottle list is heavy on Belgians. I didn't see much else. And the prices were ridiculous. Sure, some of the stuff is rare. But beer has to be pretty effing amazing to justify $30 - $60 per bottle. And most of the stuff on the blackboard was, indeed, in that range.

There is an outdoor patio where people can smoke. Every time the door opens, the smell of smoke blasts in. Yuck.

Overall, I do like the vibe and the tap selection. But it is overpriced for what you get and not good enough to justify a return trip.

01-13-2013 16:17:48 | More by paulie

EspressoGuy

British Columbia (Canada)

4.94/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Thank goodness i googled for cask beers Toronto and came across this place. AMAZING! But that is really based on being fortunate enough to get the one and only seat at the bar and then to be "hosted" by Tomas, co-owner and beer/coffee geek extraordinaire. He was working flat out pouring beers and talking to customers and still made time to tell me all about their AMAZING "nano-brewery" and more importantly to offer tastes. I wish the info about the beers was on their website but it's not so feel lucky just to taste them at the time. My visit this time included -- and excuse me if I don't have all the details right; we were chatting across the bar -- a FANTASTIC brun that was aged in wine barrels for 6 months and a equally good Berlinerweisse. So many taps, so little time. I don't give a rating of 5 very easily but really this may be the best beer bar I've every visited -- or at least equal to Hair of the Dog in Portland. And if you're into good coffee too don't forget to ask for his recommendations. He knows his stuff!

09-25-2012 02:46:36 | More by EspressoGuy

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

A nice little corner bar just up from Dundas square. My wife and I stopped by after dinner. They have an outstanding tap selection of local Canadian craft beer with a couple on cask. A few of them are even brewed in house. The 16+ taps are augmented by an extensive bottle list. Prices are quite reasonable. We went Tuesday evening when it really wasn't busy but often felt forgotten by the server. Other than that it was a great little bar with a nice outdoor patio section and unparalleled selection. If you're in Toronto and can spare a moment, this is a worthwhile stop.

06-13-2012 03:08:23 | More by ThickNStout

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.39/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Utterly fantastic, must-stop-in, 100% recommended bar. If you're ever in Toronto, and you love beer: GO.

The place was quiet when we popped in on a Monday afternoon, but that gave the visit a relaxing, all-to-ourselves kind of atmosphere. Despite so few customers at the time, the service was merely okay. No real effort to inform us of their beers, many of which are bottled and hidden behind the bar, but with the use of the chalkboard we sorted out our order. And when I did ask the guy some questions, he was extremely knowledgeable.

Volo specializes in GREAT BEER. Saw lots of stuff I never see in the states, and a big selection of super great stuff in bottles too (Pannepot, BrewDog's Tokio, etc.). There was even a cask offering, and everything was served at just the right temperature. The general vibe here is one that will make any diehard beer fanatic very comfortable, in terms of selection and atmosphere.

Like the Esplanade Bier Markt in another part of town, there's a very European vibe to the place, which is totally fitting. And like that other place, it's a bit pricey, but it was hard to feel anything but satisfied upon exiting the joint. Go!!!

09-14-2011 16:46:46 | More by Metalmonk

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped for a few pints at barVolo and had a very nice time. Service was very good and attentive while my niece and I sat and chatted through the late afternoon. Good selection of taps with a range of the better Canadian beers, including the two double IPAs that I had. A few outside drafts thrown in, but basically a really good local craft bar. Small, but nice atmosphere with just the noise of patrons talking in the background. My only complaint is the tab added up very quickly. A bit pricey, but good if you're looking for the best local beers served well.

07-28-2011 18:43:16 | More by FightingEntropy

mmurphy525

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

I visited Bar Volo this past weekend on my trip to Toronto and loved the place. Myself and four friends arrived around 5pm on a Saturday and where immediately greeted and offered a patio or inside seat. We opted for the inside to avoid the sun. Our waitress was extremely friendly and attentive. She apologized on a couple occasions because the kitchen wouldn’t be open for supper until 530pm. She also was very knowledgably about there beer menu making suggestions to our group. She was also not afraid to admit it when she was not sure about a question or specific bottle and return to the bartender for the information.

Once the kitchen the kitchen opened we all order our food ranging from pasta to sandwiches. Everyone was happy with their order and had no complaints. The food was good, not a 5 star restaurant but what one would expect from this type of bar.

Coming from the East coast and having limited beer selection I loved this place. We ended up spending four or five hours their drinking. Their selection ranges from local draught beer to one off barrel aged stouts. Prices are reasonable for the most part, however harder to get one off bottles get very pricey ($50 or so).

I would definitely recommend this place and will return on my next visit to Toronto.

07-20-2011 15:10:32 | More by mmurphy525

marcday

United Kingdom (England)

3.1/5  rDev -28.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$$

The service staff annoy me when you must sit down but then have to wait ages for them to recognise that you need a beer. You can't walk up to the bar and get your own - you're stymied by their lack of attentiveness. And then you pay them a tip which reinforces bad behaviour.

The food was fine, but the pizza base seemed to be pastry-based (like puff pastry). It should be a form of bread not kneaded twice!!! The Neopolitans had a great idea - why mess with it?

Apart from these issues I thought the place was OK. Being of a West Coast USA origin in terms of North American beer culture I expect a richer menu. Did I get offered a bottle menu? No. Did you get the most revenue from me for the visit? No. Will I invite people to drink here with me? No.

07-19-2011 01:04:24 | More by marcday

Rijtjeshuis

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Bar Volo has a really good selection which changes quite frequently. You get a lot of obscure Belgian and Ontario brews. They even make their own, which are really good. I've had plenty of my favorite beers that I couldn't find elsewhere.
The atmosphere is great, especially with the patio open, but there is pretty limited seating.
Staff is knowledgeable and informative.
Food is good, but mostly very Italian (pizzas, pastas, olive plates, etc). I'd really love be able to get some richer food,, like belgian or even some more substantial meat dishes.

07-17-2011 20:38:10 | More by Rijtjeshuis

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Volo has one of the best selections of Ontario craft beer in the province. Their long tap list is almost entirely Ontario, and has included one-off or hard to find selections whenever I have visited. On my last visit I had Durham Hop Addict and Simcoe Silly, a one-off cask IPA from Great Lakes.

The place is usually packed, but I have always been able to find a place at the bar to sip on a pint while I waited for a table. The staff, from the hosts at the door, to the wait staff and bartenders, have always been very welcoming and pleasant. The bartender is usually too busy pouring beer to talk much, but seems to know his stuff.

The food, at least that which I've had, is solid comfort food. Well-prepared and promptly served. It is a little on the pricey side, especially the appetizers and snakcs, but I would still say reasonable for downtown Toronto.

05-09-2011 22:11:41 | More by