September 23, 2009
Visited summer 2008. Little cozy bar well located downtown Toronto. Rather small. I’d say it sits no more than 50 inside and maybe a dozen on the very small patio. Not particularly attractive place but I kind of like those small basement bar. Most will however find it too much of a basement bar. Six taps when I was there. The selection was so-so. You’d think that with so few tap lines they would carefully handpick the beers they put on tap. Not when I was there, six bland Ontario brews. I visited Volo on the same day and the selection of Ontario micro was far superior. Long bottle list that consists mainly of best selling beer from various countries. Either you’ve had them all or you don’t want the ones you didn’t have on that list. I didn’t eat there but they have food (small menu). I liked the cosy unpretentious basement ambience and I’ll assume that I caught them on a bad beer day. I know they rotate the tap lines regularly. Not a must-visit but because of its proximity to the busy downtown/touristy Toronto you may want to add it to your itinerary.

July 3, 2009
I can see why some folks don’t like it. I personally loved it. It’s a bit small and it got really crowded by the time I left. Beer selection was good too. I would recommend it if your are looking for something unusual.

January 22, 2009
This place is great, but not for the obvious reasons. The tap selection is not that inspiring, but you are not going to do much better in Toronto. The bottle list is pretty good (despite the paucity of USA beers). But it’s the single most homey, friendly place I know. It’s my home base when in Toronto. Seldom crowded, always comfortable. Staff is over-the-top helpful. And the menu is small but the food is shockingly good - usually a couple of soups/stews, freshly shucked oysters, and a pasta or two. Everything homemade. Not a broad selection but made with care. Good music (usually old time jazz) on the PA system, one small tv.

December 18, 2008
This is a cozy basement bar. Nice atmosphere, you fell welcomed. The service was good the beer selection was good. The food was also good but a limited selection.I was there after a baseball game, it was late not to many people there. I would love to good back again.

November 2, 2008
This small and cozy Toronto beer bar is a wonderful place to stop. It may not have the selection or size of some other beer establishments in the city, but it is certainly the best in the area, an ideal stopping point when hanging out on Queen or after the Jays game. There are always bottled rarities here, at least by Ontario standards. Ignore the print menu and go straight to the blackboards on the wall the print menu tries to be international, but has very little that is interesting. Draught list is small, but rotates very frequently and is always a healthy mix of good Ontario micros and an import or two. Mussels here are great. Service is usually good also.

October 11, 2008
Cozy basement bar near/in the entertainment district. Only 6 taps, but rotate regularly and usually have interesting stuff on them. Large bottle list although surprisingly so so given the size (see comments below about most countries sampled). Food selection is limited but some decent sandwiches to go with the mussels and oysters. Not the pinnacle of the Toronto beer scene the way it once was, but I always leave there with a smile on my face.

October 4, 2008
I stumbled here on accident, while going to buy some paint in the area. I came inside, and it’s a nice quiet locals pub. The bartender knew what they were talking about, and the owner came over and talked with us for a moment, more asking if the workers were doing well, but did drop us a tidbit about some good beer places in the area.

September 20, 2008
Definitely agree with Rastacouere’s assessment of the most countries sampled menu emphasis. Friendly owner and top-notch service. Fun array of mussels. They play blues and other boozy tunes. Small, atmospheric and has nice patio area outside in a bustling entertainment zone of the city.

August 28, 2008
Tiny basement bar with a long and international beer menu aiming at the ’most countries sampled’ crowd. I did not feel very lucky with the draughts on offer when I was there, but the focus on rarer Ontario stuff should make me come again. The staff seems to be knowledgeable and welcoming. I expected to like the place more ultimately, as it was rumored as one of Canada’s very top places. As we entered the basement on that warm summer evening, it smelled rather damp inside and some fresh air would have been welcome. I have not eaten, but the menu looked inviting indeed with potential discoveries in there despite the small size. I guess in a city like Toronto, this is a nice get away where you can stay warm and spend a few hours. More of a locals place than a visitor’s.

August 24, 2008
Stopped in here before going to see a show... probably around 6:30 or so on a Wednesday night. Not many people there. Bartender was very friendly and talkative and seemed to know her stuff. Good enough selection. The place is rather small, and the patio outside is small as well, so I’m guessing it gets pretty crowded at night. Definitely worth stopping in for a beer of two if your in town visiting.