Esplanade Bier Markt

8/10/2008 9:58:23 PM, sunday, august 10, 2008
Visited late on a busy Saturday night in November 2007. Dark and noisy with rock music, a hockey game and many members of a noticeable meat market. Local beer selection is impressively broad but pricey. Food menu is also pricey and hoity-toity. Service was unexpectedly quick. Overall, clearly not the go-to beer bar in Toronto but a nice-to-see if you’re in the area.

8/4/2008 3:35:37 PM, monday, august 04, 2008
Ok, i’m not a fan! This was like a massive frat party. All the interesting blegians ont he menu were out of stock, and the insane volume of the dance music woudl be enough to piss off a DJ. THe only upside was the cheese and meat plate i had it was very nice. But really, not for the die hard beeergeek.

8/3/2008 2:34:23 PM, sunday, august 03, 2008
I enjoyed sitting on the patio and watching the world go by. The waitress was excellent and the selection of beers was very good by Toronto standards. Quite stylish inside and the washrooms were pristine, in fact, I always enjoy peeing on ice-cubes for some reason.

5/24/2008 3:38:18 PM, saturday, may 24, 2008
Very expensive beer for starters. Very populated environment, which fits in with the students. Noisy, but that’s how that crowd is. Enjoyed myself, but the service was terrible. Not enough bartenders to go around. Oh and most importantly, they do NOT carry Konigshoeven Quadruppel, regardless of what they say. After it was poured, I could tell by looking at it that it was the Tripel (which I am not a big fan of). Most of the good bottle selection is out of stock, and they mislabeled their beer/lied about it. I would go back on occasion, but my experience was still on the negative side.

12/26/2007 12:18:22 PM, wednesday, december 26, 2007
It’s overpriced...it’s touristy and the service is hit and miss. But they have one of the best selections of beer in Toronto and they do a pretty nice job of recreating a Disney version of a Belgian beer cave or something. Worth a visit, but visit the ATM first.

10/28/2007 4:45:40 PM, sunday, october 28, 2007
Prior to visiting I had heard both very good and very bad things about the Bier Markt. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the mostly good won out. We visited in the low traffic time of Sunday afternoon/evening. The beer list was extensive, but they were out several of our frist choices. None-the-less, we sampled many beers that are unavailable in other T.O. establishments and the staff was very friendly and knowledgable. Prices were a little rough. I’m willing to pay $10 for a Rochefort 10, but not for normally $3.50 beers that are seasonally available at the LCBO. Atmosphere was cozy and felt like a smaller tavern, despite it’s size. Not a bad place overall.

8/13/2007 7:20:54 AM, monday, august 13, 2007
What a great afternoon. The restaurant is clean and classy, both inside and out, with a huge bar inside, and a large patio on a quiet street (for downtown Toronto) outside. Our server (Shelley, I believe) was friendly and quite knowledgeable, without being aggressive or pushy. She allowed us to enjoy our beers at our own pace, and seemed to magically show up at all of the right times. The food menu wasn’t extensive, but our meals were excellent. The beer list may not be as long as a couple of other places in Toronto, but they’ve got some good ones (Rochefort, La Trappe, etc). I, and my friends, will certainly be back.

8/10/2007 11:25:31 PM, friday, august 10, 2007
I visited this establishment for the first time on August 10, 2007 (Day 1 of Toronto’s Festival of Beer). The beer menu is a fine book. It contained 129 beers from around the world of many different styles, heavy on the Belgians. The atmosphere is upscale casual on the inside, with an ample sized patio. The service was very good, no hovering, and knowledgeable about the product. The value was excellent, the prices were slightly less expensive than some of the other beer restaurants in the city. Note: My visit ran from 3:30pm to 6:00pm

7/5/2007 9:36:07 PM, thursday, july 05, 2007
didn’t try food but had a beer. the band is not the best, but it’s free. lots of peaple and kinds of beer, not sure what to make of it.

4/20/2007 10:56:31 PM, friday, april 20, 2007
A pretty nice place. Little to no service unless you’re at the bar. Selection is decent, but they’re missing some of the more unique brews that a BeerBistro would have. (After asking if they had any Rocheforts, they told me that no one in Ontario is able to get that anymore, and then I saw many bottles at BeerBistro a few days later). Haven’t tried any food there, so can’t comment. Overall, not a bad place to go if you want more of a club atmosphere, but it’s really not a place for people who appreciate beer. There’s too much bad pop music playing on weekends, and way too much of the "be seen" crowd. You’ll find a lot of people trying to be upscale by purchasing their Stellas, without being able to appreciate any of the better brews that are available here.