Introducing: The Beech Tree, a new gastropub in The Beach from a Toronto Underground Market alum
Name: The Beech Tree
Contact Info: 924 Kingston Rd., 416-699-4444, thebeechtreepub.ca, @thebeechtreepub
Neighbourhood: The Upper Beach
Owner: Robert S. Maxwell, who manned a stall at the Toronto Underground Market in 2011
Chef: Jamie Newman, a former chef at Opus at Bloor and Avenue Road
The Food: The daily-changing menu delivers a mix of standard pub food—sausage rolls, char-grilled brisket burgers—and more complex dishes, like a warm Jerusalem artichoke and grapefruit salad, and pickerel fish cakes with dill crème fraiche.
The Drinks: A simple list of whiskey, small vineyard wines and beers. Come January, classic cocktails will also be available.
The Place: The first-time restaurateur enlisted family and friends to help revamp the narrow room (formerly a family-run restaurant called the Queensdale) on a shoestring budget. The result is a cozy room with silvery Victorian wallpaper, a mishmash of antique finds and cheery Christmas decor. The front window is actually a retractable garage-style door, which will be rolled up in summer months.
The Numbers:
• 200 cotton napkins stockpiled—over a year before the restaurant existed
• 60-plus cookbooks in the restaurant’s bookcase
• 30 painstakingly upholstered seats; 4 stools at the bar
• 3 months since owner Robert Maxwell quit being a broadcast media analyst to pursue his culinary dreams
• 2 floors
• 0 television sets (it’s not that kind of bar)
250725 The restaurant's name was inspired by the Yew Tree Inn, an English pub from famed Brit chef Marco Pierre White (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-01/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-01 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250726 Flocked wallpaper and dark wooden furnishings make for a granny-chic effect (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-02/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-02 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250727 The drinks list sticks to whiskeys, small vineyard wines and beers (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-03/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-03 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250728 A stack of <em>Lucky Peach</em> magazines is kept by the bar (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-04/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-04 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250729 Grilled pork chop with creamed cabbage, celeriac and house-cured bacon ($20) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-05/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-05 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250730 Grilled pork chop with creamed cabbage, celeriac and house-cured bacon ($20) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-06/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-06 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250731 Roasted Jerusalem artichoke and grapefruit salad ($10) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-07/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-07 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250732 Roasted Jerusalem artichoke and grapefruit salad ($10) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-08/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-08 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250733 Char-grilled burger with thyme aioli, aged cheddar and pickled onions, served with triple-fried English chips ($15) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-09/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-09 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
250734 Char-grilled burger with thyme aioli, aged cheddar and pickled onions, served with triple-fried English chips ($15) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: The Beech Tree Introducing: The Beech Tree https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/the-beech-tree-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-10/ toronto-restaurant-the-beech-tree-10 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)