Introducing: The Bristol, a new pub and curry house in The Great Hall on Queen West
Name: The Bristol
Neighbourhood: Queen West
Contact Info: The Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street W., 647-716-6583, @BristolYardie, facebook.com
Owners: Former Bristol Yard owner Davy Love and Nav Sangha, owner of The Great Hall and Wrongbar
Chef: Love is still the exec chef, but he’s hired his old culinary-school pal, Joice Phillip, to act as head chef
The Food: Fans of the Christie location will recognize a similar lineup of British brunch dishes and other pub standards (bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie). New to the menu are five British-style curries, each made with a classic BIR (i.e. British Indian Restaurant) gravy that takes 17 hours to prepare. The curries range from mild to “hallucination-inducing”—the Phall of the Empire curry, for instance, is spiced with ghost peppers.
The Drinks: Beer, beer, and more beer. Wine and mixed drinks are available, too.
The Place: Over on Christie, Love’s snug British eatery was pegged as a brunch place, but he always wanted to own a pub. The new Queen Street venue (previously home to Samuel J. Moore) now boasts 93 seats, a marble library bar, a jukebox and a full-sized TARDIS that houses an ATM. The room has been given your standard British-pub makeover with flocked wallpaper, velvet-upholstered chairs and shelves crammed with patriotic knickknacks.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
