Soleil S.
Yelp
Upgrading Bellwoods to a full fledge 4 after my dinner here. I'm going to be honest, the food is solid and reasonably priced but it's not the reason why I like it here. The beer, atmosphere, and service is the reason why you should try it out. Before I forget, the wait can be bad. The first warm day of the year and at 4 pm, there was a 30 minute wait. I cannot imagine how it would be when it's actually hot and in the summer. No reservations here.
So craft beer is trendy ... Toronto is loving it. So imagine a micro brewery with a hipster cool and inviting atmosphere that is reasonably priced, serves solid dishes PLUS a patio. You have Bellwoods Brewery. Bellwoods sits on Ossington. You can throw a rock and find 4 other amazing spots to eat. Bellwoods has it's niche cause I dont know of another spot that has great beers at such a reasonable price.
Overall, the space has a lot of rustic woods and yet a lot of industrial fixtures to make it feel like a modern loft. The bar and dining space also happen to share the same space as the kettles. Above the main dining area, there's a loft like space. It's intimate and cozy. The main area isnt too big but you get to interact with the bar staff. They're fun to watch... Looking from above, I see them constantly talking with customers and making people laugh.
The beer menu is impressive. Not only do they have Bellwoods on tap, in bottles... they also have ciders and beers from other breweries nearby. I would strongly recommend to talk to the staff on whats limited edition and try one of those. Jelly King is one of our favourites with it's citrus profile and light sourness. They had a special seasonal version with peach and raspberry.
Service here is prompt, thoughtful, and fun. It's pretty low key in the sense that they actually enjoy serving you and being friendly. It feels like you're visiting someone's house and they're telling you to come into the kitchen and grab a beer with some food. They pay attention to the empty plates and always check in to make sure everything is good.
Pickle Plate - It was one of the better ones we've had in Toronto. With 4 different pickles on offer, this was a sizeable shared starter that gave you mushrooms (the best... nice sourness tempered with a bit of sweetness), cauliflower (there was a nice spice to this one), rutabaga (I think... its ok), and cabbage (its cabbage. what else can i say). I really liked the cauliflower and mushrooms the best. 3.5/5
Fries - This was a monster sized mountain of fries that came in. HUGE even. Cut to be thin shoe strings, these were served hot with a garlic mayo. Some of the fries were good... crunchy and nicely salted. Other ones on top were just warm and soft. So I dont think these were all cooked at the same time or put into the oil at the same time. I wish it was a bit more consistent. 3.5/5
Grilled broccoli salad - If you look at the picture, you'll laugh. It is a giant pile of cheese. All you see is white and you wonder where are the broccoli. Well they're hiding under that insane pile. The cheese is tender and very mild. The broccoli was quite chilled... and it didnt have a lot of flavour. Interesting take on a salad though. 3.5/5
Pork and Duck meatballs - These were delicious. Really. 3 fairly large meatballs that were so tender and juicy. The sauce had a nice spice kick to it and was the perfect dipping sauce for the fries. I never used the garlic mayo once with this nice red sauce beside me. 4/5
Pierogies - So these are deceivingly small looking. It's a RICH dish. If you order this, don't expect to eat a lot more afterwards. With a huge dollop of sour cream, celeriac puree, and porchini mushroom broth, the pierogies had a lot of flavour and creaminess in each bite. The pierogies themselves were stuffed with cheese and mushrooms. 4/5
I'm not a devoted beer drinker but from what I've sipped, Jelly King and Farmageddon Cherry ale are 5 stars. They're incredibly easy to drink, smooth, no funk, and nice fruit with citrus notes that are not too overwhelming. Jutsu, Cat Lady, and Roman Candle are also good beers... but just not our favourite.
Great local spot and I love how you can support a great Toronto microbrewery directly. Fun atmosphere and I see why there's a huge wait all the time. I get the love and they give it back as well!