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At this homespun, board game pub, they play the cream of the crop of bad pop music from the '70s and '80s: music beyond Abba and Culture Club (think Runaways, T. Rex or even "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner). Also, live band perform on weekends.
Not really a hidden secret, C'est What, open until the crack of dawn, caters to the hungry tattoo artists, ravenous rave and club kids, the Ryerson and U of T populations, limo drivers, Harley gangs, and just about anyone with an appetite for a fairly cheap meal and a quick game of scrabble or Risk.
In addition to the usual drinks and selection of beers you'd find at any good pub, C’est What offers an appetizer and soup menu and entrees. The soup changes daily and is predictably average, served with a whole-grain baguette. However, the ginger acorn squash soup, on one day, was delicious. Other specialties include burgers, pastas and a good selection of sandwiches.
There's a family feeling to this place. It serves as kind of a town hall for the local residents. There are TVs, all of them tuned to the current game, ceiling fans, old lamps, and photos of old athletes. There is a full bar and pub food, and service is cranky at best, depending on the night. With its curved bar and genuine Irish furnishings, you'll feel like you're in County Cork rather than Toronto.
It's been a dependable Church-and-Front watering hole for years. The abundance of suits suggests an after work crowd from the nearby monolithic office towers. There won't be more than 40 customers on a week night, making it much easier to play a feisty game of Risk with the regulars. Take over the world, young man! After 9:30pm bands play in the adjoining bar, so expect a lot of late night noise. - S.W.
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 AT A GLANCE
C'est What
67 Front St E, Toronto, ON, Canada
416-867-9499
Pub Fare
Front Street
Venue:
Pub
Hours:
Mon. to Sun.: 11:30am - 2:00am
Price Range:
$$ (Affordable)
Payment:
Master Card, Visa, American Express
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THE BUZZ
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IN THE AREA
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17 Reader Reviews | This place is horrible. I have never seen such rude staff at a bar. If you are with a group, come to this bar if you want to be treated like absolute crap.
I was just there with a group of 12 - most of us are young professionals in our mid-twenties. Initially there was no table available, so we were somewhat scattered in one of the rooms; a few members of our party took a seat at the bar; a pair who had skipped on dinner grabbed a table for two and - sensing it might be a while until we got a table - went ahead and ordered food; the rest of us were standing around in the aisles.
Soon we saw a group, roughly the same size as ours, getting up to leave. Five of us who had been standing around went to snag the table. Though one of the hostesses initially allowed us to sit there, another soon came and asked us to move, saying there was another group ahead of us. So we moved to a small table in the corner. Then they asked to move to a different small table in the same room, thinking that an adjacent small table might be vacated soon and could be pushed together. Finally, they said they had arranged a table for 12 in the other room by pushing a few smaller tables together. We managed to gather most of our party together at our table with the exception of the two that were eating. Oddly, they said that those two should finish eating and settle their bill before joining us. The place was not so busy that it would have been difficult for them to bring their plates.
So everything was fine for a while. Those of us who hadn't yet gotten drinks from the bar ordered a few. Later, the waiter came and asked us if we were using the two empty seats and the smaller table at the end that we were saving for our friends who were eating. We said we were, that our friends would be joining us in a few minutes once they finished their food in the other room.
Waiter: "Oh, so they're probably not going to order anything then, are they?"
Us: "Umm.. we don't know. Probably not."
Waiter: "Oh. Well I'm going to need to take this table. This is prime real estate."
Us: "But our friends our just in the other room. Your hostess said they couldn't bring their plates over."
Waiter: "If they're not going to order anything... This is a business. We're here to make money."
Us: "You're making money off of them right now."
This went on for a few minutes. He was persistent and only left us alone when it was clear that we weren't going to budge. Meanwhile, the whole time there were two small tables behind him that were wide open. It was unbelievable really.
So again, if you like being shuffled around, interrupted, and generally treated like crap, come to C'est What!
1. Danny's Review :: January 10, 2010 Danny's Rating: 1 Stars |
Of course, as I am joined at the hip to C'est What, a 4 star rating is merited.
However, I have, over a few years, stumbled across your review and I am still amazed at how inaccurate it remains - do real reviewers actually drop on by or are you relying on decades old gossip from
people that dimly remember being here?
Specifically:
1. we haven't been open until the crack of dawn since 1990
2. take note of an earlier review that firmly challenges " the usual selection" - our Ontario draught profile is without competitor
3. we do not have , and never have had, ceiling fans and photos of old athletes.
4. Abba, Foreigner, Culture Club? Ha, ha, sure.
Please send a sentient reviewer ASAP,
2. Brenda Atkinson's Review :: December 07, 2009 Brenda Atkinson's Rating: 4 Stars |
Yeah they are very weird about the tables, some guy there is almost OCD about it. I know in some cases it's fire regulations, but he's been throwing that one about for everyone, and seems to materialize if you move anything.
Other than his compulsion on the furniture, the place is fine! :)
3. Robert's Review :: May 13, 2008 Robert's Rating: 3 Stars |
Yeah they are very weird about the tables, some guy there is almost OCD about it. I know in some cases it's fire regulations, but he's been throwing that one about for everyone, and seems to materialize if you move anything.
Other than his compulsion on the furniture, the place is fine! :)
4. Robert's Review :: May 13, 2008 Robert's Rating: 3 Stars |
We went there and told them we would probably have 10-12 people. The host advised us we can't put tables together, but at the same time he went to some effort to figure something out. He wandered around the place for a couple minutes, then came back and asked if we'd be OK with the couches & coffee table in the corner. That was perfectly fine, and made for a nice night out. The service was prompt, a nice atmosphere, and a ton of beers on tap. Couldn't ask for much else.
5. Brian's Review :: May 10, 2008 Brian's Rating: 3 Stars |
i have to disagree with posts about larger groups. I went there for a friend's going away party as well as a large (30 or more) corporate party and many other evening with groups of 8-12 people and we never have a problem. The bartenders and waiters are no-nonsense types who come by often, get your order right but don't act giddy and ditzy like in so many other "trendy bars". The staff are generally older (30-50, not young 20-somethings) and service is consistent.
As for the food, I love it. Great Morroccan stew, great spinach dip, etc. I eat there everytime I go and have never been disappointed. Drink selection is great, and the bar next section next door often has great local or smaller Canadian bands. On the whole, this is one of my favorite places to just drop in, have a bite to eat and some food with friends and is completely laid back and casual.
6. L's Review :: March 10, 2008 L's Rating: 4 Stars |
Y'know, I think it's time you updated this review:
"In addition to the usual drinks and selection of beers you'd find at any good pub, C’est..."
Get real. Nowhere in Toronto do you find the selection of Ontario microbrews that C'est What has, except Volo, The Rhino or The Embassy, and even then C'est What has a greater selection. This place is an institution for craft beer, pretty good food and a chill vibe. Sometimes it's rammed with suits, other times it's a quiet hang. The staff are helpful if you're not a beer weenie, but they also have an excellent liquor selection, including some hard-to-find whiskies.
Unpretentious and comfy, C'est What is a great place to kill a few brain cells.
7. Malcolm's Review :: January 17, 2008 Malcolm's Rating: 4 Stars |
If you like to drink by yourself - Give it a go, however on the off chance that you have a social life and actually enjoy drinking with friends don't bother.
Quote of the night by the (ahem) 'Bar Staff' - "I don't care if you get up and leave right now !".
We went to the the beir market instead - service there was a breath of fresh air !
8. Anonymous's Review :: December 20, 2007 |
If you like to drink by yourself - Give it a go, however on the off chance that you have a social life and actually enjoy drinking with friends don't bother.
Quote of the night by the (ahem) 'Bar Staff' - "I don't care if you get up and leave right now !".
We went to the the beir market instead - service there was a breath of fresh air !
9. Paddy's Review :: December 20, 2007 Paddy's Rating: 1 Stars |
Agree with previous posts. Have been to this establishment with groups more than once. The worst service ever. We were even told at one point not to put our tables together for a group of 8 because we would look like a "gang" and that is not the image they wanted to have. Good food, good beer, but don't go with more than 4 people.
10. C's Review :: December 19, 2007 C's Rating: 1 Stars |
C'est what? can be easily missed, but it's below-ground locale (although short on natural light) is well worth the walk along Front, east of Church. A great selection of beers (including their own brews, which are better than most) and inexpensive food, plus live music and pool make this one of the best downtown locations for a relaxed night with friends. The new locale has much more to offer!
11. Mary Claire Thompson's Review :: September 15, 2006 Mary Claire Thompson's Rating: 4 Stars |
We went to C'est What for a birthday party, and found the food, other then the burgers, to be sub par. The Calamari was okay, but very salty. I personally ordered the Chicken Satay. The chicken was badly burnt, and the salad had brown lettuce, it was inedible.
The Chicken Tikka Masala was tasteless, and the Angus Steak was "there". The Steak Fajita Wrap was okay, but the vegetables in it were tasteless. Apparently the only things anyone really enjoyed were the lamb burgers and the Antojitos were 'not bad'.
At one point it took half an hour to order a beer. I guess with a tip included in the bill, good service isn't a concern. They did bring some brownies for the birthday person on the house, but they apparently weren't very good either. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for anything but beer.
12. Tracy Wang's Review :: July 16, 2006 Tracy Wang's Rating: 2 Stars |
Rude, rude and rude. I will never go back to C'est What. I once loved this place, but since their reno they seemed to have lost the meaning of customer service. The bartender, hosts and waiters seemed intent on being rude. I came with a group of friends for drinks and food. I knew they didn't take reservations and so I asked to be put on a waiting list when I got there. Repeatedly I watched as they seated groups before us. When I asked why they were not seating us, they offered up some high tables near the pool tables and kept saying they don't seat groups over a certain number, even though I had asked for a table with the largest number that they would allow. Not a single waiter came to take a drink order.
When I arrived there was a woman yelling at the manager. I thought she was the one being rude. But now I see that she was only reacting to their ridiculous seating rules.
There are enough places in Toronto to have a good night out. Avoid this one, especially if you are in a group of more than four people.
13. Jen's Review :: May 02, 2006 Jen's Rating: 1 Stars |
Just this weekend I went to celebrate a good friends birthday at cest what. What a disaster! When I arrived I asked the hostess if I could get a table for 8 (they don't accept reservations) the hostess replied that everybody would have to be there before they could give us a table (This would not work because it was a surprise birthday) when I objected to this she took me to speak to the manager. The manager - Andrew - was immediately hostile as he described the "seating policy" (http://www.cestwhat.com/reservations.asp) to me. I was taken aback as we had not ever had trouble like this at any other bar or restaurant in the city... we have had parties at bar italia, goldfish, habitat etc. and they where only too glad to take our money. C'est What apparently hates people celebrating birthday's there so much that they made us feel very uncomfortable. Even when 12 people showed up they refused to give us a table... when we attempted to pull chairs to the only "available" table the manager of the bar called the bouncer on us!!! That was the last straw we left to go to a restaurant next door... this one was happy to have our business and stayed open late to make us feel at home. I'm going to go write a review for that one right now.
Oh and just to be clear we are all professionals in our mid 30's not young college hooligans.
Some background just so you know I'm not hater... I had been to this establishment many times in the past 12 years and found it to be reasonably good... if anything I found the staff to be a little too laid back. The beer is good and the bison burger is quite yummy.
I can say with confidence my friends and I will never return to this establishment and if you have a group of more than 4 people you should avoid it at all cost... they might sic a bouncer on you.
14. Karmakazi's Review :: May 01, 2006 Karmakazi's Rating: 1 Stars |
Warning: Do not go to C'est What for birthday parties or if your group is larger than 4 people. They will treat you like crap.
15. Zaphod's Review :: May 01, 2006 Zaphod's Rating: 1 Stars |
Creepy. Just plain creepy. It was girls night. There were 6 of us - all having worked in the "industry" at one point or another. We let 2 boyfriends join us and they met us there. We arrived and they were half way through thier first pint. We ladies went to the bar and couldn't get a drink for love or money. The bartender ignored us and then the bouncer came over to the table where they guys were sitting quietly and asked them to leave. No one was drinking before hand. No one was loud. We are all 30ish and beyond 20ish hooliganism.
C'est WHAT?!??!
16. Kenny's Review :: February 12, 2006 Kenny's Rating: 1 Stars |
C'est What serves above average pub-style food with a twist, but the real attraction is the drink selection. Excellent selection of micro-brewed beers as well as excellent house brews. C'est What also boasts an impressive selection of Scotch as well. There is also live entertainment of a very high calibre - alumni includes Bare Naked Ladies, Jeff Buckley, Sarah Harmer, Jewel etc. Original music played live, none of that horrible bar cover-band stuff.
17. James's Review :: November 01, 2005 James's Rating: 4 Stars |
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67 Front St E, Toronto, ON, Canada |
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MBO Toronto :: Toronto Restaurants & Dining Guide
