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Rob Cardno
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One block north of the hockey hall of fame, you can find another hallowed hall; the Irish Embassy. This upscale pub has been one the premier Irish institutions in the city, quietly attracting CEO types for post work drinks for a while now. So, when a neighbouring space became available, the benevolent owners moved quickly to add a lounge addition to the Embassy, applying it with high-end Irish characteristic visual and thematic accouterments.
 The Dublin Lounge takes over the space that was an art gallery and bank, aiming to be one of the more opulent Irish lounges you’ll find in these parts. With the help of Irish pub design firm Gemmel Griffin Dunbar, the classic Victorian space has been properly restored.
It is blatantly apparent, upon entry of the lounge, that the place is all about wood. Owner Gavin Quinn had grown tired of seeing pubs built in the city that used plywood and particle board, and wanted to ensure that the woodwork would be second to none. The bar and the walls are all built with Brazilian mahogany imported from Dublin - even the carpenters themselves were brought in from Dublin to fine-tune the design.
The cocktail bar itself is an impressive piece of work, complete with a hand-carved clock and is appropriately stocked with the best whiskeys from around the world. The lounge is about 1,400 sq. ft. with most of the space filled with wood high tops and stools. Walls are adorned with photos and maps of old Ireland as well as gold leaf mirrors. Antique chandeliers hang from the ceilings and etched glass windows line the back wall. The lounge also contains a snug.
Has Irish bar-eria always been this obnoxiously hipsterish? Ugh, don’t answer that—especially since this Irish mood master will prompt many other similarly probing questions. Like, for example, what's a snug?
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AT A GLANCE
The Dublin Lounge
51 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON
416-866-8282
Downtown
Venue:
Pub
Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday
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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6 Reader Reviews | The Dublin is just plain Fabulous! A bit surprised due to the Yonge Street address. Well worth the visit.
1. Neil York's Review :: October 27, 2008 Neil York's Rating: 4 Stars |
Absolutely horrid. A real nightmare. I went for my Formal with my sorority--the layout split us up so I could only speak with 3 of my 30 friends, the doorway let in a horrid draft so we were all shivering, the barstaff were blunt and the chef was simply malicious.
We had e-mailed and phoned and spoken in person several times about the menu with this venue, and had given them months of warning and prep about what I would and would not consume. I had even sent in several VERY easy menu suggestions (eg: simple boiled pasta tossed with some roasted vegetables--which were the side for the steak anyway..)
On the night of, I talk to the "chef" to let them know I was "the vegan" (i had never spoken in person with any of them, only the organizer had) and she FLIPPED OUT on me. She yelled at me for not telling her in advance, she spat out a lecture about how hard and horrid the life path I had chosen was going to be, and how much extra work I'd put on her. When I made suggestions about ways she could use the current menu to just give me sides etc. she threw my suggestion back in my face. When I said even plain fruit would work for dessert she refused--after admitting they did HAVE fruit. In the end myself and two or three others who did not want the conventional menu's dessert SHARED a SINGLE mango and a SINGLE kiwi, with some frail shreds of mint overtop.
The worst meal of my life, and I go to restaurants twice weekly at least--no other restaurant has ever been anything short of pleasant about my veganism, and while some have failed to impress--ALL have tried, except for BOHO.
I would rate it a zero, if that were an option.
Rating:
2. Anonymous's Review :: April 15, 2008 |
Worst resturant I've ever been to. Horrible atmosphere. Took 20 minutes for the server to serve us and the only drinks they had was cran berry juice and alochol. Then after ordering she told us it would take 45 minutes to come
3. Anonymous's Review :: April 15, 2008 |
Was introduced to this mecca of real coffee by a nice blond english girl. Sunday mornings are the best for eavesdropping on the most wonderful "discussions" among local and non-locals. Also when the "mama" s there to make the spiciest of the sandwiches.
4. Anonymous's Review :: April 13, 2008 |
Interesting news. I am a regular at the Irish Embassy, and wondered what was happening. The pub was curiously under-the-radar, but perhaps now it will be (sigh) over-crowded with the up-town masses.
5. Anonymous's Review :: April 11, 2008 |
Interesting news. I am a regular at the Irish Embassy, and wondered what was happening. The pub was curiously under-the-radar, but perhaps now it will be (sigh) over-crowded with the up-town masses.
6. Amy Prentice's Review :: April 11, 2008 Amy Prentice's Rating: 4 Stars |
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51 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON
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