Free House is an upscale pub unlike any other in town. Located overlooking English Bay, it sports the rainbow sticker ubiquitous in the West End, but is decidedly hetero-metrosexual. The setting is stylish-masculine, with a lot of dark furniture, Australian beach blinds, shiny international beer taps (with emphasis on Britain and Belgium), and fare that’s part pub grub, part haute.

And it’s a great conversation starter, especially when you’re reviewing the place. Manager, Rodney Scharf tells us that owner Jeff Donnelly is only thirty years old and has set a fire under his dad’s ass: He reinvented Donnelly senior’s tired Biminies in Kits, and in a few years went on to open Free House and the Granville Room, and recently purchased Bar None, with the aim of ridding that club of its biker plague.

With my date’s throbbing ankle propped on a chair, and our asses comfortably resting on the leather banquette, we feasted on panko-crusted scallops served with a Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, and mussels with fresh basil, garlic and white wine (a veritable Italian Holy Trinity), and a few tear drop tomatoes.

For the hungry, you won’t want to miss Free House’s famed Fat Burger with Skinny Fries. Weighing in somewhere near a pound of ground beef, this puppy is served with smoked bacon, provolone and onion marmalade. Not for those prone to heart conditions. Also on the gargantuan side are the chicken wings, which typically aren’t my style, though I assent when I see the keen expression my date’s wearing. With Caribbean jerk sauce they are dy-na-mite, and will evaporate any drink but beer.