hen it comes to nightlife, most brew pubs are a junk drawer of kitsch that, save for a few quality beer-centric ones, provide hours of amusement as empty as the calories in a pint of Hoegaarden. Yet, an influx of pub-type drinkeries are sprouting throughout the city: Duke of Devin's (TD Centre), OÃGrady's (518 Church Street) and The Abbot on the Hill are a few that recently launched.

So it was with a bizarre sense of optimism that a few of us trekked up to the quietest of the lot, The Abbot on the Hill. And as it turns out, the Abbot turns out to be precisely the sort of bar that other chicklet-pubs should aspire to be: It's clean, fun and even a little disruptive at times. What choice did we have but to stick around and spend the night shotgunning beers.

Woodwork designer Erik Blance transformed the former Lakes Bistro location into a shimmer of oak and cherry wood curves that wraps AOTH’s narrow two-level seating and exhibition grazing area like sandwich spread. With AOTH’s brewing hardware on display behind the bar, the motif plays off the brewpub theme, with a cottage-like décor.

Open Bay windows compose the front, looking onto a Yonge Street forest full of post-work passersby. On the second floor, there are tables for dining with a view of said street. Not a great view, but if you want to eat - go upstairs; it's quiet and conversation is audible. For drinking purposes, it’s best to stay downstairs and blend with the gadflies with the open ties and work clothes.

With impressive brews and smart service, AOTH succeeds in making a scene: not an über-scene, but a Summerhill-type scene. Like a Brit pub should be, The Abbot is a hub of social interaction. At cocktail hour, this place vibrates with energy, becoming so noisy that one patron told me, and she said it unaware of any irony, "I feel like I'm at one of those downtown bars."

In a day and age when going out is often obstructed by overblown egos and tricked out cocktail lists, The Abbot on the Hill offers refuge from desperate intensity. Little is overstated, rushed or gratuitous.

Upshot: AOTH may be presented as a breath of fresh air, but the area surrounding it is still the nightlife equivalent of halitosis. - DE




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Reader Reviews

Abbot on the Hill
Valerie, Toronto
November 14, 2004
I have been to the Abbot on the Hill a few times and I think the food is amazing, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is quaint and friendly. It is a great place to go for a date or with a few friends to catch up. I have been there 5 times so far and have NEVER been disappointed. I have already recommended it to others.