The Monks Kettle

Since writing my first review Monk’s has become a regular spot for me. Their fries are phenomenal and if you know what to order to avoid their crazy overpriced items– their food is really great. I personally love the veggie burger (with cheese added). Service is also consistently much better than it was on my first few visits. The atmosphere can still be a little awkward (for lack of a better word) depending on when you come, but overall it is a solid place to grab a casual meal and a couple beers. Oh and not to neglect the beers– their draft selection is constantly rotating and features some really awesome beers and breweries.

TLDR: Solid micro beer selection, taster racks, high-​quality gastro-​bar food, charcuterie, & cheeses.
Have been here twice now… first time better than second, but worth checking out. They must do a pretty good volume, as in back to back weeks, ½ the beer menu had been refreshed.
We started with a large charcuterie board, which comes with healthy portions of 3 meats, 3 cheeses, bread, and garnishes. $ 30 is a bit steep for the amount, but it’s high quality stuff. Grilled calamari is pretty fantastic and highly recommended.
For entrees, we had the cioppino and the steak. Steak came with grilled asparagus and a huge amount of fries & gravy. Looked like it was cooked on point. Cioppino wasn’t well executed the second time through… the kitchen was a bit backed up and it came out steaming, which unfortunately lead to overcooked seafood. I’d skip ordering this if the place is hopping.
I like the atmosphere and décor, very pub-​like. I wouldn’t drive a long ways to visit here, but if you live in the area it’s worth checking out.

Great spot! Nice ambience & awesome presentation on food! The carrot, saffron & orange soup was outstanding!!!

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.
I was disappointed by the food here, I ordered Fish Tacos which at $ 15 was on the cheap side of the menu. Although the presentation was nice the portion was terribly small, especially seeing it didnt come with a side or anything.
I do love the bar though. They have a GREAT selection of local beers, and always have to tip my hat off to places that serve Delirium. The prices per drink weren’t half bad either.
I would go here again to wet my whistle, but not to fill a tummy.

My favorite bar in Toronto. Great beer selection. Super-​knowledgeable. They’re very clued in re: local breweries and all the beer events that are going on. Cask days are particularly great here. For people who are unsure of what they want, the flights are a great option. The kitchen is great especially the charcuterie board and the Divine Burger and the Spearhead Moroccan Brown Ale ice cream (legit the best ice cream in the world, no joke). Clientele is a great cross-​section of the area.

This place is unfortunate. The beer selection is good if you know about and enjoy craft beer, but not if you have a preference for IPAs or bitters. It was the food that was really disappointing. The bartender gave us a really off recommendation for what we were looking for and the food was like chain pub food. Apparently their ribs are good but they were all out. The place seems popular but was not for us.

Decent amount of quality pours on tap. Staff is friendly and are truly passionate about their craft beer. Normally grab the burger special here but the fries are actually the best part-​they are always great.
If you are looking for a decent place in the neighbourhood to grab a pint I recommend it here.

Food was fantastic and our server was very well educated on the beer selection. I do not drink a lot of beer so she was very helpful in navigating me through the beer list. My husband, who was very excited to see the works «craft beer emporium» tried a couple different kinds all based on the servers recommendations and was very happy with the pints he chose.
The foo was great and the bread pudding was fantastic!!!
We can’t wait to go back!

Great place to stop in and have a beer and some food! Stumbled into this place on our first night in Toronto. Lots of beers on tap and full menu. Service was great, friendly and helpful. Would absolutely come back again and again.

Heard good things about the Monks Kettle so we thought we’d give it a try on the Monday night before Canada Day. It’s a small neighborhood bar with a nice ambiance and a variety of seating options.
On the plus side they have a great independent beer selection. Eclectic and wide ranging, they even have a rotating cask. If you’re not sure what be to order they have a four beer sampler that comes served on a spanking paddle!
There was only one server working that night but he was hustling so there was no problems with the service. We decided to just order some apps. I ordered the fish tacos while my better half ordered the calamari. The waiter suggested I might want to order some fries as well.
When the tacos arrived I saw what he meant — they were tiny! Three small fish tacos seen to be standard. To be fair the server did mention there was only two, silly me I thought they’d be larger in size. Well they better be some damn tasty tacos at $ 7.50 each. Sadly they were not. Fish was nice and crispy, but the toppings were bland, unseasoned and uninspiring. As an avocado fiend, I found myself wishing for some as well. I slathered the second one in Tabasco and nibbled on my fries. Well cooked (with jars of ketchup and mayonnaise for those that like that) they kept the hunger pangs at bay.
The calamari arrived looking fresh from the sea. Tentacles had been grilled and half sliced on a bed of spinach and tomatoes, with an olive capers vinaigrette. As she finished cutting through the squid and raised it to her lips I watched her reaction: «It tastes burnt … and boring.» It could have used some seasoning.
The only other thing on the menu that appealed to my better half was the beet and goat cheese salad so I don’t know if we’ll be back together, but I’d return to sample some more interesting beers. (But I’ll skip the fish tacos.)

I didn’t have any of the food, sadly, because the kitchen was closed.
They have a reasonable selection of craft beers and you get a tall glass at around $ 7-​$ 8. Not as big a selection as Bar Volo, but Bar Volo is downtown, so… lol. If you liked this place, you will like Bar Volo because it has 3 times the selection, so check that out whenever you’re near Bloor and Yonge. But for those who don’t frequent Bloor and Yonge area, Monk’s Kettle will have to do.
Bar man is really nice, and proactively offered to let us taste any beers before we place the order.
Very close the Royal York subway station.

The staff is very personable and the selection of beer is second to none. Good seafood choices and great ribs!

Great beer. Great wings. Great fries. I have been to this pub a few times with friends and love it every time.

Great beer selection! Some really obscure beers. Had a great Ukrainian lager.
Looks like they have lots of beer events, including an IPA tasting coming up that they were hawking. Sounded tasty, i would go if i wasn’t away that weekend.
I didn’t have any food, was just there to drink. The food i did see going by looked quite good and i’ll give it a shot next time.

Gord and I stopped at Monk’s Kettle for an early supper today.
It bills itself as a «craft beer emporium» … needless to say, Gord was excited!
I ordered chicken wings with a Bourbon Chipotle sauce and a side order of fries. The wings were good. I’m not a fan of battered wings but liked these ones. The sauce was tasty and had a bit of a kick. There were 12 drummettes and they were a decent size. They must have been sitting for a while, though, because they could have been hotter. The fries were good but expensive at $ 6.
Gord ordered wings with a dry rub (his were good too) and Tempura Shrimp. He enjoyed them.
My one complaint would be the service. Mike was the server/​bartender. Though friendly enough, he didn’t seem to know much about the food. I had asked him some questions about a couple of the sauces and he had to check with the cook. Also, he wasn’t very prompt in ensuring we had drinks. At one point, my glass was empty for a while and he never asked me if I wanted a refill. He wasn’t very quick in removing our empty plates either … I ended up putting them on the table next to me to get rid of them. It’s not like the place was packed … there were never more than seven people there.
I’d go back to the Monk’s Kettle for the atmosphere and food … hopefully the service will be better.

Excellent. Great food, great selection of beer and terrific customer service. We’ll be back.

Stopped in here on Saturday evening for drinks with a few friends and family. It was nice to be able to stay in the neighbourhood — there aren’t many pubs to choose from that have a nice atmosphere, and this one totally fit the bill. It definitely has that «local pub» feeling to it. It was fairly busy while we were there, and had a cozy vibe. There’s a great selection of draft beer, and the guys loved trying a taster (4 mini glasses for $ 6.95); the bartender customizes which 4 beers you sample, based on your general beer preferences.
We didn’t eat, but the food menu looked very appealing, so I will be tempted to return in the near future for a meal! We’ll definitely be back for drinks when we want to stay in the ‘hood!
P. S. Another reviewer mentioned the music had been a bit too smooth-​jazzish. They must have revised that, because it was upbeat on Saturday night!

Went here for the first time on a Thursday, which was a couple weeks after they first opened their doors. I was excited to try it out, as there aren’t many pubs in the Kingsway (besides Henry VIII) with good beers and good food.
No disappointment here! Service was outstanding — our server was really knowledgeable on all beers (which will be changing frequently) and menu items. We had the Monk’s Burger, which came with prosciutto. yum. Fries are to die for… also tried the charcuterie & cheese plate which was delicious.
The only thing that could possibly be improved upon would be the ambience. While I can appreciate that it’s a brand-​new place and they seem to be going for a cleaner approach to décor as far as pubs go, it would be nice to see a bit more on the walls. Seemed a bit bare to us. Maybe it’s a work in progress. Also, they were playing smooth jazz, which is fine if all your customers are boomers… but if you’re a fledgling brewpub trying to attract a young professional crowd, probably best to change it up a bit.