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Bier Markt
Categories: Restaurants Belgian Restaurants Gastropubs Belgian, Gastropubs
600 King Street WestToronto, ON M5V 1M3
(416) 862-1175
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 8 am - 1 am
Thu-Fri 8 am - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Bier Markt
Review Highlights
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"The beer selection more than makes up for it, though." In 7 reviews -
"Hundreds of beers from all over the world." In 3 reviews -
"I gotta say, the Poutine was one of the best I have had." In 10 reviews
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64 reviews in English
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Review from Shiv G.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2012
This place is great for a relax night out!
The beer selection is amazing,
The food was very good. I had shared the wurst sampler ( for 2) which had a variety of sausages, fresh pretzels, cheese and dijon. Followed by the schnitzel, which was mediocre.
Can't wait to go back and try the moules! -
Review from roben h.
Toronto, ON
5/12/2012
Dropped in here late on a sunny afternoon.
Great patio, good service & nice menu.
We ordered two mains - the schnitzel was *really good.
But 3 mains + 1 bottle of sparkling water (no booze) left us with a $65 bill (before tip) not what I expect from the neighborhood bier market - comparable businesses in NY charge less than half for the same product. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
3/2/2012
This place is hit and miss.
Not too crowded on a weeknight.
VIBE
Usually crowded. It has a bit of a club vibe with the live music. The live music at the King location is much less cheesy than that of the Esplanade location.
WE ATE/DRANK
The food is not bad! I would rate this food "great first date" material snacking.
We split the Wurst Sampler for 1 and it's a good size if you are not too hungry. If you are hungry, get the sampler for two.
It consists of:
Bratwurst, smoked bavarian and spicy sausage
gouda
sour pickle
pretzel
mustards
I really liked this dish. The sausage was well cooked and had great flavour. The pretzel was fresh out of the oven and soft and the mustards had some kick to them.
Of course, I'm a dill pickle girl at heart, so this was a nice addition.
I wanted to try something different and Das Boot was a great choice. It was a good light blonde beer that comes in a glass that's the shape of a boot. It's popular and I recommend it.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
I learned that though this is a European Beer market, "going dutch" is not in my vocabulary, especially on a first date. Dealbreaker.
Otherwise, great place! -
Review from Sam D.
Outremont, QC
4/25/2012
Incredible beer selection, food was okay but I didnt come there for a snack! Live band, not enough girls. Pretty cool place overall. Beware of the huge lineup to get inside on weekends.
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Review from Daniel H.
Mississauga, ON
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
My first time eating (drinking) here. Fondue was great with the chorizo grilled cheese, friendly service and the beer is fantastic (of course)..
I totally recommend this place is great for lunch, afternoon business meetings and dinner. Ask for the unibroue black current beer, killer -
Review from Brian T.
1/20/2012 1 photo
Bier Markt has one of the best selections of beer in Toronto, and most importantly, the food is excellent. I found the mussels to be up to the very high standard I have come to expect in Canada. Also, the Cassoulet (one of the nightly specials) was delicious. The service was exceedingly friendly, and I felt very welcome while dining alone at the bar.
Note: I did not experience the post-dinner hour, when apparently this establishment becomes more of a nightlife destination. Thus, my recommendation is based on coming earlier to really eat dinner and enjoy the encyclopedic beer menu. -
Review from Aviva S.
2/2/2012
A solid 3.5 and nothing less. I really want to give it a 4 but it's a 4 for other people rather than for me.
Here's the thing, I hate beer. Yep, fellow Canadians gasp in horror but I do. So when I took a beer-loving friend here for a special occasion, I thought I was going to be miserable until the waiter suggested several fruity Belgian beers.
Out of this world good. You can still taste the beer but instead of tasting like piss, it's really enjoyable. And I said this as someone who hates fruity drinks.
The aforementioned beer-aficionado who has tasted beers around the world was very impressed with the beers available that you will not find anywhere else in Toronto or perhaps even Canada.
The prices are obviously a little expensive so I wouldn't recommend it for someone on a budget or trying to get drunk on the cheap.
I wasn't there on a night where some describe it as more clubby or whatever so on a quiet night, this place makes for a good date place (and it helps to get your date drunk ;) ) as the atmosphere and lighting is very classy and intimate. -
Review from Xixia Y.
Scarborough, ON
4/2/2012
Two stars for the decent selection of beers they've got (but I ain't a beer drinker). Not for the food.
The fondue was bland and lukewarm. I used to live in Switzerland so I am a bit particular about fondues and I was eager to try their version... underimpressed.
I had to open up the flame to heat it up, but it didn't really help, especially because the potatoes were cold and I mean ice cold. I don't really care for potatoes in the fondue but since they were there we ate them. Oh and the bread was OK but not superb. We ended up dunking the potatoes in the fondue pot and leaving them there for a while, sorry for the bad manners, so that they warm up and become edible.
That was a few weeks ago and just recently I was there again with friends, this time at the Don Mills location and one of them ordered the fondue. Okay, I will give them the benefit of the doubt, let's see this time... and yes, it was lukewarm again, tasted bland, and the potatoes were cold again, and another friend said that her fries on the side were also cold, so I suppose that's written in their manual to serve the potatoes cold. Beats me. Maybe we should have ordered the poutine to see if all of their potatoes were cold. -
Review from Alice T.
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've only ever had one dish here, the market poutine, and it was delicious so I'm giving this place 4 stars... the poutine was that good!
The gravy was a peppercorn gravy with a hint of wine, the chicken was smoked, the fries were nice a golden brown... the more I write, the more I want to go back... -
Review from Mariko M.
1/8/2012
Fab place to go out on a Saturday night.
We weren't 'feeling' Beerbistro at King/Yonge so we decided to relocate to King/Bathurst.
The Bier Markt on the Esplanade is often the BM of choice so we decided to check out their other location. It's a lot smaller, but it seems to be more of a place to go out. The Esplanade location seems to have more of a 'dining in' vibe.
No cover. Check.
Live band playing covers of hits from bands like The Beatles, Oasis. Check.
Wide variety of beers to choose from. Check.
Great service. Check.
Food service. Check.
A solid five stars. -
Review from Precilla C.
Scarborough, ON
10/25/2011 3 photos
I rarely eat game, so when Bier Markt offered a game menu for last November, I couldn't wait to try it out. My friend got the Elk Chop: 12oz bone-in Alberta Elk chop grilled med-rare, mashed Ontario yam, baby turnips, roasted beets with cherry reduction. The rich sauce somewhat masks the "gamey" flavour of the meat. I quite enjoyed this from the 2 bites that I had, but the root vegetables felt a little like Chinese food done wrong.
I chose something from the brunch menu, the Monte Cristo: egg-dipped challah bread with emmental cheese and smoked turkey, served with maple syrup. This was a delight! I absolutely loved the combination of the sweet and the savoury (like eating french toast with a ham and cheese!), and the smokiness from the meat added a wonderful kick to the sandwich. And plus, maple syrup makes everything taste better =D
For desserts, we shared a pumpkin Cheesecake spiced creme fouette, toasted walnuts croquant. This dessert was awesome and made our day! The pumpkin flavour really came through, and the creaminess of the cake was well-balanced by the crunchy nut coating. Bonus points for pretty plating! Too bad they don't have this dessert all year round! I really hope they can bring it back this year too!Listed in: 30-Day Yelp Challenge
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Review from Payam Z.
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars
The beer selection is very extensive (best in the city?) but also a good bit more expensive than they should be. I can get quite a few of my favourites that are available at various bars around the city (e.g. Delirium at Ronnie's) also at Bier Market, but it will cost more for the same!
The food is also rather pricey for the items presented! The wurst sampler is both the best deal and choice from the menu from what I have tried.
The cover bands on the weekends are pretty decent, and you'll get a good bunch of suds aficionado dancing in front of the stage as the night wears on. Das Boot is also available on Monday nights now, so there is some good news for people who want to drink out of hard to wash glassware in the name of authenticity!
There is often a line formed outside Biermarkt sometimes regardless of how crowded it is inside, but the line is definitely not as bad as that of the Esplanade Bier Markt and moves reasonably quickly.Listed in: 30 Day Yelpathon
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Review from Kate H.
York, ON
11/5/2011
Not good at all.
Went last night only because my friends were already there. Obnoxious lineup outside starting at 10:30 (what the hell??) but civil bouncers.
Won't comment too much on the crowd because I don't think it's relevant. Seemed like 25-35, young professionals it looked like.
There was a deeply mediocre cover band playing far, far too loud. In the first set I observed, the singer used the word "fa**ot," and then in the second set, said the "support from you guys is ridiculous, I creamed in my pants."
Very classy. Nice choice.
I gave a very, very busy bartender my credit card to open a tab after waiting for quite a long time. I was thinking of having only one drink, so ordered a relatively expensive glass of scotch. About $15. I asked her to add "a tiny, tiny drop of water please," to open it up and stood by horrified as she poured the shot and then added another full ounce of water from her gun.
She put it on the bar and I informed her that when someone orders an expensive scotch with a drop of water in it, they mean literally, a drop of water. She told me, "I pushed the gun once, what do you want me to do." I waited for her offer to pour me another, as she had completely ruined the scotch, but she simply pushed it towards me and walked away.
This is a completely unacceptable lack of expertise from a "bartender," and the Bier Markt should be embarrassed. -
Review from Amy L.
7/14/2011
King Street West is saturated with numerous brunch and dinner hot spots, many of which are fairly high in quality and well-known to those who enjoy eating out. On a Sunday morning, Jen and I decided to have brunch at Bier Markt since neither of us have been. They also have another location by The Esplanade. Reservations were made for 11am, and when we walked in, we were greeted by an entirely empty space with a lifeless patio. I guess many people were suffering from a hangover which explains the lack of patrons, but anyway, that didn't prevent us from having brunch here ;) Since Jen and I were the only ones, the waitress enthusiastically said that we get to sit wherever we wanted. Yeah okay.. it wasn't really something worth being ecstatic about.
Looking at Bier Markt's brunch menu, everything sounded delish. I should also mention that in the descriptions, you'll find the word "farm" coming up frequently, such as farm eggs and farmers' sausages. I don't know how much of an effect this may have on you, but "farm fresh" has such a nice ring to it, haha.
Jen ordered Belgian coffee ($4.50) and she finished it rather quickly. I tried a sip and understood why she enjoyed it so much; it was amazing! Although we know how dangerous the light plop of innocent-looking cream can be, our guilt is temporarily diminished due to the bitter and strong coffee. Not only did this Belgian coffee taste bitter-sweet, but you'll also experience a bitter-sweet feeling while sipping it. Be sure to have your phone camera handy as you may have suddenly grown a fluffy white mustache. Don't panic when that happens - simply lick your upper lip for that extra bit of cream because you deserve it more than your napkin does.
The Swiss Skillet ($12) definitely looked and tasted hearty. The cast iron is so adorable and heart-warming. I do have to warn you how heavy this dish is though - potato roti, crispy strips of bacon, caramelized onions, two over-easy eggs, and what's better to top it all off than an emmental & gruyère cheese gratin? ;) Haha, now you know what I mean. Incredibly cheesy and artery-clogging, but hey, I know some of you enjoy comfort food such as this. The potato roti was slightly too mushy, probably due to the fact that it acted as a base for everything on top. But honestly, nothing beats runny eggs and crispy bacon on a Sunday morning; they definitely brought a smile onto my face.
The Brioche French Toast ($13) consisted of two sunny side up eggs, brioche french toast, grilled sausages, maple syrup, and house confiture. I thought the french toast could've been pan-fried for a bit longer since they were on the softer side. Look at those three fat and juicy sausages on the right. Lying so carefree on my breakfast plate, they were totally asking for it. With no time to waste, I dug my fork into the sausage and devoured it voraciously. They were bursting with fatty goodness and flavour. The raspberry (or cranberry) preserve I didn't care too much for since I have a disliking toward all things berry (don't ask). This dish was a reasonable portion with classic brunch items.
What caught my eye on their dessert menu was the Orange Creamsicle Brûlée ($9). Insanely creamy, thick, with an apparent orange flavour, Bier Markt absolutely delivered what they promised. I'm a huge fan of Crème Brûlée, and whenever a restaurant has a flavoured Crème Brûlée available, I'd be very excited to try it. More often than not, I'm disappointed since the flavour is usually very subtle and doesn't differ much from the classic Crème Brûlée. For this reason, I was delighted to discover how much this product actually reflected its name on the menu. Bier Markt, wow, you surely delivered you - big props to you.
Would I come here again? Well, everything tasted decent and they have a good brunch menu with something for everyone. Service was okay and the restaurant is fairly spacious with a huge patio. I don't think I'd come back since I didn't find their food to be fabulous, but it's not terrible so I'm not going to tell everyone to stay away ;)Listed in: Brunch Places
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Review from Jason L.
East York, ON
11/8/2011
They brew there own beer! Carry over 100 beers.....(salivating). Now they have Das boot mondays....Beer served in a glass boot!
As far as food, I highly recommend the flatbreads!
There is usually some "A" type bands playing there, Grafitti Park was the top 40 band I saw and they delivered. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
6/22/2011 10 photos
Yelper Blog Friend (YBF) decided to take me out to try out the Brunch scene in Toronto...as my other friends either working, sleeping or not into brunch.
Picking a place to have Sunday Brunch is not easy task as there are so many choices in Toronto..as usual, I hate to make decision and I let my YBF to arrange something, wherever, whatever as long as I never been there before!
Bier Markt was not busy at all for Sunday Brunch. You can just walked into this empty restaurant at 11 AM... and nice big empty patio. But it was kind of chilly, overcast and windy in early June??, who in the right mind would want to sit in the cold?
BTW, I think I double my sizes and more if I am having Brunch every week at Bier Markt. And if they put down the calories and fat content count on the menu itself, I would be drinking water and eating raw veggie without any dips instead!!
Brioche French Toast ($13) - A-OK.. at least I don't feel fat eating that!
Swiss Skillet ($12) - creamy, heavy, cheesy.. skip if you are on a diet or you have heart problem.....
Belgian Cappuccino ($4.50) - OMG! Fresh whipped creme size of a scoop of ice cream... can be eaten as dessert! which I did!
Orange Brulee ($9) - the richest and creamiest brulee I ever have... so rich is just like eating 70% cream in its solid form
Now I understand why Belgian cuisine been described as French cuisine quality with German quantity. If I going to just eat 1 meal a day, that would be ok.. but ..you know I can't!!
So next time when I come back to Bier Markt, I have to skip all the food and just have liquid calories.... BEER only!! Hey, that is as fattening but at least calories that worth it!
FYI: CP 24 is ON! -
Review from Fab t.
Toronto, ON
3/22/2012
lame service. rude/bossy waiter, disorganized service and over priced beer. Do not recommend.
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Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2011
Big selection of beer, and I appreciate the inclusion of Kriek (Belgian cherry beer on the menu), but this place is simply too loud and busy. I will come here if it's suggested by friends, but would not on my own accord. There are better atmospheres in the city for a similar selection of beer (see: BeerBistro or The Town Crier).
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Review from Luis M.
Toronto, ON
11/26/2010
Overall I found this place to be.... 'confused'. It's got the prices of a fine restaurant, but the experience is far from fine dining.
I was offered a German beer and was quite pleased with it.
The presentation of our plates was excellent, service was quick and despite the fact that the place was packed, we got served quickly.
We were ready to 'dig in' - but when we did we found the food to be uninspired, just plain; somewhat dull. Paying $30 for a Schnitzel I was hoping for a little more you know...
The place is extremely noisy! I could barely hear the other people at my table and when the live music started that was it - no more talking...
The band was good.
I would come back to this place to have a beer and listen to live music, not to have dinner though. For that there are better options at better prices all around it. -
Review from Jason H.
12/4/2010
My wife and I are not Beer drinkers, but the group of people we were with are BIG beer drinkers.
We arrived at the place with a party of 10 at 5:00pm. The staff there is so nice, they said they had a table of 10 reserved for a 7:30pm party so if we wanted to, we could use that table under the condition we have to be done around 7p.
You kidding me??? Of course we would be glad to do that. (We had other dinner plans around 7 so it worked out for the best.)
My family/friends loved the beer selection. I was looking forward to a nice selection of different brewed Root Beers only to be disappointed (I guess its a 'yank' thing).
My wife and I just ordered coffee, water and Poutine. I gotta say, the Poutine was one of the best I have had.
The staff was one of the best out there for such a busy place that never seems to sleep.
If you like beer, go and enjoy. If you are looking for a good root beer, go to the local Metro grocery and grab a 12 pack. -
Review from Alison B.
2/27/2011
Bah, yes I know this place has lots of beer but so do lots of other places in Toronto.
This place ain't my cup of tea for the following reasons
1) It's always jam packed on popular nights - not in a fun way
2) It lacks any sort of fun theme/atmosphere
3) Conversations are pointless because it's way too loud
4) This is the kind of place where I always leave with a beer soaked shirt. Not because I got crazy, but because it's just a pushy and semi brutal crowd. -
Review from Edwin A.
9/9/2010
Best Beer Selection in the City
Wow!
Fancinating and extensive menu. I had an ESB and my fiancee ordered a Frulli
Food though.. just tried the Market Poutine it was oversalted and over gravied. Need to specify next time to hold the salt and be light on the gravy but other than that the beer selection rocks!
Cool place to hang, had a DJ spinning retro tunes on Wednesday night. -
Review from Bahi K.
Scarborough, ON
7/19/2011
Sat on the patio with a couple of friends and hardly noticed the time fly by. Food, company, drinks were all good... only problem was the bill. Definitely some sticker shock considering only two of us ordered entrees... the total came to $80/person or something unreasonable considering the quantity of food and drink we had. In any case, it should be mentioned that I am not a beer drinker and I quite liked the Czech beer that the server recommended. Also noteworthy is the cured meat platter we ordered, which was expensive but quite tasty.
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Review from Marie M.
10/9/2010
One crazy Friday night around Midnight, after my salsa partners got bored of the dance floor in Scarborough and after a couple of drinks, we decided to join their friends at Bier Markt downtown Toronto. I've never been to Bier Markt before, even though I've walked passed it many times, so I was keen on checking it out. (Actually, to be honest, I didn't remember that I'd seen it before and thus I didn't know it was a bar, I thought it was a night beer market festival at the Distillery District, like those Asian night markets that happen once a year. And since I'm not a beer drinker, no one can blame me for not knowing that it's a bar!)
When we finally arrived at the Bier Markt at around 1AM, I shocked to see a bar SO packed. (The bar was probably close to reaching its capacity limit.) Although it was very dark and loud on the inside, there was still an upscale European feel to it, meaning it wasn't ghetto at all. (Which is perfect for me!) The bar serves a trendy older crowd, -most people were just a tad older than me and came off as young professionals. (Very much like the crowd at Mill Street Brewery in the Distillery District.)
As the name may hint, the bar has a wide selection of beers from all around the world. Although it carries your typical domestic beer, like Molson Canadian, it didn't carry the only beer that I'd ever finished a pint of: the Mill Street Organic, which was very disappointing to me. So I spent the night sipping my friend's Stella.
Since the bar was so crowded on the inside, my party and I took it to the patio where we enjoyed each other's company over alot of beers with a serving of second hand smoke from adjacent tables. Despite the second hand smoke, I had a great time chatting it up with my friends and making new friends on the patio. Good weather, good company, good conversations, good drinks, all at a trendy King Street West setting, what more can one ask for? -
Review from Brian Y.
7/10/2011
So what if you wanted a more chill environment to celebrate your birthday, but still lively enough for some excitement? Bier Markt can definitely be an option. I had a really close friend that decided to celebrate her birthday at Bier Markt. Now Bier Marky has two locations. There's one on King West and one on Esplanade. Both locations have it's pros and cons, where the King West one is a little more intimate as its smaller in size and the one on Esplanade is bigger which has has two floors. So it really comes down to preference. I would say King West is a little more chill and Esplanade is for large crowds. But both are definitely packed on the weekend and be careful as it does get crammed.
We headed there around 11 and my friend called ahead to put us on the guest list. They don't allow reservations for tables at this time as it's packed, so definitely call ahead get on the guest list. Now Bier Markt is exactly what it sounds, it's basically a pub packed with a TON of beer. They have over 100 brands of beer from over 24 countries around the world. So this would definitely be the time to try beers from all around. For the night, there was a live band which totally killed much of the conservations anyone was having.
I had to keep an eye on my good friend, so I didn't have a lot.. but I did try a few such as the Beau's beer from good'ol Vanleek Hill, Ontario. I picked this one as I quite like the Mill Stream Organic beer. Now when it's fresh and right out of a good tap, it's sooo refreshing. So I was hoping for the same affect with Beau's. Now Beau's wasn't badd, I got the flagship version, but I would have to say I prefer Mill Stream Organic. I also tried out the Leffe Brune which is a dark amber beer from Belgium. And I have to say I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It had good body to the beer and went down smooth. I took a sip of my other friend's beer... it came in a large tall beer glass, I think it was either German or Russian and it wasn't bad at all. The birthday girl had the Strawberry Fruli. Actually, she had quite a number of them and why not, it's her birthday. Taste wasn't bad and I can see why she would enjoy it.
Overall, I would have to say, I'm mixed on Bier Markt. If you're hoping to go there for conversation, bad idea. It was basically a shouting match to simply talk to someone. But if you wanna just go there and try beer, not a bad choice. There have a ton and tho price is a little steeper, they know their stuff. From the servers to how they keep and serve the beer, it was all done well. Outside of the weekend, it's okay to bring someone there and to talk, but on the weekends, just know you wanna go there to try beer and maybe to just get hammered. Be warned peeps. =PListed in: Cafes, Pubs & Lounges
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Review from D.J. L.
1/13/2011
One of the better beer selections I've seen, and the staff always seems to be super knowledgeable.
The food is decent, but nothing spectacular. The beer selection more than makes up for it, though.
Go in on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and sit at the bar. You'll deal with probably the best beer bartender I've ever seen. I just go off his suggestions at this point. -
Review from Kelly S.
9/21/2009
A lovely patio for later-evening Sunday night dining. Based on other reviews, I'm glad I wasn't here on a Friday or Saturday or this review would most likely be 2 stars.
The service was iffy. The classic poutine was just how I like it--cheesy, salty, fatty deliciousness. When ordered as an app, together with a gallette (potatos layered with cheese and bacon)...be prepared to pick at your entree. I ordered the Steak Frites, rare, and my steak came out more medium-rare (or even medium). Howevs, it had that juicy salty crust that I love so much...I didn't complain (but probably should have). -
Review from Victoria M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2009
Well there is an abundance of beer here (obvi) and the selection is really good.
It's a good place to have dinner and then watch some live music.
I'm a fan of the patio but it would be nice if the view wasn't of a parking lot.
The crowd is also a good mix. -
Review from Sarah T.
Toronto, ON
12/17/2009
I go here once a week. This week I dined on fries and then a steak. They were awesome to give me a different potatoe than more fries!
I sat next to a couple that was incredibly picky. The woman was newly pregnant (yes, I overhear stuff) and didn't want unpasteruized goat milk. The gentleman said that he always had an upset stomach after eating at Bier Markt. I don't know what is wrong with his stomach - cause the food is great.
It may be pricey - but it isn't risky. And when you go out with picky eaters or my friend, the biggest lover of poutine ever, you need more options.
George is a funny waiter. He didn't remember us for the longest time and then finally he comes by and asks us, "where is the party at?" This made my dinner companion very happy.
Overall - it is a winner because it is consistently good. I would rather pay 10 bucks more for dinner here than any of the other pubs in my King West hood. -
Review from Krupa U.
4/14/2009 1 photo
I went to T.O. last summer with a bunch of friends, and ended up spending pretty much the WHOLE time at Bier Markt! We were obsessed with the selection of beers they had from all over the world. It's definitely a fun scene on a weekend night with the live band, easy going crowd and all the drinks! They even had this strawberry beer on tap which became my favorite beer that weekend. My second favorite was Sinha, a Sri Lankan beer.
It was also fun to sit out and bask in the sun the next day and take down a few chilled brews and just people watch on the street. Very relaxing location. Would definitely visit here again some day when I return to T.O.Listed in: Outside the D
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Review from Jay G.
Toronto, ON
4/20/2009
I don't know what it is about this place but I find myself here more often than I would like. My friends love this place but I don't share the same love. The beer here is amazing, such a large selection from all over the world. Prices are reasonable and the food is good but a little pricey for what you are getting.
The decor feels like a regular pub. Noting special. Lots of beer signs, dark wood, booths, 2 bars, and some other things that make this place generic. Some nights you get a really fun crowd and other nights you get a lot of pretentious douche bags from the financial district coming this way.
Waiting to get a table can suck as this place gets really busy. The atmosphere and waitstaff aren't anything special either. Sometimes they are very rude when they are busy, sometimes they don't show up, sometimes you don't get a server, sometimes the bartenders are douches. But that is only sometimes. If you've been here as many times as I have you will experience those sometimes but usually they are nice and knowledgeable.
Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone from out of town so they can get beers from all over the world. Also to anyone that like to drink a lot of beer. The beer is the star here. Food is good but pricey. -
Review from Jack B.
7/16/2009
So, an industry colleague says to me, meet me at the Bier Markt on King Street West. Okay, never been to a Bier Markt. When I got there, there was a helluva wait for the patio, so I went inside. To my surprise, it was cool, lounge like, had stone on the walls, and red light accents. I liked it. It was 7:30 and there were still happy hour stragglers. Many of which were professional women. I didn't mind. There were 100 plus brands of beer from many different countries. I liked it and sampled (drank) many of them. Their menu was a bit eclectic, but had some cool appetizers.
At about 10:00 p.m., a very cool band came on that played classic rock. Not any classic rock mind you, but Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. They claimed to be new playing together, but you would have thought they were veterans. Excellent addition to the evening. I would go back there in a heartbeat. The beer was priced right. I am from northern NJ and spend a lot of time in NYC, so any draft beer less than seven dollars is a deal to me.
It was an excellent experience. I will go there again when I return to Toronto. -
Review from Joe T.
4/17/2009
The crowd here is pretty laid-back usually not too pretentious. The beers selection is simply incredible - I've never seen anything like it back in the states. It's nice that places like this in Toronto have that heavier European influenced culture & style. The interior decor is very old fashioned and cozy. Very welcoming. And the outside seating area has a nice Euro vibe as it's situated in a great part of town for people watching. The crowd is typically 25-40 - and the food served here is good for bar food. In the summertime, which is when I was there, it's nice to sit outside and just people watch while soaking in some sun. The interior seems to be lively at night with DJ-music and sometimes even live music! This is a great place to have some midday beers in the sun in the summertime - and a great place to make a laid back night of - or to start off a fast paced night at!!!
My favorite beer here is a hard to find one - Tripel Karmeliet. It's a medium-bodied Belgian ale that does NOT disappoint. It would take me months to truly try every interesting beer here - but of the ones I tried - this one stuck out as a very satisfying one! -
Review from Ayesha A.
6/15/2010
Granted the weather was gorgeous but for a Monday evening the patio was packed!
Our waitress was so knowledgeable about all the beers we could have quizzed her and I bet she would have gotten an A!
Great time, nice atmosphere, trendy but not snobby-fun time! -
Review from Monique L.
1/23/2010
Met with a bunch of friend here during the Christmas holiday and it was okay. The beer, of course, was pretty good with a very very wide selection of Belgian beers among others. It was kinda loud and started to get busy by 8:30 but I snagged a long table at the bar. My friends were fashionably late and 3 of us had to fend off the vultures from take our chairs or trying to sit @ the end of the table.
As the night drew on, a band started to set up and unfortunately we were seated right in front of them. Low ceiling, loud bar, and bad cover band = ears bleeding! These guys were wailing and it was not pretty. Somehow, despite their lack of talent, THEY HAD A GROUPIE!!
There was one great redeeming factor to this place, their "gourmet" poutine was really good! A little price but really good and a pretty big serving.
Only reason I probably won't go back is because there are so many places in Toronto and I'm there so little, I gotta try new places. -
Review from Jen L.
8/15/2009
It was totally worth the 20 min wait, in a line that wrapped around the block, at 11:30 on a Friday night, in the friggin' pouring rain ... did I say pouring? I meant POURING! Thank goodness for our new friends in line with umbrellas. Too bad they were tiny umbrellas.
I swear the door-woman has a hatred for people. It was POURING rain, and she wouldn't let anyone in, even tho' there was hardly anyone inside. I understand the pretense of keeping a line outside ... blah, blah, blah ... but SERIOUSLY, move the F'N line!
Did I mention how wet I was getting standing in that line? But, I digress...
It was strangely upscale inside but totally cool. The beer selection was incredible, I never thought I'd see so many beers on tap. The crowd was eclectic ... a little of everyone, mostly drunk but who could blame them.
Expensive beer tho', ranges from $8 to $10, but worth every penny. Put down that Blue and give it a go! I never did see a food menu, but I'm hoping there's alot of wurst on there. Mmmm ... nothing like beer and sausage. -
Review from Kelly O.
2/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had a horrendous time my first time here (pre-Yelp days) that would have warranted a 0 star rating...being seated, and then....nothing. For 15 minutes. We left.
But after hearing about the fondue festival, I decided to give it another try. We had the chevre fondue, served with asparagus, grape tomatoes, and bread. It was delicious!!!! And complimentary bread refills, just so you get every drop of delicious cheesyness.
The steak Mediterranean salad was fantastic as well...a very large portion, and the steak was perfectly cooked.
Finally, the dessert fondue. We decided on the caramel toffee, since chocolate is a little more common. It was served with ladyfingers, macarons, homemade marshmallows, banana and strawberries. Oh...and chocolate chip biscotti that was still HOT!
IT WAS AMAZING.
I would definitely come back here for a more special occasion. A bit pricey, but worth it. -
Review from Monica N.
7/21/2011
Hundreds of beers from all over the world. But, if you're not a beer drinker, like me, this place is still great. Try the beer cocktails -- super yummy. And, surprisingly, LOVE the Caesars -- the Canadian version of the Bloody Mary -- my new favorite drink.
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Review from Martin W.
3/5/2011
I've been here a number of times for after work drinks, dinner, and whatever you call it at night on weekends. Its usually packed with long lineups when in "nightlife" mode. That's when I least like the place, but nonetheless they do have a good selection of beers. The food is alright but nothing special. They do have a game menu (I think its yearly) that is worth checking out but a little bit on the pricey side.
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Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
9/14/2008 1 photo
After a couple of failed attempts in the location that once held the Amsterdam Brewing Company (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...), the Bier Markt has decided to attempt to duplicate the success of its Esplanade location in the upwardly-mobile location that is my neighbourhood. Now admittedly, outside of special dinner nights at the Esplanade version of the restaurant, I've never really been a fan of the somewhat pricey menu (really, $10 for fries?) and the pricey-yet-overwhelming beer menu. The selection is good, don't get me wrong, but I find it hard to spend an evening there and not feel out of pocket. I thought I'd give the new place a go and see if I'd feel different.
I did feel different. It's worse. Maybe it's the newness of the location as I did see it in its first fortnight of being open, but the place seemed somewhat frantic. There was initial confusion as to where I ask to get a table, be it on the patio or in the restaurant. The maitre-d' area became congested quickly and there seemed to be no sense of order as to who would be sat when. When I got to my table it seemed every staff member had a wide-eyed look of terror in them that made me wonder if everyone started that afternoon. I stuck to their sweet spot of Trappist and Abbey-style beers and that seemed to suit fine.
The final shot for me was the food. When you purport yourself to be definitively Belgian and place your mussels (or "moules" in the local vernacular), it'd be really handy if half of them were not slammed shut and inedible. I appreciated the fact that I was offered replacement mussels, but by then it was by far too much of an okay thing. I had better luck making my own.
