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- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
6 reviews for Duke of Gloucester
All Reviews
To anyone whose only exposure to British Pubs is a "Blank & Firkin" or some tourist trap near Trafalgar Square, the Duke of Gloucester may seem dingy and unfriendly.
The truth is, this is the oldest and most authentic British Pub in Toronto. In fact most of the interior was actually built in England and shipped over to Canada. This was long before the days of "cookie cutter" pub chains on every corner. One of the regulars I spoke to was there the day the pub opened over thirty years ago. The Duke of Gloucester looks pretty much identical to the way it did when it opened, so it's a bit of a time machine into the past.
If you grew up in the UK, this is the kind of pub your father took you to. A real working man's local. There's no fancy decor or loads of brass railings and much like a real local they're not too friendly to strangers!
This however is part of the charm of The Duke of Gloucester and why it's frequented by so many ex-Pats.
They LOVE their regulars, in fact every Christmas they throw a private party serving up Turkey with all the fixings for free....so long as the barman recognizes your face, or else you can't come in!
Like many real British Pubs they offer a weekly quiz night, darts, a small snug area for private parties. They have a great jukebox and also have a monthly DJ duo (Pie & Mash Soul DJs) that actually get people up and dancing to Britpop and Motown tracks.
It's not pretentious. Suits, jeans, shorts. They're all there enjoying a pint together.
The food is decent and not too pricey, they have a great rooftop patio and it's a good place to watch the "Footy" on the weekends. If you want to watch England in a World Cup match you better buy tickets in advance because they always reach capacity.
It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love it because it's real, not a distorted Disney facsimile.
Now don't hate me for saying it, but I don't know what the big deal is. Give me a Canadian pub any day of the week I'd say.
The jukebox was decent, but hardly the best in town (that credit goes to The Jersey Giant's selection on Front).
It could be that I'm not in love with Soccer (or English football) but I couldn't get used to the idea of being so close to other people, sitting in uncomfortable chairs and swizzling back expensive imports.
I don't think I'll be heading back to the Duke any time soon.
Ef, yeah, people. If you have to go to a bar in the Yonge/Bloor area (besides Hemingways, which is in tony Yorkville), this is it. Kinda divey, but laid back and fun.
It's convenient to UofT and the Bloor/Yonge area. Pub grub is surprisingly good... mmm perogies. Okay, well I'm 99% sure the perogies are those frozen ones you can buy at Loblaws, but still, with some fried onions & plenty of butter... yum.
The upper level of the pub is kinda divey, to say the least... its where the regulars hang. The bottom level (well, 2nd story) is a little more college-y.
The Yonge + Bloor area isn't one of my top picks for areas to hang out in the city, but the Duke of Gloucester is not-bad divey Brit pub to kill time if I must hang out here.
It's not my favourite bar by any means -- their only highlight, to me, is their covered (and heated) rooftop patio, which takes me even further away from the blahness of Yonge Street.
I have no complaints or extreme praises about this place, really -- it's just a place to get together with a big group of friends, really. The service has always been efficient, and the food actually looks okay, in that typical Brit pub sort of way.
As long as it doesn't give me Brit sort of teeth, then I'm totally fine with anything the Duke throws at me.
I have only been here once, and that was to stalk the Kids in the Hall after their Massey Hall show last year. Did I say stalk? I mean, wake up out of my sleep after being tipped off to their presence and taking a cab there five minutes before last call.
As Connie said (apart from my personal, awesome experience), it seems like a pretty run of the mill kind of place. I cannot tell you much about the food (didn't eat it), or the beer (don't remember it), but I can tell you that if my comedy idols like it, then it's okay by me. Dave Foley himself told me that they used to come here back in the day for the fish and chips, so unless it's drastically gone downhill since then, it's probably good cuz Dave Foley don't lie.
I used to be a regular here, and surprisingly enough the staff still remember me after long absences. It's a bit dingy, but the jukebox is probably the best in town, and if you're into English and Scottish Footie, the weekends in the morning make this place unbeatable.
