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Elephant & Castle
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Tue, Wed
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Elephant & Castle
23 reviews in English
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Review from hangover n.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2011
I had an amazing hamburger (comes with fries and onion rings which is a nice touch) here on a recent rainy Sunday. It's a very nice space they have in a former bank, with incredibly high ceilings and lots of space. There are also daily deals on various beers. Really nice service from our bartender, too. Not sure what it's like on busy evenings, but I think I will come and check it out again soon. All in all, a great place considering it is a chain.
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Review from Rachel S.
Toronto, ON
4/21/2012
This is the second time I've been here and I really wasn't impressed. The crowd isn't as laid back and casual as I like (was it just me or did everyone look like they went out clubbing?) but the prices for beer are pretty average.
The first time I came here was pretty decent. They have a large selection of beers on tap and the sweet potato fries were ample but a bit on the pricey side. Didn't stay for too long as I felt it just wasn't one of those warm and inviting places.
The second time I came here was right after midnight on a Friday night. We were served by a pretty cold, if not pissed off waitress. Funny to say this, but I almost felt pressured to order something quick for fear of pissing her off any further. Within about a half hour it was last call, then when we were sorting through our bill she came over with the portable credit card machine and insisted that we fix up the bill right then and there while she waited. Talk about wanting to get us out of there quickly.
I probably should add that the layout of the interior was quite nice; high ceilings, overall clean look of the bar, but the bathroom is in a very inconvenient location way in the back, down a flight of stairs, around the corner, etc. Ladies, bring a friend for company for your long journey!
I probably won't go in there again. There are tons of better bars in the city with cooler vibes, much better atmosphere and friendlier waitresses. -
Review from Samantha R.
Corbyville, ON
3/12/2012
Absolute crap. If I want to spend $65.00 on dinner somewhere it would most likely be somewhere other than a pub. NOT just two club sandwiches on stale bread with fries that tasted like vinegar, although I had not put any on them. Reusing fries guys??
Really bad service although they were walking all over the place. NO THANKS -
Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
12/10/2011
After walking in, immediately I knew that this place used to be something else..a bank perhaps. Whatever it was, it's former glory has long gone.
I'm not going to explain how I ended up here, but if you read my reviews you would know that this isn't my cup of tea. I came here with my sister after a day of shopping, and because she was young, the hostess sat us upstairs away from all the mullet beer drinkers.
My sister is a person of such astronomical discernibility that she would make me seem 'average joe,' so it's no surprise that she found Elephant & Castle to be super shabby. There's a London style telephone booth at the corner of the first floor, a load of televisions, and the ceiling seemed to house spiders and all species. The place was dirty no doubt, and the horrendous lighting didn't help.
We were sat by the mezzanine which didn't appear to be structurally sound overlook the huge windows which made the outside look like a post apocalypse abandoned city. Wow, this place sucked.
The waitress kept referring to us as 'you guys' when it was only myself and a young lady. I ordered the fish n chips, and my sister the shepherd's pie. We shared that nacho cheese pita thing, and we managed to be disappointed by all three of the dishes. I felt bad for taking my sister here, but as much as a snob she is, is she also equally as nonchalant about things. It is the most confusing mix of traits, but she didn't care whether she was here, or at the Ritz.
I seem to recall a scene from a Michael Caine film explaining the origin of Elephant & Castle, it was pretty depressing. Maybe this was the nature to all pubs or pub like establishments. Them damn British blokes don't have a single happy bone in them, and it certainly reflects in their bars.
I mean....elephants don't live in castles.. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
11/5/2011
British Drinking Establishment otherwise known commonly as a Pub.
Bevvies priced acceptably. Service not too shabby if I do say so.
Decor has a level of grandiose situated in a Historical TD Bank Building.
It was surprisingly not as packed as nearby Jack Astor or Milestones.
2.0 - 2.5'd
Country Fried Chicken(Fridays Special $15)
Crisp outer batter envelopes overcooked underseasoned Chicken Breast.
Gravy was used to compensate but that left none for the Mashed Potatoes.
No Cream Soup left and we didn't want Salad. Waiter took $2.00 off tab.Listed in: 2.5 **Stars**, On my way to Alcoholics…
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Review from Kyle S.
Port Williams, NS
10/18/2011
Chain pub - nothing really out of the ordinary. Was surprised to know that not all of the beer that they offer on-tap can be served in a pitcher. This is a bit disappointing in a larger group setting, and to be honest, something you would simply expect a pub to do. Adding on to that, the Sleeman's seemed to be a bit off - not sure if it was flat or the lines hadn't been cleaned in awhile.
Had the meatloaf, it was OK. For desert I had the cheesecake and it was delicious. Probably the highlight of my dinner and would recommend it to anyone.
Based on the quality of the food though, the bill was a bit expensive. -
Review from Michael L.
Richmond Hill, ON
7/25/2011
First impression, confused... had nothing to do with the decor and everything to do with the music being played. Considering they are billing themselves as a british joint, their taste in music (pop and hip hop) was something odd and definitely noticed. That being said onto their main attraction!
I've been here twice, both during the playoffs and they have a great atmosphere for catching the great game with friends. Their specials are reasonable and from what my friends told me their food is fairly good.
I'm a fan of the layout for those only interested in grabbing some quick grub and a pint ( or a few).
Their specials are what have brought my repeat business and what will continue to bring me back down. $5 pints of sleeman, and okanagan is a deal considering their location and the atmosphere.
Their servers are good, special nod to my server the second time around. very knowledgeable and has officially turned me onto okanagan!
They earned their 4. -
Review from Parv D.
Toronto, ON
7/30/2011
It's a pub...maybe bigger than your regular watering hole...but a pub nonetheless.
Food is (for lack of a better word)...meh. My "special" of Roast Pork Loin was overcooked, dry and felt like I was biting into rubber. My friend's fish and chips was much tastier in comparison.
Lesson learned: When in a pub, stick with the basics and skip the specials.
The only saving grace is the pool table we were seated next to, that made for a few hours of boisterous frivolity and friendly competition ... in an otherwise tepid venue.
Good place for a quick beer or watch a few games...but that's about it. -
Review from Laura T.
1/27/2011
Back I go for more comfort food! For a Thursday apres-work drink and appetizer, the E&C was a great pick. They have a great menu selection to chose from, and a decent beer menu as well. Lucky us, Thursdays are $5 Sleeman pint days! Pretty good deal if you ask me!
The service was SUPER fast and friendly. Not super friendly, but friendly enough. They have everything from salads to spinach dip to beef to soup! Todays soup of the day, cream of potato. I opted for the french onion, and although I never thought I'd see the day, I actually found it TOO salty. I love salt, so that's saying something.
So the food was decent, not spectacular, but it's pretty cool inside. Cathedral ceilings, windows to people watch on Gerrard or Yonge. And if you're just looking for a a slightly funkier pub style atmosphere, the E&C is a good choice.
OH, they served complimentary chips with some sort of chipotle mayo dip at the bar. Perfect snacky. -
Review from Andy H.
4/15/2009
After enjoying a really...really good burger and fries at a restaurant in the Distillery District, my brother and I felt like more burgers. It was our last day of our trip, so we picked Elephant & Castle, which is next door to Delta Chelsea hotel.
Big mistake.
While the place looks nice upon entering, that is where the positives end. The service was awful, the glass we were served drinks in were filthy and the food was pretty gross. I felt as if I was eating a McDonald's burger at times and wonder why I even finished my lunch. The waitress came to our table 4 times...to place an order...give us our drinks...give us our food and a check.
Now I do not think the wait staff needs to do somersaults and dance the charleston in order to be considered good. I mean the woman was sitting at the bar gossiping about co-workers...how do I know? Because our table was 5 feet from where she was sitting! Talk about hating your gig. Luckily I did not want refills on my dirty glass filled with flat soda or else I would have been upset.
Skip this place and check out Mill St. Brewery in the Distillery District or Wolf and Firkin right around the corner for a good burger in Toronto. -
Review from Dale M.
Toronto, ON
11/9/2009
After-work drinks?
Stop two on what turned out to be a far more exciting birthday weekend than I could have imagined was an after-work pint with a few friends at this British-style box pub at Yonge and Gerrard.
It was about 5:30 on Thursday and the after-work crowd was just starting to trickle in (there's an old man sitting next to me...). There was a private party at the back end of this giant one-room pub and the first thing I noticed was the kind of din and racket for which I had just vetoed Pogue Mahone. Notwithstanding the fact that I had had a very stressful day at work and just wanted a quiet place to guzzle a pint, I knew I couldn't get away with back-to-back vetos, even on my birthday. So here we were.
In fairness, the noise at the Elephant and Castle is largely attributable to the fact that the pub is about a hundred feet long, thirty feet wide, forty feet high and constructed entirely out of limestone. Everything echoes, but if you like massive limestone rooms, this is a nice one.
We were seated promptly, and met our server shortly thereafter. Good start. And the service was generally what you would expect form a box pub: OK.
However.
There are only a few things I absolutely insist on from my server. They don't seem to me like much to ask, but they are make-or-break matters for my impression of a server's competence and professionalism. One of them is this:
Know your beer list.
If I ask what you have on tap, it's because I'm genuinely interested and because I haven't decided what I want to drink yet. It's also because I want to know if you know what the hell you're talking about before I get your opinion on food. Don't ask me what kind of beer I feel like, don't tell me it's on the back of the menu, and don't even think about pointing at the chalkboard at the other end of the bar lest you raise my full ire. Please, if it's sixteen taps or fewer on the rail, you should be able to remember them all. And I promise, I'll order one of them.
I was starving, but trying to save my appetite for our next stop (dinner at Harlem, review to come). Had I known what was in store for me there, I probably would have abstained from eating at the E&C altogether. Absent foresight, we instead ordered a sharing plate ($16) - three finger foods from a list of eleven, with pretty good options (there's a lovely PDF menu on their website). Our choices were bruschetta, chicken kebabs and chicken picks, all of which were tasty and kept four of us happy while we killed a couple pints.
For some reason I really like this place. I think it's because it's a really neat space. I'll definitely make it a target for after-work pints more often. Special thanks to an old and good friend, Sonya F., for buying.Listed in: Epic Birthday Bender
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Review from Heather B.
Scarborough, ON
7/9/2009 5 Check-ins Here
I really love this place I think it's nice as a local hangout or for a casual date.
BUT I do agree with others on here the dishwasher MUST be broken.
The glasses are always dirty with cloudiness in it...who knows.
I think the food a little expensive and they changed it because they use to have mini crackers with brie and cranberry and now it's gone :(
But it's still a place I go to often.
You might want to try to makes reservations (I think you can) because it's always PACKED in this place, but if not the wait is never that long. -
Review from Amanda L.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2011
Cool interior for a pub. However, the food was awful. Burnt burgers and meatloaf. The chicken curry was actually pretty good, but avoid anything with ground beef as they seem to think food safety on lower grade beef means full on burnt instead of well done.
Also, seems to be a very child friendly pub. Good news to some, bad news to others. -
Review from Renata R.
3/18/2010
The place is HUGE and very beautiful. I'm pretty sure you won't have trouble finding a seat - I didn't, even on St. Patrick's night. Good service and menu. Pricing is ok, nice selection of drinks and beers.
The music is ANNOYING. You see, I go to a pub to talk. I have to SCREAM to be listened by the waiter - and I'm not even discussing the bad-pop-music-style, there's people who enjoy this, but the VOLUME. If I could talk decently, I wouldn't be complaining. This was supposed to be "background music", you know.
Anyway, I enjoyed my night and it's pretty close to Eaton Centre. Nice location.Listed in: Party Time
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Review from Grace P.
Saint Catharines, ON
1/24/2010
Oh my gosh.
Elephant and Castle was the best pub-style restaurant I've ever been to.
My friend and I stayed at the Delta Chelsea next door, and decided to try this place out.
We immediately loved the decor, and we were seated very quickly but a friendly waitress. Our order was taken within 5 minutes and we had drinks. I had a Shirley Temple and my friend had a Guiness. My drink was delicious and came with two cherries and an ornge slice as a garnish. It was nice to see the extra cherry, as most places just use one.
Less than 10 minutes later, we had our food. And my God, best fries and chicken fingers I've ever had. My friend had fish and chips and let me try some fish - extremely tasty and not greasy at all which is refreshing.
Waitress came once and asked how everything was - absolutely perfect timing and frequency of visits. When she saw we were done, she came and asked if we wanted dessert. We declined, but appreciated the offer. We tipped nicely. Well done!
Definetely want to come back again. -
Review from Payam Z.
4/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
This Elephant and Castle is probably the last place I would go for a drink in Toronto and yet I have been there about 1/2dozen times.
The best thing about the bar, that would actually get them a star, is the layout/ design! The balcony style area is pretty fun and cool area although it could also be a little dangerous if you are drunk (it's pretty difficult to walk back down about 20 stairs).
The last time I was at E&C @ Gerrard, I recall our group paying ~$20 for a pitcher of bud light and ~24 for Keith's! Not only are these ridiculous prices, but as we just received our pitcher (we were standing by the way) we were told to drink it quickly and leave as it was a busy night and we had been there for two hours!! This is something that hasn't even happened to me in any NY bar so there's no doubt I was more than a little surprised, especially considering just two hours ago an order of (literally) $1000 was put in by the same group!
A few months ago, there was another example of a scuffle with the manager over a bill (I wasn't personally involved but was a witness to what went on), and together with my most recent experience I am left to feel this place is aiming to cash in on the one time visitors to Times, err Dundas Square and doesn't give a hoot about anyone who might return.
Don't go here, Toronto has so much more to offer -
Review from Justin M.
Milton, ON
9/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
So much better than it's been in the past. They still can't make a decent curry to save their lives, but if you want to stick with a cheeseburger or stir fry or other simple grub, you'll get your money's worth.
Seriously, though, they could turn their music down a notch. It would be nice to be able to hear what someone two feet away from you is saying, and if they're even a little soft spoken, that won't be possible. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
12/29/2008 1 photo
Years ago, I worked with a bunch of men who liked to eat large portions and drink while doing it. Consequently, trips to the Elephant and Castle, which provided both and just a two-minute walk away from the office, were frequent.
It has its kitsch factor, with the Brit-pub paraphernalia (red phone boxes, etc.), but it's not so in-your-face or overtaxed with colour to be annoying or child friendly. It's just a fair place to get a group of people together for okay pub food.
So if I were ever to work with a group of people near an Elephant and Castle again, I'd have no qualms suggesting this pub. It's quick, spacious, accommodates groups well, and their fish and chips are not bad at all. -
Review from Victoria S.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2011
the elephant and castle is a handy spot to go in for a quick after work/pre game/show drink... or meal. i can't imagine parking myself there for an evening. there is a huge dining room and bar with tons of seating. (please wait to be seated...) the patio is very small and not very appealing to me. there is a good selection on tap. and often a good drink special (ie. pints of sapporo for $4).
i have eaten there twice. fish and chips were good the first time. second time i tried the quesedilla which was, meh. i should know well enough to stick to pub food at a pub. mike had some amazing roast beef meal for like $12 and i remember something to do with stuffed yorkshire pudding. whatever it was, it was great value and sooo delicious. i immediately regretted not getting it myself.
i'm not a huge fan of the clientele. being close to the financial district doesn't make it a very fun or relaxed atmosphere. atmosphere weighs heavy for me. but it is the carpets, ceilings, furniture, windows etc.. are neat and give it a historic, traditional pub kind of feel. and it is super clean with professional, consistent service (sometimes a little slow, but they're busy). so 4 stars it is.Listed in: best happy hour
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Review from Michelle A.
Toronto, ON
I like this pub better than most. The restaurant is nice and bright, the servers are all very friendly, and they have lots of cute British photos hanging around. They have a different $5 pint every day of the week, which is nice, and a great selection of beers on tap. The food is typical pub food. I had the vegetarian stir-fry, which was nothing that spectacular, but better than the usual veg offer of nachos or quesadillas. The pub pretzels seem pretty popular if you want a fun bar snack - they come with three large soft pretzels and mustard to dip.
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Review from Annaliese R.
4/9/2011
My friend and I sort of stopped here with the full intent of a "wham bam thank you m'am" ordeal. One pint then off to our next pub for a whole new adventure. That didn't happen, thanks to a nice man who started buying us drinks. The decor was "pubbish" enough and the crowd seemed to be a bit out of my age range. The barman was friendly (pretty as well) and frankly, I can't remember the cost of the pint!
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Review from JF S.
Toronto, ON
12/14/2010
What a pity. I think this place has potential. But the service...
Oh well, let me start from the top. We (a group of 15) went to this elephant and castle branch last Saturday to enjoy ourselves. We had a table for 15 reserved for 6pm. As always for big groups, some come earlier, some later. We ordered dinner and drinks.
No one told us that our reservation would expire at around 9pm until just before 9pm. They obviously wanted to make some more money of the big UFC fight.
I can understand that they want to make as much money of this night as possible, but there are better ways to do so.
Firstly, someone could have mentioned it when we placed the reservation. They did not. Secondly, a waiter or waitress or the manager could have let us know when we entered or ordered. They failed to do so again. Then when they finally did tell us, they had quite the attitude. Even talking to the manager didn't get us anywhere. They actually 'allowed' us to not give any tip. That was all. Even though the food wasn't bad and the drinks were okay, I cannot imagine ever going back to this branch. -
Review from Downtown D.
Toronto, ON
7/28/2009
I went here yesterday. Nothing special, typical pub fare. I had chicken curry on rice and my friend had the fish and chips.
