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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 12:30 pm - 2 am
Sun 2 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
36 reviews for The Pilot Tavern
Review Highlights
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"The large rooftop patio is great." In 10 reviews -
"...middle of uber swank Yorkville is this unpretentious pub." In 16 reviews -
"All stainless steel and modern." In 3 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
1/27/2012
Love the Pilot! Central and as unpretentious as you can get.
Here's a review of my recent visit.
VIBE
I never go to the downstairs bar. It's all about the 3rd floor patio dubbed the flight deck, which is decked out in stainless steel. Great way to while away a Saturday afternoon. Staff are pretty good; on this visit, there was a bit avoidance. Otherwise, pretty good! Lots of advertising/MTV peeps from around the neighbourhood. I like the relaxed vibe. The downstairs bar is very simple. Nothing fancy but a great place for a first date to suss things out. And if it sucks, well...there's beer to swallow down the pain.
I EAT/DRINK
It's standard pub food. Nothing to write home about. I get my regular Heineken here. That said, they offer half pints. Half pints!
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Get yourself in the Pilot's seat and come here.Listed in: Libations, Bloor/Yorkville
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Review from Alana C.
5/11/2012
For drinks on a weekend, great place to be! The crowd is super chill and they also have my favourite beer (Caffrey's) on tap and I can never find it anywhere in this city! I was here for a birthday party and it was a good atmosphere for catching up.
Then I came this past week for food and drink, and was left disappointed. First off, after we'd ordered our drinks is took FOREVER for someone to get our food order. I'm pretty sure it went from twilight to night time throughout our wait.
The food was okay. My man friend had a special that was fish, rice and salad. I personally think ordering things like this from a bar is a bad idea. I was right. It was not good according to him.
I had the quesadillas they were quite good. They only come with sour cream though, which was no issue for me but if you're looking for salsa or guac you'll have to ask.
Last time, the whole experience was underwhelming and took forever. But my first experience was much fun. Thus, a score of 3. I'll have to make another visit to break the tie. -
Review from simon b.
Etobicoke, ON
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I like the bar, but their food is terrible
On a recent visit I had a greasy oven-baked salmon (?) and my wife had a salad that was drenched in oil. She ordered a wrap to have something else and there was oil pouring out of it too. -
Review from Simon C.
Markham, ON
5/22/2012
As a patio and a drinking location I have no problem with the Pilot but the poutine I ordered was literally the worst I've ever had. For $7.50 I got a small serving with fries that did not taste fresh, gravy that had already congealed, and a mix of cheddar and mozzarella shavings that were baked on top like a pizza. How hard is it to deep fry a fresh serving of fries with cheese curds swimming in hot gravy?
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Review from Dishan W.
11/7/2011
The pilot is a great "not so little" pub in Yorkville. For being in the Yorkville area it's not too hard on your wallet and still serves up decent food and drink.
I've been here mainly for the their rooftop patio when it's nice outside and it is indeed a very nice patio, very spacious BUT it is always busy with crowds made up of seemingly swanky late 20/early 30 year olds in business suits. It is incredibly hard to find a proper table and when you do you're very likely to be squeezed right in to your table to make room or the numerous standing customers, and getting a drink at the bar becomes the hardest task of your night.
My one time experience here on the first floor for dinner was also just adequate, the atmosphere down there is also very loud making conversation across the table be analogous to a conversation at a night club.
I ordered the "pilot signature dish" which was their Thai noodles for close to $13 big portion and very heavily doused in sauce, two things i don't always want in my dinner. Service was very friendly both here and on the roof, but it did seem rushed because of the crowds.
I am a big fan of it's overarching aviation theme and their very aluminium type decor they have going on especially on the very long stair case up to the roof.
If you want a quiet night this is not the location for you, but if you want to go out for a drink in Yorkville the Pilot might not be such a bad bet for a proper night out.Listed in: My November 30
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Review from Poonam S.
Etobicoke, ON
3/6/2012
I absolutely love The Pilot. It's one of my fave Toronto places and a good go-to place for a chill, warm Toronto evening. Plus I'm a fan of roof-top patios in general so I was really glad to come across this place. The food is okay; things I remember having is a sandwich (don't recall which...), the nachos, sweet potato fries...all of which is your typical pub kinda food. Good, but nothing special. Drinks were pretty decent too. Basically if you're looking for a casual evening with a rooftop patio, this is your spot.
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Review from Christine R.
Scarborough, ON
11/7/2011 5 photos
My first impression of the Pilot was "This seems like a cool place to eat" and that it why I chose it. It was around 6pm, the place was starting to get full. As I entered I was unclear if was suppose to seat myself or wait to be seated. When no one acknowledged me or my dinner partner we decided to see what the stairs led to. We arrived on a pretty cool looking heated roof top patio. However there was only the bartender and another gentleman up there and we felt as if we were intruding so we went down to the main floor.
As no hostess was there we proceeded to seat ourselves, the bar was packed with the "afterwork crowd" getting there afterwork drank on. We decided on heading to the very back on comfy leather banquets and 2 big screens in the background.
The waitress acknowledged us and brought over two menus. She showed us the daily specials and then took our drink order. We asked if they had sparkling lemonade she said no just regular lemonade, we asked if she could add soda water to it and she said of course, then we pushed a little more and asked if she could add a few drops of grenadine and she said no problem (great girl!).
Menu consisted of basic bar fare, burgers, sandwiches, apps, and a few standard mains. We settled on two items
Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Canadian Cheddar on Marble Rye + bacon for $2 more
The grilled cheese was delicious, ample meltly Canadian cheese on perfectly browned crisp marble rye, My only complaint... they forgot the Bacon! We alerted the waitress she offered to bring a new one w/bacon but we declined. (she however removed the $2 charge for bacon on our bill)
Side sweet potato fries - $2 bucks more.
The sweet potato fries were good crispy crunchy and soft inside and it came with a great spicy hot (tabasco flavoured?) dipping sauce.
Chicken Pizza - Grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and tomato sauce. Topped with mixed cheese and basil pesto.
This was definitely not the greatest pizza, thin crust, needed more tomato sauce, if it wasnt for the great zing the goat cheese provided it would have been a pretty bland pizza.
Dessert..... Our waitress advised they only had one dessert available today which was on the specials list so we just opted for that + 2 cups of tea.
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla creme - This was really disgusting....unedible... it was like cubes of toasted bread cramed into a ball with a few chocolate chips thorn with a squirt of vanilla curd on top. Ugly and unappetizing.
Our wonderful waitress however appologized and removed it from our bill. Overall foodwise its pretty hit or miss here. I'd stare clear of the pizzas and desserts, stick to the apps and the sandwiches and drinks. The rooftop patio seems like a great place to have some after work drinks in the summer and the service here was pretty good. -
Review from Devan R.
6/16/2011
So peeved atm (at the moment).
Had a super long shift at work and ended up at the Pilot for some Guinness, a regular theme in my present day life.
After a few cold ones my m8 and I became hungry so we ordered up some food. Now...I have been craving fish & chips for a few weeks now but had been waiting to hit a proper well known fish & chips joint to fulfill my craving. Not sure what got into me tonight but I ordered this dish from the Pilots menu.....What a folking disaster..
The chips were ok, nothing spectacular but not bad. The coleslaw was hideous...dry and well under seasoned, just ghastly. I absolutely adore and love coleslaw for its tart qualities and fresh crunchy texture....but I predict my serving was a couple days old. The fish was by far the most disappointing aspect of the whole dish, when it should have been the highlight. I'm not a huge fan of fish on the whole, but I crave f & c because in my life I fiend TEXTURE when I eat. On a texture scale of 1-10 the fish I received was pushing 2. It was almost soggy and just the tips of the ends were slightly crispy, the body of the fish was gummy and the fish tasted brutal. No lemon wedge could save this unidentified filet.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I didn't complain. Why I didn't walk into the kitchen and check the temperature on the deep fryer then proceed to refry my hurtin' under seasoned fish my damn self. My buddy who I was with had a rather lackluster meal himself and said that at the end of the day its a bar and what do I really expect. But, at the end of the day it's deep frying fish, a blind monkey could execute this pub classic if he listened closely enough to the popping of the oil.
All in all I am so pissed. I ate a 1/3 the fish and all the fries and could not force anymore down. I am definitely full and not hungry anymore but soo dissatisfied mentally to the point where I feel like I need to eat somewhere else.
Ok. I'm done with my fish & chips rant. Aside from that I'm at the Pilot at least twice a week on the flight deck puttin' a hurtin' on Guiness cans. Staff is very attentive and the bartenders are slick. The flight deck vibe is great, you do get a lot of suits but then again you're in Yorkville. Get thre after 5pm and it can be very difficult to get a table. I will always slam drinks at this venue but will never ever ever eat here again.
The 3 stars are for the great times I have had here drinking and will continue to have, if this were strictly a food based review I would bestow a 0 http://www.realtalk.ca -
Review from Vivek S.
6/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I visited this aeronautical wonderful wonder tonight for some post-prandial libations after a party in Yorkville. After two $20 cocktails, and an over-dressed crowd that made me feel more shame than a fanny-pack salesman, I retreated in hopes of somewhat cheaper cocktails at The Pilot.
For those that don't know, the key to The Pilot is heading skyward to their impressive third-floor rooftop patio. It's a well-shaded and cordial space (much like an airplane) with plenty of seating and a splendid "atmosphere." (See what I did there?)
Tonight however we were determined to stay in-of-doors; to avoid the mysteriously bone-chilling summer wind that was winding it's way through Yorkville (a metaphor for the trappings of wealth perhaps? Do meteorological phenomena even work in metaphor?). Our foursome grabbed an uncleared table in the back, and snagged some drinks.
They have a decent draught selection here, with beers in the $7-8 range. Bottles were available also. Our evening was OK but trying to get our bill was harder than selling fanny-packs post 1993. Our waitress disappeared (I actually think she actually enrolled in and attended a night class) and we spent a good thirty minutes hypothesizing various drink and dash scenarios and debating the ethical implications thereof. "Do we leave after 45 minutes? One hour?" She eventually showed up and we settled our table like civilized human beings. That's the aeronautical way.
Obligatory Title Pun: This PILOT might be on auto.
Menu Readability: Like a cloud. Whatever that means.
Need to mention: Washrooms are all the way downstairs.
What this place teaches me about myself: I will leave a table after 60 minutes of server neglect. Be ye warned Toronto. -
Review from Mark F.
10/25/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Nice pub for locals.
Great people! I followed a recommendation for for a locals pub in the area and was not disappointed. This is a locals place to put one back
Met some nice gals from the cayman isls. and drank the night away on more than one occasion. Alone or with friends, you'll have a great time on the patio, at the bar or in front of the TVs.
Closed the place down and I hope to again. This is my kind if watering hole -
Review from Rian D.
Montréal, QC
5/9/2011
On the very rare... extremely rare occasions that I venture into Yorkville I am always very hard-up to find a bar.
I don't need much, just a good bar, nothing swanky, preferably doucheless and minus over-priced beer.
A place that I can saunter into and not be given the kind of once-over where pricetags are being assigned to the particulars of my ensemble and smirks are shared bc I'm rocking Payless shoes.
Not an easy feat in Yorkville, but then a friend suggested The Pilot Tavern after a movie at the Varsity.
I liked the "flight deck" decor and half expected to hear the theme song to Top Gun playing in the background... I just hummed it instead. The beer selection was def on par with a pretty substantial list of options. They serve 50 on tap. Be still my heart.
Servers were friendly and the atmosphere was comfy casual. I dug it, I drank... I found my Yorkville watering hole.
I didn't eat there, nor did I get to scope out the patio so a return visit may be required in the near future.
However I am sorely tempted to show up with everyone wearing a flightsuit and only calling eachother by our call signs. I would be "Goose".Listed in: Watering Holes
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Review from Sahara A.
East York, ON
5/4/2011
Such a great place! Friendly waiters/waitresses and an awesome concept for a restaurant. The food is good, they offer some decent specialty drinks and the upstairs patio is SO LOVELY during the summer!
Would definitely recommend to others. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
5/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Pilot has been the location for many an after-works drinks fest for our office over the years, as it is close-by, and can accommodate large groups. The rooftop patio is really the only good spot, and as everyone else is also privy to this, it gets very crowded almost nightly.
They serve wine, a couple beers on tap and decent enough pub-style food. On the pricey side, but its the company you keep.
Lots of suits milling about, lots of drunk under-dressed office workers. Lots of people smoking in the designated area.
The Washrooms are cool, you feel like you are in a bunker. 100% stainless steel!
Its ok for after work drinks. Just ok. Even so, I seem to get dragged here at least once a week in the summer and I'm fine with that.Listed in: Yonge & Bloor Reviews.
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Review from Karen G.
Toronto, ON
7/11/2011
Nothing's better on a hot summer day then sitting with a cold drink on Pilot's rooftop patio. Love the ambiance, with the all-metal interior and airplane-style ceiling fans and light fixtures. Prices are great too - thankfully none of the pretention of Yorkville has eeked its way into this spot.
If it's traditional pub life you're craving, The Pilot's got that too on its main floor.
And try the burger. I found out later that it was named best in the city. I 100% agree. -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
Ahh, The Pilot, one of my many local watering holes throughout the years. An institution all it's own.
Fun fact: I originally went there 14 years ago because I thought Hemingway used to hang out here while he lived in Toronto in 1919. Stupid me since the Tavern has only been open since 1945. Ha! How silly I felt. He actually used to hang out at the Wheat Sheaf but that is for another review.... It was the Group of Seven who used to hang out at The Pilot when it was on Yonge street. God knows how long ago.
Anyway, the bar felt like a complete dive about 6 years ago before the last reno and now with it's new metal fasciae, the place now looks like a nice metal shiny dive. Which goes with their retro, WWII bomber decor and the massive photograph in their main room.
If you go there on weeknights you might meet Marsoud, the friendly, if quiet main bartender who for the last 20+ years has been a serving beers to locals and foreigners alike. Really nice guy.
As far as the food, I would say it is okay. Very pub like, not expensive but not amazing either. They advertise they burger as one of the best in Toronto, although I have never been curious to give it a go.
The highlights of The Pilot is it's mighty patio on the third floor. Which sadly got a little more architecture on it now then it did before the reno so it feels a bit less airy. Although it still gets packed on Fridays and Saturday nights, both by happy-hour nearby rat-racers from the Bell building nearby and from locals and party goers on the weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, you must come out and check out their Jazz Afternoons, come around 2:00pm to attempt to get a seat as the music begins jamming at 3:30pm --and it's free! If you are like me, under 35, then come on Saturdays as Sundays caters to a much older crowd. Personally though, I don't mind either day if the music is good, except that on Sunday a lot of the seats are reserved for those regulars. And by regulars I mean, people who have been coming for at least over a decade+.
During summer nights, if you got a group of three or more friends, this is a great place to hang out. Even though The Pilot is technically in Yorkville I am pleased to report that they carry none of that snobbery which sometimes drags Yorkville down.
I recommend this hole in the wall. If you go sporting a laid-back state of mind, then you will like it too.Listed in: My Reviews
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Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
12/30/2010
In the immortal words of Death Cab for Cutie, "Everything Ends". After plumbing the reaches of Yorkville for cheap lunches over the past year, I'm moving on to a new job in a different part of town...well, not that different, but different enough that it'll make timing a challenge.
I will miss some lunch joints more than others. Most of all, I will miss the Pilot, a mildly grungy, multi-levelled affair with a killer patio for long summer lunches.
I've never had a bad meal at the Pilot, despite working my way through the menu.
If you ask for the signature dish, they'll try to sell you the Thai noodles. They're fine and like everything else here, generously portioned. I find them too heavy on the sweet and too light on the heat for my taste, but in a world where the Pickle Barrel serves its own take on Thai food alongside paella, brisket and whatever edamame-nightmare Rose Reisman dreams up when she's not strangling puppies, I'm not offended. Given the range of on and off-brand Thai places in this part of town, You're better off elsewhere, like Salad King, whenever and wherever it reopens.
Do a bit of homework and you'll find that Joanne Kates once rated the Pilot's burger as the best in the city.
Ms. Kates' praise dates back to a time before gourmet burger shops ruled the land, but her comments are spot on. A huge patty arrives on a soft, toasted sesame bun, with all the fixins and credible skin-on fries. Substituted sweet potato fries let you kid yourself into thinking you're eating healthy (let's forget the meat-truck in front of you, and the pint of draft by your elbow), but pre-New Years Resolution onion rings are the star of the show; golden fried and sweet, sided with a spicy dip which is put to better use on said burger. A patty-melt version eschews the fresh veg in favour of caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and fried marble rye bread. It's a grease-bomb, but a tasty way for the cholesterol-deficient to buck those numbers up.
The same batter that covers the onion rings blankets a giant-sized portion of fish, of ----'n chips fame.
Salads are more credible than you'd expect from a pub. A small Caesar starter would be enough for a light main. Grated Parmesan compliments the garlic-forward dressing. It's texturally correct; dry, sweetly crisp lettuce set off by a light application of creamy dressing. I appreciate it when a restaurant can tell the difference between soup and salad.
The biggest surprise is the special onion soup. Francophiles know how difficult to get a good crock in this city. So many rely on a few scant pieces of onion and watered down beef base. The Pilot's onion soup is rich and full of nut-brown oniony goodness. Cheese is applied sparingly, over a proper crouton. The soup is even licked with Pernod. That's right. I said 'licked'. I cited Joanne Kates. You're lucky I'm limiting my remarks to foreplay.
Desserts are made in-house, which is cause for celebration. Chocolate mousse is just slightly boozy, and comes topped with refreshing orange segments. Coffee is fresh, and drinkable.
Service is friendly. Lunch may be out of reach, but drinks after work are definitely on the table. -
Review from Cindy Y.
Scarborough, ON
6/23/2011 6 photos
Wow. Ew.
That sums up my experience here pretty much. I came here for birthday drinks with a few friends, excited because I heard the patio was great and the decor was spunky.
WELL.. even though I didn't expect much at all from the food, it was so disappointing. I ordered: Large strawberry spinach salad with almonds, with grilled shrimp skewer for an extra $4.50 (really?).
I was greeted with a heaping mound of spinach on a plate, salad dressing pooled at the bottom (no wonder most of it was bland?), measly chunks of strawberries, and a skewer with 5 tiny shrimp on it. So, so unappetizing.
My other friends ordered different things, like the burger, the quesadilla, the Greek salad, and the club sandwich, but all of seemed very sub-par. Perhaps I really should not have ordered a salad.
Also: ordered "Sex on a Beach" cocktail (were told they didn't make frozen cocktails, booooooo), and it tasted pretty much like orange juice. So weak.
I'd rather go to Hemingway's. -
Review from Jeff D.
Toronto, ON
12/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Any true Torontonian pub enthusiast would be remiss not to pay a visit to The Pilot. On balmy summer nights, well-sauced crowds congregate on the noteworthy rooftop patio. On Saturdays, less rowdy patrons come to chase away hangovers with live jazz. The menu offers typical pub fare, from grilled cheese and burgers to all-day breakfast, nachos and daily homemade soups. The Pilot's pad Thai and curried chicken with rice are standouts.
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Review from Brent B.
Toronto, ON
6/3/2011
Went there recently with a large group. The food and drinks were fine; not noticeably good or bad. The service, unfortunately, was very poor. Our waitress seemed to have an almost religious aversion to checking on our table. Okay, I get that, I've worked service, maybe they're understaffed that particular night and she's busy.
No, she's chatting for a _long_ time with friends/coworkers. I don't get it. I want to order more drinks. I want to tip you more. You will make more money! You don't need to be my best friend, but when the table has all empty glasses and people are obviously trying to make eye contact, maybe you should check in. Don't make me search for you to tell you that my table needs your attention.
I'll probably go back because of the location, but I didn't have a great first impression. -
Review from Melanie C.
Oakville, ON
7/27/2009
I stupidly wore the wrong shoes for an event at the Pilot, not knowing the patio was up a few floors. When I made it to the top, I was rewarded with a huge patio, but only to be disappointed by the wait for a table. On a gorgeous night, the patio can fill up quickly. Thankfullly, we were able to order drinks while waiting and were seated not too long after we had arrived.
I'd say the service was pretty good overall. Our waiter was impressively knowledgeable about beer. I found them a little strict with things like how many chairs can be at a table, and which size of chair can be at which tables. I'm sure they have valid reasons for their rules, but some of them seemed a little ridiculous.
I ordered the nachos to munch on while drinking, and they were terrible. I don't recommend the food here - it's a tavern, not a restaurant.
On the main floor you can check out some incredible artwork. The Pilot features different artists at different times of the year. The artwork is for sale, so if you see something you love, it's yours! I spent a lot of time admiring the current display which features airplanes. I plan on returning to check out different artists. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Pilot Tavern seems like an reasonable place for a drink or 2 with friends when one is in the Yorkville Area.
You won't find fancy cocktails, martinis with a funny name. Everything here is down to earth with a menu offering simple burgers/sandwiches with fries. All the greasy pub food and a good selections of beers on taps.
I would suggest going to Pilot on a sunny warm afternoon instead of cool and rainny evening when the place was empty and depressed! -
Review from Angela L.
11/4/2009
The Pilot has, in my humble opinion, one of the best assorted appetizer platters ($16.95) I've seen in a while. With an assortment of smooshy crab cakes, fragrant coconut shrimp, lightly battered calamari rings, and juicy chicken skewers, and not one weasly filler-filled spring roll to push around, there's plenty of variety to keep us dabblers happy. The wine and beer lists are quite extensive and the rest of the pub fare menu provides plenty of options to choose from.
The first thing you see when you walk in is the uber long and stylish bar. The rest of the large black room is given character through touches of metallic aviation themed accents. It kind of makes you wish you were going somewhere by plane, but then again, the drinks wouldn't be half as good as you can get on the ground! -
Review from Jane M.
6/10/2011
I ended up here after a very financially traumatic visit to a restaurant serving $20 cocktails and $9 Coronas. It was a welcome change of venue.
I'd like to say I noticed anything about the decor but I didn't, so I'm going to pretend (assume?) that there is an awesome aviation theme. It'll blow your mind! There is definitely two large TVs, but neither were playing 'the game' of the night, which I think was basketball. One was tuned to CP24 (HECK YES!) and the other was showing something equally entertaining (is there a CP24 HD/Extra?). We also noticed that there was a large black mark on the CP24 TV -- someone may have thrown a shoe at it in an attempt to change the channel -- which I'm sure is distracting for hardcore CP24 fans.
Other than that, everything was good here. Gin and tonic is 5.75, if that's what you're into. I recall the Heineken being roughly seven bucks a pint, which is a little expensive. That said, this was also higher than the average price of their beers, so Heino Winos be warned -- you may have to lower your standards (?) if you're determined to get pie-eyed on the cheap.
The only complaint I have is that our waitress didn't seem to want to bring us our bill. She wasn't just slow or busy, she literally disregarded our request to pay immediately after we asked, preferring instead to wander aimless around at the opposite end of the bar. After about twenty minutes we started to actively look for her and noticed her making polite conversation with a coworker. A little while later we observed her strolling around behind the bar, before stopping to use the mirror to restyle her look for the evening. Once she was done with her Extreme Makeover: Bar Edition, she did a leisurely round of the place and we finally managed to catch her attention. Not a flicker of recognition on that face, I'm telling you. It's like she'd never even seen us before, that is how much she did not remember our bill. The second time seemed to do the trick though, as the request stuck and she didn't stop once on the way to the register. Hurray!
Just a note: In case you're picky about your bars being bars, this place is both a restaurant AND a bar, and I would say it errs on the side of more restaurant than pub. We weren't pressured to order food at any point during the evening, but pretty much everyone around us was eating and the tables have that 'super close together' thing in common with restaurant seating. -
Review from Billy D.
1/17/2010
Take it or leave it... Nothing too special at this place in my opinion.
But, if they have a patio (as advertised), January might not have been a good time to drop in...
Good draft beer variety was the savior. -
Review from Emma B.
Toronto, ON
7/21/2009
I've heard about this place for years but never had the opportunity to go until this past Saturday...and what a pleasant surprise!
We headed up to the large roof-top patio for after dinner drinks. Right after a giant dinner, those stairs were kind of daunting and seemed to go on forever. It also crossed my mind that they were pretty precarious if you're already half-way to tipsy, but after reaching the top I'm making the pronouncement - they're worth navigating!
It was only 9:30 but the top level was half-full already - a nice, varied crowd too. Not too many of one insufferably cliched group. So nice not to inadvertently step into the 905 or hipster tableaus, which seem to be the hallmarks of so many other "spots" downtown.
We managed to snag a nice table in the centre of the action. The service was awesome - by 10 or 10:30, the place was rammed (but not uncomfortably so) but they were super attentive. Always checking we were okay, making sure our drinks were full, bringing a large jug of water for the designated drivers in the group, etc. About half-way through the night, they decided to open up the canopies but wanted to warn everyone because it had rained earlier in the day and didn't want anyone to get any stray water drips. Our table got a bit of a deluge and they were super apologetic, finding a way to move everyone, despite the busy crowd, and just generally kind.
The drinks were fairly inexpensive considering the Yorkville locale and the music was fantastic - good mix of new and nostalgic tunes.
Also nice - the rooftop patio has bathrooms located just by the entrance, meaning there was no need to navigate those stairs to visit the loo. And they're fairly sizable and well-kept for patio bathrooms...an added bonus!
Highly recommend. -
Review from Joanne W.
6/4/2011
What a cute little place! Located in Yorkville in between both Bay and Bloor St., this bar has a great rooftop/upstairs patio with heated lamps. It's a great place to hang out after work - however, be prepared - it's quite loud there on a Friday evening. Food is okay too - but not the greatest (but what do you expect out of pub food)?
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Review from Tamar F.
1/5/2010
Totally neat pub... I always thought from the outside (when I lived in the hood) that it was going to be seedy, but that may have been because a pack of four bums got me to give them half a Pizza Pizza when I was passing by the Pilot on a cold night.
The place is clean, the food was tasty, and they have a good assortment of drinks. And it seems to draw an interesting crowd ranging from Yorkville yuppies to scruffier students. -
Review from Karl R.
4/3/2010 5 photos
In the middle of uber swank Yorkville is this unpretentious pub. Food is typical pub fare, nothing really over priced, and a respectable range of beers, both on tap and in bottle. Looks like they have mostly domestic beers on tap, including some microbrews. No Guinness on tap. No faux Irish pub pretensions.
When the weather turns fine, the roof offers a patio experience. There's also a small street level patio for those who want to watch leggy blond trophy wives strut their stuff.
Our waitress seemed somewhat deficient. Our drink order was promptly filled but we were left looking for her to take our food order. We got another visit to get our drinks refilled and then she seemed to spend the rest of the night talking to the bartender. A companion had to remind her about, you know, patrons. We got the bill and I left a moderately insufficient tip. -
Review from Tre D.
Toronto, ON
5/29/2010
This bar is all about the rooftop patio. The inside is like any normal dark pub with all the beers you'd ever want and a couple of tv's.
The patio though is amazing. All stainless steel and modern. Roof that can be opened or closed depending on the weather as well as some over-head heating.
I've never had a bad time here. Always lots of room to sit down. I recently threw a party there for about 35 people, and there was seating for everyone.
Great bar. Great staff. Slightly expensive, but that's alright. -
Review from Matthew S.
Toronto, ON
5/21/2010
A predictably average pub and restaurant in Yorkville. The large rooftop patio is great. The food, while overpriced and not amazing, is better than I'd expect from a place like this. There's no real character to the place, but also nothing offensive about it either.
They seem very proud of their Thai Noodles (aka Pad Thai); it's a decent version, not traditional, but also not too ketchupy. The "hot" version didn't even have a hint of spice, but they brought out some hot sauce so I won't hold it against them. At $12 (more for meat), it's a few bucks too expensive in my books.
The patio gets busy in the summer and service can be really slow. Do go here for lunch if you're in a rush. -
Review from Anonymous A.
10/14/2010
Excellent rooftop patio and great food and drinks. The only thing that sucks is there isn't much of a view aside from the tops of Bay St buildings, and they were a bit slow to put a roof over head when there was rain.
Also, a raccoon was spotted climbing the vent pipes. -
Review from Joe L.
Toronto, ON
5/3/2010
Friday night we headed to the Pilot located in the quieter Yorkville section east of Yorkville's busier main strip. The entrance to the roof top patio is a separate door immediately east of the Pilots main bar entrance. We climbed about a hundred stainless steel aviator type stairs up to the large well heated rooftop patio. Plenty of sun/moon-roof panels when opened provided an amazing sky view on a balmy evening. The drinks taste better when the atmosphere is kool. The crowd was age varied. The service was great and the drinks were comparatively cheap for Yorkville. The blackened chicken pizza was tasty. The music was funky but we had to change tables as the speaker in front our table was loud - too bad turning down the volume never seems to be an option. A top 10 rooftop patio.
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Review from Carla D.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2010
I had booked a work event here by recommendation from my manager as he had a personal connection here. The event manager I dealt with was great, thorough and made some good recommendations on the menu prior to the event itself. However when we got to the actual event, it was altogether a different story. The cold appetizers were served extremely late and after repeated inquiries into the hot food that was supposed to be served immediately after, we were told that the delay was due to a miscommunication in the kitchen, however our orders were being expedited. Once they did arrive the quality was extremely lacking. Anyway by this time the booze seemed to have taken over my colleagues' sensibilities and while I did not hear too many complaints that evening, I'm sure to hear them come Monday. I'll definitely be looking elsewhere for future office functions.
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Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
10/17/2008
The Pilot is like a pub on steroids. It's three floors of Pubdom. The top is a huge rooftop patio that is rammed for lunch and after work drinks. It seems that everyone from the neighborhood (especially MTV up the street) goes to The Pilot for after work drinks. The food is like urban pub fare, with pad thai and such thrown in for good measure, but it's no better than pub food anywhere else. Great sun on that rooftop though. Just try to go in the mid afternoon when the rush is over.
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Review from Denise S.
4/13/2010
Fun, relaxed place for a drink on a nice summer evening. The patio upstairs is great, especially for groups. Live jazz on weekends.
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