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1163 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON M6H 1M9
Neighbourhood: Brockton Village
(647) 430-3834
Toronto, ON M6H 1M9
Neighbourhood: Brockton Village
(647) 430-3834
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 2 am
Sat-Sun 2 pm - 2 am
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
11 reviews for Three Speed
All Reviews
Three Speed
7/20/2010
Affiliated with the Dakota---definitely a good thing---this is a welcome addition to what was once a seedy neighbourhood. In its previous incarnation, this was a Vietnamese karaoke bar that looked like it was frequented by gangsters and which was frequently closed. Tuesday nights, there is a band that plays 'mountain music', bluegrass'----whatever you want to call it and has a drummer with overalls who belts out sweet high harmonies.
I'm partial to the St Ambroise beers on tap.
One of the bartenders plays guitar in The Beauties, a recently signed and quite awesome local indie country-rock band stallwart. One drawback is the place is hotter than a Satanic steambath and has two underpowered ceiling fans that don't rev high enough for my liking.
Three Speed
7/4/2010
What a great find!!
The outside of this restaurant is really not appealing, but since I just bought a bike from across the street and paid for parking, my friend and I decided to walk in just to check out what they have to offer. And WOW!!!
With a cute terrace in the back and a neat little menu, we gave them a shot and they did not disappoint. The waiters are pretty cool and laid back. We ordered a Belgian beer and a Strongbow along with the linguine w/mushroom & sausage and the fried chicken with mac&cheese. Yummmza!!! They are generous with their ingredients in each portion and everything is reasonably priced!!!
I highly recommend this joint, especially an evening on the terrace!! The only nuisance is people chain smoking next to you while you're trying to enjoy a meal. One or two before or after the meal, I can understand. After all you are free to do what you want. But chain smoking in a restaurant.... Not very considerate, that's all!!
Three Speed
6/7/2010
After visiting this unassuming joint in December and finding it to be fairly cute, with the requisite red-filtered mood lighting, exposed brick and chilled atmosphere, I was eager to see how this place would hold up in warmer months and, luckily, a back patio and tasty eats means I will certainly be going back.
On a warm day last week, a friend and I decided to hit it up for post-work booze and food since it was within walking distance from the station and her place and, really, when does that ever happen?
As mentioned, having only been once before, I had no idea they even had a proper dinner menu and was surprised to find them offering slightly dressed-up grub like mussels, involved sandwiches and some sort of chicken and mac n' cheese dish that sounded amazing but a little too indulgent, according to my thighs.
The only bummer was their Mennonite Sausage Sandwich (if my interpretation of the chalkboard handwriting is to be believed) couldn't be swapped out with any other kind of non-pork sandwich.
So the big salad it was for me and the garlic-infused mussels for my friend.
Despite being a little concerned that salad for dinner would leave me hungry, I'm happy I chose to go the leafy route. Fresh greens, which, if I recall correctly, included spinach and radicchio, were mixed with THE BEST candied walnuts I've ever had, tossed with sizable chunks of strong blue cheese, strawberries and a dressing that complemented the dish without overpowering it or leaving the greens drenched with sauce. Also, it came with two unexpected slices of yummy, crunchy garlic bread. Bonus!
Now I'm still on the fence about mussels in general - it's that weird seam down the middle and the super-chewy texture that makes me squirm - but I managed to choke down a few and man, were they tasty. I don't know if it was the garlic talking, but the Three Speed mussels almost had me considering making a proper effort to acquire a taste for the lean mollusks. And they too came with a considerable amount of sliced bread, perfect for sopping up the potent soup-like marinade in which the mussels were bathing.
If I had one suggestion, it would be making print-out menus, or installing a sandwich and/or chalk board on the back patio, so parties don't have to go inside to order. But all in all, Three Speed is more than just a bright star on a rather desolate stretch of street - it's good food, good atmosphere, good service.
And I didn't even mention their Caesars! We're talking FRESH horseradish people. I mean, just go there already.
Three Speed
4/1/2010
Went for a walk on a gorgeous warm Wednesday night in March and ended up at 3-Speed, only a couple of blocks from my bf's place. He'd been there with a buddy in the summer and suggested we check it out.
For a Wed. night, the place was packed! Not a seat to be had and it was only about 9:30pm. It's not that it's tiny, it's just that there's not much in the way of cozy hip bars in the area, I suppose. I walked in and immediately saw someone I knew, which was totally random but fun. Additionally, local celeb spotting included members of The Beauties, who I believe are somehow involved in the ownership.
The bar is really gorgeous. The kitschy wood-paneling is barely noticeable on the far wall since tables are line up against it in the front section and the back section has a beautiful triptych in mock sepia tone above the booths. Most tables face the beautiful exposed-brick wall which is the backdrop to the bar. Christmas lights give the whole place a warm cozy dim glow and you feel like you could easily sit there with some friends for a good couple of hours.
Decent selection of beers on tap and bottled, with pints in the $6.50 range. Interesting options include a 3-Speed Lager (though I didn't try it, so not sure if it's any good), and some Eastern European beers like the Polish Tyskie. Though this is not as interesting or beer-snobby as nearby Ciros' extensive list of Belgians, it's still pretty good and appropriate for a more neighbourhood style bar.
The menu seems interesting, but did not have a chance to try any of the food. Would definitely go back again. I recommend getting there early though, if you want a table or even a seat at the bar.
Three Speed
4/28/2010
I had the greatest mussels of all time here last night. Seriously.
Good food, good tunes, nice servers, Waupoos on tap... I dig it! Lots!!
Three Speed
2/26/2010
It's hard to get seating in here as it's one of the only 'nicer' bars along Bloor, west of Dufferin, meaning that it gets packed pretty quickly. I ran into a guy here once who said "Oh, you come here too? Everybody comes here." Do they? I wouldn't know because, well, every time I've been in there at a peak point, it was too packed and I was busy facing a wall, trying to down my pint.
The times I did get to enjoy the bar, the atmosphere was generally nice and comfortable. I like places that are intimate, dimly lit and with comfortable seating, which is what Three Speed definitely has to offer.
The food is kinda meh. For a place that serves mussels as one of their "featured" menu items (mussels served in three different ways), they could do a bit better with the overall taste of it. What are good mussels supposed to taste like? I felt like I was eating sand. Maybe it came straight from the sand. Maybe there was a pile of sand inside the kitchen. I had that feeling of flimsy rubber mixed with sand in my mouth after each bite. The mussel broth was pretty ughhh...okay. The Sirloin burger was also "okay", as was the coleslaw and giant slice of pickle that came with it. I finished everything because I was hungry but I doubt I'd come back here for food. I'll definitely go again for some beverages and to stare at a wall though.
Three Speed
2/6/2010
3 Check-ins Here
Come on, suckers.
Whenever a non-derelict bar opens up in a previously ghetto area, the hipsters flock and swoon.
Wear plaid shirt, find bar with exposed brick, order microbrew beer, groove to downbeat reggae, readjust ironic hat, rinse, repeat.
It's all a bit Liberty Village for me. Sure, some people love that.... but it all feels very unauthentic. I've never been a fan of fancy bars that try to look like dive bars.
Nothing's "wrong" here per se, I just kept feeling that I was on a movie set. This place is already a smash hit, it's only going to get more and more popular.
Three Speed
10/12/2009
1 photo
A nice little bar relatively close to my neighbourhood. The first time I walked in a noticed the cozy atmosphere with just the right amount of lighting, nice exposed brick and several beers on tap. The staff are all very nice and they have a small backyard with some chairs for smoking. The sign outside is very hard to catch so you may very well walk past this place the first time you try to find it.
I have only gone at night -- usually past 11pm -- but their menu on the wall has always caught my attention. Definitely need to try and make it there during lunch time hours. They're relatively new and I've only been on weekdays so I'm not sure if they have bands or DJs on other nights, but a couple of times I have gone it was simple goodness like Otis Redding and James Brown on CD. Perfect.
Three Speed
9/30/2009
I can't offer a five-star review because I didn't eat at Three Speed, but everything else seemed top notch. The bartender told me it used to be a Vietnamese karaoke bar, but you wouldn't know it from the cozy restoration they've pulled off, exposing an entire brick wall, installing comfortable booths and even setting up an old Electrolux vacuum to house the beer taps. The music on a Monday night was of the folk/roots variety, the selection of beers was outstanding and there was plenty of room. It really appears they have made no mistakes.
Next time, I'm trying the food!
Three Speed
Updated - 10/21/2009
3-speed opened up down the road from me, just a bit West of Dufferin and Bloor. So it's at the edge of Blansdowne. The bar is owned by the same people that own The Communist's Daughter. I've been there a couple times now. Each time I've found the experience shocking, for a few reasons: a) the place is always packed b) with young hip 20-somethings c) and no degenerates. It's very much out of place in the area. Prices are reasonable, and they have a good selection of beers. The food is apparently good, if I can trust my friends. The bar tenders are friendly. They play the music a bit too loud for my liking; it seems a bit too noisy for a bar. This place is definitely worth checking out. It's up there with Ciros as nice bars in the area.
Listed in: I live in BLANSDOWNE!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/16/2009 ROTD 8/27/2009 First to Review
I finally made it out to 3 Speed last night. It opened up the night before the BIG on BLOOR festival… Read more »
Three Speed
10/11/2009
Great atmosphere. Great food. Great drinks. Great live music. You can't really ask for much more.
