Bryden's is my favourite pub in Bloor West Village. An eclectic mix of seating furnishes this spot, including an incredibly comfy couch. The atmosphere is perfect for catching up with friends or watching a game. All the food here is great, but a few of my favourites include the macaroni and cheese, the scotch egg, and the sweet potato fries. read more

I've been here many times, probably starting in 2004. Excellent craft beer selection combined with friendly service. And Martina has returned, a true gem. I describe Brydens as the last bar with a true Toronto feel as you go west on Bloor Street. Maybe with the exception of the Olde Sod. But Brydens has a much more hip vibe. And the food is a cut above most pubs. Well presented and not everything is deep fried or breaded thank God. Beer is the focus here and they are changing up the craft offerings regularly. And the prices are surprisingly reasonable. The patio is OK, good for people watching but the traffic noise is pretty intense. The interior is eclectic and hipster-divey, which makes it a prime pub to get your drink on. And when it is packed, Brydens is a great night out. I would give 5 stars, but the lighting is harsh and from above when sitting at the bar and the chairs are a little uncomfortable. I usually ask the bartender to dim the lights at the bar so maybe I am nitpicking. read more

Last night (Saturday of Halloween weekend) a group of 12 of us were doing a pub crawl. We are all in our 30s and 40s, not loud and crazy, just having some Halloween fun, and we were spending a lot of money at each pub. We stopped in here, the place was dead so we thought our stop-in would have been appreciated. Nope - this bartender was immediately rude, refused to service us unless we sat down at a table and waited to be served. Half of our group was immediately disgused and walked out the door, and others tried to order Jäger Bombs. She aggressively told them "we don't do kids shots in here." You missed out on a good $250 sale and probably an easy $100 in tips because of your attitude, you rude, unprofessional, lazy idiot. read more

Absolute fantastic Bloor West Village neighbourhood bar that offers you a jovial atmosphere and the staff are a delighted to serve you food, alcohol, or a friendly smile. I came here for a friend's birthday where he is not just a regular but seemed like a beloved regular. They even came out with a little birthday dessert and song at the height of the evening. It was very sweet and thoughtful. The staff here are really friendly and service is super duper quick. The atmosphere is just exactly what you would expect it to be. Music blasting over the speakers, mix of seating between bar, tables, and couches, a golden tee machine in the back when you have a score to settle, a chalkboard with the latest available suds to wet your whistle, and a friendly face to welcome you. Drink selection is pretty good here. I got to try this Nickelbrook barrel-aged plum sour that was just a lip-smacking delight. I didn't get a chance to try the food but someone at my table did order one of their off-menu specials of the day and it looked delicious. It was a grilled (or stuffed) quarter chicken leg on a bed of really flavourful creamy barley and topped with green beans. I'm secretly impressed that this came from a pub kitchen. Shout-out to Shannon who not only made sure we never had an empty beer glass in front of us for long and willing to join in on the friendly ribbing of a Yelp Elite at the table. It was a hoot! :-D read more

Bryden's - people sitting at a bar - Pubs Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here for Raptors game 5, where we unfortunately were heart broken that evening. Bryden's is a great local spot in bloor west village, fantastic environment and a great little pub with good beers. The staff is super friendly, however the food was okay at best. We ordered Nachos and Quesadillas. The Nachos were good with the trio meats. A little bit of pulled pork, some beef, and also grilled chicken. Definitely a lot of toppings on there! Must try if you make your way westwards. The quesadilla's on the other hand were interesting and not what I was expecting at all. This is partly my fault since I was too busy watching TV and not looking at the ingredients. I think this is the first time that I've ever had candied walnuts, and pear in my quesadilla. I'd suggest staying away from this, unless you're feeling adventurous. Overall, if you're looking for a great pub with tasty beers, you'll definitely have a great time. read more

Bryden's - Pubs Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Bar Crawl #6: A sip of Great Lakes Raspberry Hissyfit Grisette I don't remember much about my visit to Bryden's and I know I will be coming back. The beer list here are all craft beer from local breweries and I like how they really featured Great Lakes Brewery, my favourite brewery! The set up here is quite roomy with some sofa like area where one can lounge and enjoy your drinks! Bryden's beer list is seasonal and on rotation, I just love surprises. I will be back! read more

Bryden's - Pubs Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Gord and I had supper Friday at Bryden's ... we hadn't been there since December. It's a good pub if you are into craft beer. We both ordered the Chicken Parm Sangwich. ord got his with potato salad and no marinara sauce (he doesn't like tomatoes). He said it was good. I had mine with fries and no mushrooms or onions. It was delicious! I'd get it again. Our server was friendly and took good care of us. read more

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I love the food here, as well as the vast drink selection. Friendly staff, good recommendations, cool atmosphere. Check it out if you're in the village! read more

Want to try interesting local beers and cask ales? Go to brydens. Want killer cheesy, messy, pub nachos? Brydens. Want to escape hipsterland and just relax at a dive-esque bar? Bry-dens! read more

Bryden's - Great selection of beer! - Pubs Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Good pub food; decent pricing; friendly staff; quick service; typical pub ambiance; my only issue is how dirty the quaint furniture is; but the place has personality. read more

Updated to one star from two: I think the service got even worse. Thank god I'm moving out of the area. Original review: I would love to give this place more stars because it was one of the first bars I started to go to after moving to the area a few years ago. But not even the delicious sweet potato fries can make up for the terrible service. Positives: Great selection of beer. Good wings. Great sweet potato fries! Cons: You might see your server twice (if you're lucky) within an hour. I'll probably still end up coming here once in a while for the beer.... but until they hire some decent servers, this will not be my local read more

This place was cute, very old and familiar feel to the place. Came in for a beer, the bartender was very knowledgeable. An older crowd mixed with student aged types, which was super cute. read more

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A peerless selection of craft beers including rotating cask ale. Three entree specials change every week, and they compete against a solid pub menu of well prepared standards. I am not usually a salad guy, but the Maestro salad is the best in the city. Mixed greens, with frizzled leeks, chicken, bacon, blue cheese and avocado in a lime vinaigrette. Not light, but rewarding. Kid friendly before 8pm, and a terrific option for brunch on the weekends. Decent, but not optimal place to watch the game. 4 flat screens. Terrific service. read more

This is my favourite bar in the Bloor West area. The bartenders - especially Delany - and the owner, Tash, are incredibly friendly, talkative and helpful. In a rather unique way, they actually do make the experience better and make you want to come back. read more

Nice little bar. Can tell the owners work hard and I appreciated the relaxed vibe. Food was creative and tasty. Nice spot to hangout that wasn't too packed. My only complaint is the menu is a bit limited for a bar and they ran out of Mac n cheese at 8 pm on a Saturday. I get it though as it was clearly just the two owners running the whole show. I don't drink but I noticed their drink selection was large and looked interesting. read more

Came here as the first stop to a craft beer hop for my partner's birthday. they have a decent beer list with GLB as their main focus. They also have flights to try a few 4oz pours! Had a german pilsner to start the night off and some artichoke dip! Both were good and refreshing. The patio was small but sufficient for people watching. The service was consistent and friendly. yay for their 3-7pm app specials. read more

Went in to get a plate of wings to celebrate international chicken wing day, the wings seemed like they came from an anorexic bird which can be good or bad depending on your view on hormones. I like big wings so for me it's a negative. While I waited for my food which came pretty fast, I came to the realization no matter where you sit in this place, there is a tv to watch. The seating type has a wide range of seating types from sofas and arm chairs, to regular seats and a patio. The "craft" beer is technically not craft beer(the beer board has an interesting little story about it in small letters. As for the Wi-Fi it isn't open (which is best from a security standpoint) but it is free you just have to ask for the password and you should be given the password. As for the menu it is smaller before a certain time but the items are still available, so if you don't see it just ask if they have it. read more

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Ladies, if you like to have your pick of portly married men that have not seen the inside of a gym in 5 years...this is the spot for you. Totally chill local bar. Full of married men escaping the wrath of married life with kids; making it an awesome place for women who aren't interested in "mingling" (like me). A perfect refuge to drink with regulars who are there for the beer and nachos. The mix match of furniture including sofas, arm chairs and easily movable tables gives it a cozy basement kinda feel. There's a robust and comprehensive selection of local and not so local craft beer, that changes regularly, which will excite any beer drinker (not me). Bonus: Due to the extreme male/female ratio (30:1), the women's washroom is always super clean available! read more

I love Bryden's. The cozy atmosphere is perfect for either grabbing a drink on a gray afternoon or enjoying a quiet dinner on a Friday night. I especially love their Mac and cheese daily specials. Bryden's is by far the best bar in the bloor west village. read more

Nice little neighborhood bar. The bartender was nice and helpful but didn't over do it. Actually put some thought into making beer suggestions. Didn't get food because we had already eaten but the plates I saw looked and smelled amazing. We'll have to go back for dinner some time. read more

First rate place. Had a great experience here, just before the holidays as I was there for an industry event for craft beer reps. The place may be slightly smaller but the selection of incredible craft beer is HUGE. I really like this space, as I mentioned it a little smaller and right ON the intersection of Jane and Bloor (Bloor West Village) but it's cozy, a great pub for winter drinks especially if you're from the neighbourhood. Looking at it, it gives off the the look from the decor and furniture of an irish pub to give you some perspective. That however changes with the aforementioned beer selection (did they even have anything Irish ha ha), and the pub style food. I got a chance to speak with the owner during my visit and he gave me a history lesson on the place, telling me that when he took it over years ago it was his goal to bring a gourmet spin to traditional pub faves - something many people would call Gastro-pub fare. Brydens has been doing it longer and I'd dare say before the term was even a dirty thought. For the record I had the Jerk Chicken/Carribean wrap with spuds - just the right amount of spice, perfectly portioned and cooked. Delicious (Plus it absorbed my booze so I could go home and not be a mess the next day, so.... #WINNING) I wish I lived closer to this place as it's definitely my kind of local hang out. Check it out if your walking in BWV! Eatcrest Out! PS - I forgot to mention, because they're a great customer of Great Lakes Brewery, they were one of a very few who go a special limited edition Egg Nog Porter (and only a small portion). If you're a porter fan you'll love this... it's CLEAR (picture a wheat beer in colour) but the thickness and smoothness of a porter and the taste of a cup of Egg Nog! Jumpin Jesus Craft Beer! 7+% ABV as well, it'll get you in the holiday spirit even if you don't celebrate! read more

This is one of the places that I miss the most of my old digs. Found right at the base of Jane Street (at the Bloor end, you scardey-cats), Bryden's is one of the places that is gloriously independent, quaint, and non-franchised. As such the menu is flexible and fresh, the staff is un-uniformed, and the place is just cozy. The patio area is of a "good luck getting a seat in the summer time" size. So, smallish. If you lose out, the seating areas inside are more than accommodating where you've got options between table-style seating and couches or armchairs with coffee tables for drinks, food, etc. This is truly a non-pretentious place to eat and drink, and the menu is completely reflective of this. "The Best Damn Nachos...Period!", "This Ain't Yo Mama's Fruit Salad", and "Nigel Benn's Auntie's Jerk Chicken Wrap" all make the grade and are worth the trip to Jane Subway station. read more

Being a fan of cask beer I visited Bryden's with a friend who is always on the search for great watering holes. This friendly and small pub at Jane and Bloor is a great spot for local beers, one cask variety and of course nachos. I generally never order nachos and seem to have low expectations but Bryden's does a great job with them. They somehow manage to layer cheese, sour cream, guac, and chunky salsa perfectly and those chips that are missed are covered in papikra. Go Mon or Tue when apps are $6 and small nachos are included as a what is really a small meal. You'll enjoy the great beers and excellent food. Be prepared to wait if in a larger group. Busy place with limited seating. read more

I wanted to post an updated review of Bryden's as I unexpectedly made it there again yesterday for only my 2nd meal there but for the 1st time I had their 'famous' nachos. I found them to be quite worth their reputation overall; quite a generous quantity of food overall given the price and the cheese was well cooked as it was well spread over the other ingredients. As yesterday was a Sat. and I arrived at dinner time, it was already fairly crowded and became packed while I was there. The service, as usual, was pretty friendly and not too slow given the packed venue. For my 1st time I didn't have any beer to drink while there (I had been drinking beer beforehand elsewhere) but nonetheless, Bryden's reputation remains intact with me. read more

Considering Bloor West Village sports a pretty bumpin' night life (No.) I'd say Bryden's is one of the best pubs in the area... For what it's worth. Good ol' Bryden's has a very communal, pub-esque vibe. The hum of two flat screen T.V.'s buzz in the background. Soccer on one screen, foot ball on the other. The seating selection is limited, with a few worn out tables here and there. They have several vintage sofa's and arm chairs scattered about. The space is a bit dingy and the lighting rather poor. But with the right group of people, there's something about the atmosphere that just feels right. I think cozy is the right word i'm lookin' for. Cheesy classic rock songs are playing, over-powering the television's drone. I have no issue with this, infact, I love it. Nothing beats "Living on A Prayer" after a few drinks... Just sayin'. The pub's decor may not be the fanciest, but they have a great selection of beer. 32 kinds to choose from. Wine's also got a spot of the menu. They have a tiny patio out front. It's always full, but i'm sure if you arrive a bit early anyone could snag a spot. I order myself a Waupoo's cider. It's bubbly, refreshing and has a striking apple flavour. One of the best cider's i've ever tasted. Foreva' eva'? Foreva' eva. A co-worker of mine orders nacho's and the smily waitress brings over a heaping mountain of what look's to be some pretty friggin' tasty nacho's. Quac, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, meat, cheese, god. I don't even know what else was piled on there. I just know I'll probably be ordering nacho's next time I stop by. The only thing about this place that was strange was the wash rooms. They didn't have "Men" or "Women" signs. Instead, they had weird, mer-people looking faces on each door. It took me a few seconds to realize which was the Men's mer-face and which was the Women's mer-face. None-the-less, SUCCESSFUL TRIP. I will definitely be back for another after-work Waupoo's cider. Woo! read more

One of our locals .... good beers and getting better [lots of stuff from Robert Simpson and Great Lakes Brewing] , groovy eclectic atmosphere, solid pub food, great sweet potato fries, toddler friendly, decent smallish patio, fair prices. A good indie place in BWV. read more

Bryden's is my go to in Bloor West. They carry craft beers and the selection changes on a regular basis. The food is good pub grub. THey have free wifi and a great atmosphere! Check it out! read more

Great pub in Bloor West Village. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They were patient when we couldn't decide on drinks and took the time to explain the selections and made great recommendations. I haven't sampled much of their food.... yet. The atmosphere is definitely their best selling feature. The eclectic mix of furniture; combining couches for relaxing with tables for 2 or 4 and bar seating as well. It has quite a lot of seating considering how small the place is. I also love the different fabrics on each chair. Very homey. read more

EXCELLENT BEER SELECTION Best beer selection in the village. Decent food, but I go for the brews. Good atmosphere, good service. Beer-wise, they have cask beers and roating draughts. Tried some "Black Oak Nut Brown" the other night and loved it. Two thumbs way up on the bevvies! read more

One of my fav. local neighbourhood places. Friendly service, great beers on tap and tasty pub food all at fair prices. Love the sweet potato fries with the maple whiskey flavor wings. Weekday special is half price appetizers (try the calamari with wasabi mayo - also great!). Cozy atmosphere in the fall/winter months and cute sidewalk patio in the warmer weather. Definitely a shining gem amongst pretentious and expensive eateries in Bloor West Village. read more

This is going to be a quick review ( touch screen style) They've just got rid of two imported taps for a rotating local stout. The other open tap has gone to a Waupoos cider ( prince Edward county). And, there's the cask too.... All in all, this place is one of a favorite local. 17 taps of craft brew, quite simply, is beautiful. Other notes: - different pub furniture deco: large comfy chairs - HD Espn : watching Real Madrid v Lyon - friendly staff - didn't have any grub this time, but good pub fare read more

3 WORDS -- PULLED PORK NACHOS!!! Decent beer selection and good food with reasonable prices, it's a decent little pub at the intersection of Bloor + Jane... and if you're a nachos fan, I highly recommend the pulled pork nachos, traditional nachos with a good bitta BBQ flavour... get the "el loco" size and it's good for sharing. read more

It's a Holiday, May 18, Victoria Day. Back in Bryden's. Busy, busy. Martina is doing the work of six regular employees. Nice day, the patio is open. She smiles at everybody. She even remembers my choice of beer. Note to Martina's boss: Give this lady a raise! read more

I've dropped in twice recently for pub grub, and a couple pints. T The nachos are amazing. I repeat, AMAZING. A few Ambroise Pale Ales and a wings were also shared by myself and my "dining" partner. I passed by a table with a freshly delivered Chicken Parm Sandwich. I'll be most certainly getting that next time. It looked gooood. This place is in true pub form. Great service, super-nice staff. Eclectic bunch of seats and chairs. I like it. Most definitely will return to this quaint little place. read more

Was excited to try this place but it was just ok nothing that we considered a stand out. Basic wings and standard fare. read more

I heard about this place years back, with Bryden's apparently being one of the original craft beer bars in the city before it became a trend. After a while of being curious about it, I finally had a reason to go for a drink at Jane St & Bloor and made a point of stopping in, and now I've even returned a couple times since. The environment is somewhere between dive bar and ghetto living room, with the one wall being comprised of vintage couches and coffee tables and then some 4 seater tables in the middle of the room and then the bar along the eastern wall. Its comfortable, and the furthest possible thing from pretentious which is probably appropriate for the area. The beer list is really solid, with lots of great craft beer options including a variety of Ontario brews and a few imports. There are 7 rotating taps and you'll usually find some very interesting one off options. I settled in on a tasty pint of GLB's Thrust IPA on my first visit which was a nice unique tap option. Food wise, I stopped in on a Monday which was $6 app night including $6 pounds of chicken wings. The wings were really good! A good size and the "Very Medium" flavour were quite tasty and just about the perfect medium flavour. They also had some more unique options like Jerk flavoured wings which apparently were quite good as well. Wings reminded me of the Wheat Sheaf. Another visit included a pulled pork sandwich, which admittedly did not impress. All in all, this place is pretty cool. Food is decent, drinks were great. Although I'd still say this place is a bit below the caliber of some of the newer craft haunts, but once you go this far west, it's probably one of the best available. read more

Can't beat this place for beer selection. Full of interesting finds. Wait staff is consistently excellent, attentive, and knowledgeable. Minus 1 star for food. Nachos great, mac and cheese amongst the best in the city. Everything else, not so much. Get the Mac and cheese, it is seriously gooey exceptional. And relish in craft beer heaven. read more

Short review: I'd come here for the beer, the atmosphere, some small bites. Would not come here for food. And the extended: I like their beer selection quite a bite. They have some I don't see everywhere. They change it up I hear, which is great! Go here for beer. As for the food, I don't understand why bars have pad thai on the menu. Unless it's going for an asian theme, stick to the basics. I had the "world's greatest nachos"; if you gotta say that, you aren't the best. They certainly were not. They were ok. Good for sharing. I had the smaller of the two sizes. Definitely a good share snack and good enough for two who just wanna eat something with their beer. The guys all dress like lumberjacks. The decor is basically beer advertisements. The bathrooms actually were quite decent; lit up well and not really as disgusting as many other bars. They got a small outdoor patio though, it's on a main street so I guess can't do much. Stick to the basics: nachos, fries and beer. read more

Great place to take shelter on a cold winter day, or in this case cool down with a cold beer in the summer! Love the crab cakes and all the finger foods.. can't go wrong. Even sent a few friends this way when looking for something this way! read more

Bryden's - Crispy bush pilot before lunch! - Pubs Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Absolutely a jerk bartender who isn't even from Toronto....he is a Milton hack lives in Milton but they would never trust him at the commercial and main location in Milton. This guy serves his friends nothing more and tells u sorry last call has past. Meanwhile he serves his friends before and after last call ignoring the average customer read more