Can anyone recommend a pub with great, wonderful, fantastic food? Alas, most places I find are just a cut above McDonalds...

Gret may be stretching things a bit, and is subject to differeing opinions, but...

The Elephant and CAstle, at the corner of Simcoe and King Street West, across from Roy Thomson Hall, has successfully fed a number of my friends.

Chicago, which is more of a bar than a pub, depending on your definitions, on Queen Street West near Peter Street, has very good hamburgers.

Is Hooters a pub? Regardless, the wings are very, very good.

Toronto does not have, to the best of my knowledge, the kind of gourmet pub that seems to be growing in England.

BAK

I don't generally like what's normally considered pub food but we often go to a place called the Abbott Pub and their menu is quite different than the average pub and the food is very, very good. I prefer the original which is north of Lawrence, south of Hogg's Hollow, but they've recently opened a second place on Yonge near Summerhill. You can get dinner downstairs but they have a dining room upstairs too. They have a pretty broad menu with things like shepherd's pie, lamb sausages, home-made soups, pretty good steaks, and good daily specials as well.

I would suggest posting on Chowhounds - someone there is bound to have an opinion on what's good.

Thanks for your suggestions.

The best pub I have found in the GTA is the Black Dog in Port Union, It is in an very out of the way place. They have prime rib and yorkshire pudding on Sundays for about $22.

Rodney's Oyster House has a pub style atmosphere.

My favourite pub in Ontario is Bentley's in Stratford.

But there is no equivalent of a gastro pub with a top notch chef, nice atmosphere and a wide range of pints to sample. Sounds like opportunity knocking. I think the Yorkville area would be a good location.

There's the place on King Street, just east of Yonge Street, with Beer in its name. Supposedly they have a great selection of beer and very good food.

Irish Embassy, Yonge a block or two south of King.

BAK

My picks are Beer Bistro, the Rebel House, and Mad Monty's.

No, there are no pubs with great food. If that's why you go to a pub, you have been making a category error. Except in, London of course, where they have gastro pubs.

Hogtown Jim --
Although I assume that Imhornet has based his opinion on the fact that he's eaten at every single one of the pubs mentioned above, can I reiterate my suggestion that you try the Abbot? Heck, try all of them and let us know what you think! Go with a few friends so you can taste several dishes and come back to us with a report.

"Although I assume that Imhornet has based his opinion on the fact that he's eaten at every single one of the pubs mentioned above, can"

In fact I have. And they areall mediocre.

Well, of course, Imhornet. I knew that. You get to all the best places first.

I'm not sure about "great" but I do enjoy the food at Betty's and C'est What. The meals are consistently good.

www.bettysto.com

www.cestwhat.com

I like the firkin chain. There's a good one by Much Music (on John I think) thats near a few other clubs and bars you might like too.

Ok - I tried the Abbot Pub in the Yonge Lawrance area twice.

First time I had lamb - it was tough and the second time fish and chips - dreadful with soggy chips and a greasy after taste.

The bar wait staff were not particularly friendly.

If you take Alice Fazooli's and turn it into a pub, drop some the Italian dishes for English fare, and lowered their prices, kept the friendliness of the wait staff they would get my business...This is not too much to ask...

The Starbucks nearby however is a nice play with comfy chairs and a fireplace.

Hi Hogtown Jim,
Oh well -- sorry you didn't like the Abbot but at least you gave it a fair try. I've never had either of the two dishes you tried but I particularly like their lamb sausages and they have a fabulous salad with spinach, chicken, peaches, grilled mushrooms and almonds that I love. I've also had some pretty good steaks there(good for a pub, not a steakhouse). Glad you tried it, though. And yes, that is a nice Starbucks.

PJ O'Brien's on Colborne Street isn't bad - some of the staff are actually Irish (the owner is, too).

Dora Keogh on the Danforth near Broadview brings in food from Allen's.

I dined at PJ O'Brians and got a mild case of food poisoning...

I'll walk down to Danforth and try Dora Keogh. The Spotted Pig was not bad for the one time I ate there. The cock-a-leekie soup was tasty.

The Silk Road which is next door to the Spotted Pig is very good as is Sur-e-Punjab.

Would you call Allen's on the Danforth a pub? Because it's excellent

Theres a new (2 week old) bar/resto called Houstons at the corner of Yonge and Wellington (just up from Shopseys) thats pretty good on a Thursday night. Didn't stay to eat but the food looked good.