The Belsize Public House

2016-07-18. We came for an early dinner on a Sunday night. The patio was packed, but there was ample seating inside. It filled up by the time we left. We opted to sit on the comfy bench seats across from the bar which offered a view of the Jays game (gorgeous on their HD TV). Solid tap list of craft beer, we both opted for My Bitter Wife from Great Lakes. Not too many rarities per se, but featuring some out of town options like Boshkung and Royal City. I had a fried chicken sandwich, which was quite rich - it seemed oilier than it was because the meat was rich, I’m guessing leg or thigh meat? - but delicious. Caesar side salad was decent. Mabel had fish and chips - the batter was thinner than my preferences, but the fish in side was perfectly cooked. Fries were above average. The decor has some well chosen accents - the license plate map of Canada on the wall is great - but feels a bit spartan/overly polished at times. I never visited the previous iteration of the space but there is a freshness to the renovation still that lends it more of a gastropub vibe than a lived in pub. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the overall impression is just a little bit more posh than my preference. Overall - a nice spot that I expect could earn a permanent spot on our "too lazy to cook dinner but willing to walk to the pub" rotation :)