Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Arts and Culture

Photo: Sarah Freedman

Irish jigs, kitschy British décor, or sports paraphernalia. Most pubs build their appeal on window dressings and a clever name. But Victory Café has no qualms about just being itself - that is to say, a good pub.

The Victory Café's beer list is brimming with Ontario micro-brews, including draughts from Nickel Brook brewery in Burlington, King brewery in Nobleton, and Flying Monkeys craft brewery in Barrie. Pints range from $5.75-$6.50. They also carry regular bottled beer for the less adventurous.

The so-called "café" serves up its brew in a class redbrick house in the Annex, now converted into a multi-level watering hole on the corner of Markham and Lennox. Nestled amongst the restaurants and boutiques of Mirvish Village - named for its gargantuan retail neighbour, Honest Ed's - the area (and the pub) has the quintessential Annex vibe, with bike-riding students and 30-something urbanites.

Downstairs, the rooms are sparsely decorated with local art, stained glass windows, and floor-to-ceiling wood paneling. Upstairs, the velvet couches, rich-coloured walls and a fireplace lend a more sophisticated atmosphere. However, Victory Café wouldn't win any awards for cleanliness; the décor often more shabby than chic.

The menu captures the dressed-down vibe with a decent showing of comfort foods. Victory Café has built a reputation on favourites like "real mac n' cheese" and its pulled pork sandwich. The kitchen didn't disappoint with a hefty bowl of macaroni topped with Gruyere and Colby cheese, and an added twist of sundried tomatoes and caramelized onions, all for $9.95. The sweet potato fries were decent, and at $8.95 the fish n' chips tasted fresh rather than freezer-burned.

Victory Café plays host to a regular jazz and string quartet night, along with poetry slams and comedy showcases. As one blogger put it, "the Victory was supporting the arts scene in Toronto long before the Drake came along, with regular jazz performances, poetry readings and a special attention to theatre."

But if you're in for more than a pint and some live tunes - think cocktails and dancing shoes - save your visit to Victory Café for another night.

Even so, with a wrap-around patio stirring up images of pints on steamy summer evenings, I'll definitely be back for more. -Meghan Lawson

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