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| - Some context for my harsh feelings towards 'Bier Markt':
Okay - I am really into beer and being new to the city, I prodded around for bars in Toronto that would be to my liking. Bier Markt came up often. Hell - it came pretty highly recommended on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer. So expectation were high...
... but it's just a yuppie beer (yes - "BEER" not 'bier') bar. With that said, the patio is sufficiently nice and the service was quite courteous. If you like drinking overpriced bottled Belgian beer, this place is alright. But is not a craft beer joint for the following reasons:
TAP SELECTION: Maybe I came at the wrong time the draught selection was sorely lacking. The taps selection was comparable to any run-of-the-mill dive bar. Maybe it's just me - but I am only interested in draught selection. I can easily source and buy rare bottles and enjoy it at home. If you're used to joints with a 25+ craft brew rotation, Bier Markt is not for you. Let me put it this way - I had two pints and asked for the bill. I had already had everything else they had on tap -- and I didn't like any of it. We walked down the street to Bar Hop for our beer fix.
IMPORT-MANIA: As soon as I saw that they listed the beer by country (they also boast about having beer from 24 countries), I should have just left. I hate any place that does this. When I lived in Japan, I routinely saw nice bars that featured bottles of Budweiser and Coors on display. Yup - Bud and Coors. Why? Because morons think "beer from further away" = "better beer". Now apply this reasoning to Stella Artois, Czechvar, Heineken, Beck's, etc... do people honestly not realize they are drinking swill just because it's imported? There are some fine Belgian brews available - but lot of European trash beers too.
I know they don't have these in the GTA, but if you've been to a Fogg N' Suds (they are all over the place in Vancouver) -- Bier Markt is basically a Fogg N' Suds with 'yuppie guido' set to maximum... actually, the Fogg N' Suds chain has a better brew selection. That's pretty sad.
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