| rev:text
| - Review #3 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge 2012.
Food: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Overall experience: 2/5
(1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic)
The Libertine is not a terrible bar, but it's definitely not my top pick for a bar to drink and eat on Stephen Ave.
The Libertine is a fairly large bar with two floors, but the upstairs was closed at the time for a function. Instead my group of friends squeezed into a booth on the main floor which got really loud with the after-work crowd. I had to yell at my friends for them to hear me. I really liked the decor where their chandelier/lamp shades were of empty kegs. It has a crispy, clean "lounge" look than a bar with a seating arrangement similar to the District with tables close to the front, a middle section of booths, and bar tables on either side. It is fairly spacious unless you happen to sit next to a giant party who end up spilling into your area.
The service wasn't great either - the server didn't come by as often as we hoped and it took her a good 15-20min before she acknowledged our friend who joined our table mid-way through the evening. She did however make up for it by buying his drink which impressed me.
A pint (20oz) of draft beer is around $7.50 which is a hefty price tag compared to other places. Understandably, it is located in DT but their selection of draft is very 'generic'; nothing I haven't seen before. They also serve a few beer cocktails, specialty cocktails ($6.75-$8), and martinis ($9). Glasses of wine are pretty expensive at around $8-$11 a glass.
Their menu can be described as a failed attempt at creating a "sophisticated" bar menu. Granted they mix things up by offering unique combinations such as duck jalapeno poppers, duck clubhouse, soft shell crab, house made finger foods like olives, beer nuts, and spiced chickpeas.
My friends and I ended up sharing:
- Their new "Hot Charcuterie Beer Board" with house olives, a hummus dip, calamari with some sort of ranch dip, spring rolls with shredded duck, and a grilled skewer of mango wrapped in prosciutto. The calamari was lightly battered but were tiny and bland; the accompanying sauce didn't add much flavour to it either. The skewers were overly salty, and the spring rolls were soggy in the middle. The only highlight of the board were the lightly salted house olives. I DO NOT recommend this charcuterie board.
- "Dirty Fries" starter ($12) with pulled pork, Carolina BBQ sauce, gravy, apple slaw. Another mediocre dish that can be shared between 2-3 people. I really enjoyed the sweetness and tenderness of the pulled pork, but there wasn't enough of it to cover the fries. A fairly decent dish to try out but not a "must-have".
- "Stout BBQ Chicken Marinated Chicken Flatbread" ($14) with red onions, red
peppers, mozzarella, stout BBQ sauce. The flatbread was very large and can be shared between 2-3 people. The bread was a bit chewy for my liking but the sweetness of the chicken and BBQ sauce was fantastic! Compared to the other flatbreads, I recommend getting this one for the flavour.
All in all, the Libertine is an overpriced bar on Stephen Ave with mediocre drinks, food, and service. I will not return unless I have to.
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