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| - Otto's is a nice upgrade to the stodgy pub at the corner location beside the Great Hall on Queen St. Torontonians like new ideas and love going out for the experience and this is where Otto's delivers. I've been here a few times for beer and recently sampled their twist on classic German cooking with the Rouladen ($10). Instead of wrapping stuff with bread, the Germans wrap theirs in meat! Otto's serves a precision made Rouladen, rich and flavourful, which made my mouth water and went perfectly with my bier. German beer-drinking snack food.
What impressed me is the way the kitchen pumped out the grub keeping everyone seemingly happy. No one was waiting around for service, and the staff was on it the whole time. I saw one table vacant, waiting for a reservation which seemed silly in a bar like this. Get in and start drinking and order some food if you want, just like any other bar.
The decor is a refreshing with the lighter tones instead of the dark wood typical of pubs. And the plethora of plants was easy on the eyes if you gazed up to the ceiling. Hats off to the owners for having someone tend to the plants as it looked great.
I was told the owners are EDM enthusiasts which manifests in the soundtrack which is enjoyable, and the modern and creative custom LED lighting was fun to look at, and apparently there is a light show in the main room to watch if you stay late (which I didn't catch yet). They take lighting seriously here and I agree that lighting is a big part of making an atmosphere that is beer-friendly.
Oh, and the bier is sehr gut! They have Quebec's St. Ambroise stout on tap and it tastes mighty good alongside some typical German lagers. They also mentioned in stock are some fancy European ciders, rare imported biers and strong stouts with prices upwards of $32 for a 750mL bottle that are quite the experience to drink and not commonly available.
Interestingly I have a mental block trying to remember even the name, of the last two businesses that have run bars at this location, yet not only can I remember Otto's name and the funky spelling of bier easily, I have enthusiastically told several people about the place with genuine excitement and continue to do so. That's a good sign!
Ein Prosit!
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