The Bard & Banker | Victoria | Government St. @ Fort St.
#41
Posted 26 June 2008 - 06:32 PM
#42
Posted 27 June 2008 - 04:52 PM
Be sure to take note of the marble bar tops, the tiled floor and the washrooms.
That back patio was not completed and I think it might be a few more days before it is open but should be a prime evening seat this summer.
#43
Posted 27 June 2008 - 09:07 PM
#44
Posted 27 June 2008 - 09:14 PM
#45
Posted 29 June 2008 - 10:34 AM
The down side is that the menu and food is about identical to Irish Times and Penny Farthing. I'm hoping as time goes by this develops into it's own style. The owner should check out Gordon Ramsay's London Bar menu for some good ideas that could be easily adapted for Victoria's local products.
I'm going to reserve judgment on the food quality and preparation for a while because it takes a while for the kitchen to get up to speed and start turning things out properly.
I love the place and they have all the elements in place and I'll be a regular for sure. We got to get the food up to standard though.
#46
Posted 29 June 2008 - 11:26 AM
My wife and I shared three starters and they were all decent at best. The service was a bit slow but tolerable, espescially for such a young establishment.
Are you sure the menu was the same as the Times and the Farthing, Rorschach? We had the duck poutine and I don't remember seeing it anywhere else.
I'll go back in a while and being very happy once they've worked out some of the minor kinks, I'm sure.
#47
Posted 29 June 2008 - 12:28 PM
#48
Posted 29 June 2008 - 01:27 PM
#49
Posted 29 June 2008 - 05:08 PM
There are probably some differences in the menus, and not having all three to compare at once I can't say they are exact - but they are nearly so.
My chips were cold and still frozen hard on the inside - yuck. My entree didn't taste fresh and was not hot. I don't need to comment on Duck Poutine. That's no attraction for me. I still don't understand regular poutine or pouring gravy over chips. It's mad.
#50
Posted 29 June 2008 - 06:43 PM
#51
Posted 29 June 2008 - 06:47 PM
144 patrons and 26 workers when I counted. They won't have been making any money yet at that rate, but I'm sure they just wanted to be prepared.
#52
Posted 29 June 2008 - 08:02 PM
If so I would assume that the menus would be the same, or very similar.
#53
Posted 30 June 2008 - 05:52 PM
My girlfriend and I stopped by for dinner after visiting the Tall Ships on Saturday and both our meals were very good. The service was reasonably quick and the food was hot. I tried their "Sliders" ... a selection of 3 mini-burgers including a curried lamb that was fantastic. My only complaint is that they don't offer a full-size curried lamb burger ... seems very odd. Perhaps I need to ask for them to "super-size" it for me? BTW, I had a lamb burger at the Irish Times last week and it was different than the one served at the B&B.
I had pint of Blue Buck on Saturday ($6.50 I believe + tax) and a pint of Bass on Friday ($7.25 + tax) so a bit pricey but not unexpected. When it comes to beer Swan's (Appleton Nut Brown Ale) and Spinnakers (Mitchell's ESB) are still tops in my books but that said the B&B is (IMHO) a fantastic addition to the core.
#54
Posted 30 June 2008 - 05:54 PM
Do I remember correctly that there is a big kitchen underneath the B&B that was going to prepare food for both the B&B and the Irish Times?
I *think* the bakery in the basement is used to supply all his pubs but I would assume the Irish Times will use it's own kitchen to prepare everything else.
#55
Posted 30 June 2008 - 06:12 PM
I *think* the bakery in the basement is used to supply all his pubs but I would assume the Irish Times will use it's own kitchen to prepare everything else.
Yes, that sounds right.
#56
Posted 10 July 2008 - 08:46 AM
#57
Posted 10 July 2008 - 09:30 AM
That being said I think there was something there for most palattes and the Chicken-Pesto panini I ordered was tasty and very generously portioned. I can't recall the last time I was served that many fries at a downtown pub. One smallish complaint was that my dining companion and I were in a bit of a hurry, and despite our request for the bill from our waitress, we ended up having to make a request from another staff member to get it. Though I will say this was done VERY promptly when asked. It was not particulary busy at the time so I am not sure where our waitress disappeared to.
Another nice bit of authenticity were that several of the male staff were wearing kilts. I did not ask to see just HOW authentic they were being with this garment, but it did add to the atmosphere.
Will I go back? Without a doubt. I think with a group of people, where one could try several different appetizers (some were very tempting), and the addition of cider on tap (or at least Merridale's by the bottle) I would rate this addition to the local pub scene quite high.
#58
Posted 10 July 2008 - 09:56 AM
I was unable to get Strongbow's cider on tap. Many other pubs in town carry it, including the Penny Farthing in Oak Bay, so it's not as though the mangement has never heard of it.
They had it when I went a few days after opening... I happened to sit at the bar right in front of the pull.
#59
Posted 10 July 2008 - 10:07 AM
#60
Posted 10 July 2008 - 10:10 AM
And yes, you can get Merridale in a keg.
Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users