509 replies to this topic

[zoomer]

You know I was in Irish Times for lunch the other day and had the delicious pizza and a pint special and I noticed that the walls were not plastered with Irish stuff on every open space as zoomer claimed. There were a few things, but having recently visited the Six Mile Pub, a real Canadian pub if there ever was one, the walls WERE plastered with stuff everywhere.

Ok, I work next door to the Irish Times, in fact, exactly next door, and I just came back after having four pints there, and I can only conclude Rorschach (whom I normally find quite insightful) that: A} You're mixing up Ireland with Botswana, B) You are normally have more than 4 pints there, or C) You have coke bottle eye glasses. Even before my first pint I noticed that the walls are still covered in Irish memorabilia crap!! Seriously, I challenge anyone to go in there and say otherwise, and take pictures to prove it. The wall I was facing had over 17 Irish heritage crap pictures!

Anyways, I tend to agree with amor de cosmos on this one, what's wrong with a Canadian pub at the Christmas store location!!? I'm sure aastra would agree too, instead of the usual English tourist crap. But then again, I suppose that argument fails if we take into account all the Japanese, Chinese restaurants (but at least they are more authentic).

[Rorschach]

I like the place (Irish TImes). I like the Penny Farthing too. I'm going to call bullshit here. Post your pictures. There is some stuff on the walls, but it's not plastered everywhere - it's decorated as a theme. Nobody else has all the European beer nor serves it with a proper pour in the proper glass. I like their pub food - it tastes good. I'm sure the guy is going to sell Irish Times and Penny Farthing shortly after the British Pub opens. I'll probably go to the new British pub. The guy knows what he's doing. Success speaks for itself. Failure looks for excuses.

Most Canadians are just drinking Molson and Kokanee in a can and don't even appreciate a proper beer. Now if the guy shipped in microbrews from across Canada and plastered a bunch of Canadiana on every open space, that might work. A nice HDTV setup for sports viewing would make it ideal. You'd have to just adapt the successful formula to a Canadian theme and serve outstanding pub food. A setup like that in that location would be good.

The popular pubs in England I saw a few months ago were all pretty modern, clean, and new. The neighborhood pubs have their following, but are not competing with the flash and posh places that are more popular these days. Maybe he can disassemble an old English pub and re-assemble it inside the bank building.

[G-Man]

^ A proper english pub only serves one brand of beer.

Anyways I find the Penny Farthing and Irish Times very expensive. That said I have gone for a night out at the Farthing to enjoy their impressive selection of Scotch. Still it is a rare occasion.

I do like your idea for a Canadian pub though sounds quite cool! Matt McNeill are you listening.

While it is true that Canadians in general do drink crap beer, Victorians can take pride in the fact that they drink a higher percentage of microbrew beer than anywhere else in the Country.

[Rorschach]

Irish Times and Penny Farthing are WAY too expensive. With tax it's over $8 for a pint of my favorite Irish Ale. I have no idea how much it costs to maintain all those beers on-tap. Yes, we are quite lucky to have Swans, Spinnakers, and Canoe pubs -- all make excellent Canadian microbrews. We are likewise very fortunate to have Phillips and Lighthouse breweries in town -- their products are likewise top shelf.

Across Canada there are great microbrews from every province. It would be incredible if a pub owner developed the theme of Irish Times to Canada. It's got to be cheaper to ship in fifty different Canadian microbrews and have them on tap. Obviously it's a much smaller production than the European brews. So imagine "Canadian Times" pub substituting Canadiana for Irish crap and Canadian microbrews for European stuff and you have a winning formula.

So, now we have to develop a few hundred years of tradition and get a stylized glass for all the Canadian stuff - but even that could be done if the glasses matched the beer style, so say a Stout from P.E.I. was in a glass shaped like a glass of Guinness but with it's own P.E.I. logo. Even if he could get just the beers in Victoira and Vancouver it would be plenty. And actually, Irish Times does have those already.

A bar in the bank building could even be a Canadian/English hybrid since our traditions here are mainly British anyway. Fusion pub? Two kinds of crap on the wall to show how one culture spawned the other?

[Number Six]

^ A proper english pub only serves one brand of beer.

True ... it they are tied to a brewery (and many, if not most, are). If they're a Freehouse they usually offer a few different breweries on tap.

Yes I'm a beer snob but if I'm going to spend $5 to $7 on a pint it better be good. If this pub is to be authentic (as opposed to another "themed" pub) it needs to serve hand-pulled Cask Conditioned Real Ales similar to those brewed by Swan's and Spinnakers (in addition to the normal Canadian brews). Most English landlords take pride in the quality, handling and serving of their beer and many establishments are judged by this factor alone. There's no reason for a pub to import Real Ale from England ... Spinnaker's Mitchell's ESB and Swan's Appleton's Nut Brown Ale are as good as most I've tasted in Blighty. I average two pints a day when in England and about two pints a month in Victoria ... I attribute this to laziness more than anything ... if the Beagle in the Cook St. village served real ale I'd be in serious trouble.

I think the old bank building would make a fantastic Victorian-era pub ... something similar to "The Albert" on Victoria Street in London:

http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=141

But this is hands down my favourite pub in London:

http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=219

[amor de cosmos]

I do like your idea for a Canadian pub though sounds quite cool! Matt McNeill are you listening.

I didn't mean "canadian pub" with hockey gear & maples leafs plastered everywhere, I just meant "pub", with no obvious theme. Or at least if there is a theme it should be a lot more subtle. Irish Times just smacks of effort.

[gumgum]

What does a pub in Canada with no obvious theme look like though?

[Holden West]

Here's a good shot from flickr of the soon to be "Banker's Hall" pub. I believe at least one floor is leased to the Provincial Government so Matt's investment should bring in good revenue. I assume he will be having outdoor seating on one or both sides?:



[url=http://flickr.com/photos/trentm/341224238/in/set-72157594452388192/:d1990]The same guy also has some Irish Times pics[/url:d1990] so maybe we can finally solve the "Irish crap" or "Canadian crap" decor debate.

[zoomer]

I like the place (Irish TImes). I like the Penny Farthing too. I'm going to call bullshit here. Post your pictures. There is some stuff on the walls, but it's not plastered everywhere - it's decorated as a theme.

Jeez, I really wish I had wagered a pint on this one! Well, thanks to Holden's link and a few others, here's the pictures which prove:

1. Plastered
2. Irish plastered









Now, don't get me wrong, as I've said before I like the Irish times, they just need to tone it down a couple notches.

[Ms. B. Havin]

One man's "ambience & atmosphere" is another man's "crap." :-)

I'm with you, zoomer, this is a bad case of decoritis extremis. Can be fatal. Next step in the disease is believing in leprechauns. Or Humboldt Valley unicorns, hahaha! After that, you're dead. Or in a neighbourhood association... (oooh, did I just write that???) <j/k>

[m0nkyman]

What does a pub in Canada with no obvious theme look like though?

Walk into any Legion in Canada.

[amor de cosmos]

what about the sticky wicket, except for the rooftop patio? i never understood the rooftop patio. if the rooftop is on a beach (because it has beach volleyball courts), where is legends?

[Rorschach]

Just looks like a few places with a lot of pictures. There's even more crap than this at the "all Canadian" Six Mile Pub. I think the pictures are a little misleading because in the general bar area and the front seating area and the main dining areas this level of density isn't present. It all seems very well done to me and this is all a matter of taste. I think the decorations add to the atmosphere. If it wasn't there, we'd all be complaining that it's not an authentic Irish Pub because the walls are bare or sparse and a real Irish Pub is loaded with crap. I'll concede I can't win this argument because matters of taste and style are too subjective. And it's not like I have discriminating tastes. I personally like this place and the general atmosphere. Your mileage may vary. They have all that European beer I like fresh on tap. It's expensive, but I've been willing to pay, so market forces dictate the price. There's another Irish Pub in Banff - can't remember the name of it, but I like that one too. That one is a bit sparser. I always go there when I go to Banff.

Clearly, I'm deranged. My favorite Pizza in the region is from Costco in Langford. What kind of taste can I have? Irish Times' pizza is pretty tasty. Pizza and beer at Irish TImes tastes just as good no matter how many Guinness logos adorn the walls. Irish Times' burger sucks. Their fish and chips are great.

[VicHockeyFan]

what about the sticky wicket, except for the rooftop patio? i never understood the rooftop patio. if the rooftop is on a beach (because it has beach volleyball courts), where is legends?

Hell?

[PandaBaby]

Hi there - first time poster, long time lurker. Thought it was time for my "coming out".

When I'm picking a pub, my decision usually comes down to a combination of atmosphere, price-points, service, and maybe decor. I prefer to drink a cold pint at a comfy place with down-to-earth servers. The service doesn't even have to be that friendly, just efficient and good. And I don't want to drink in some place that looks 'forgotten', like the owner is also juggling a dozen other businesses. I want to leave feeling like I was visiting someone's home.

To date, the only place I get that feeling is Spinnakers. The owner, Paul, is often around...and I feel comfortable there. Unlike some others, I really like the food and the beer is fantastic.

As for the Irish Times, it's a beautiful bar. Maybe a bit too shiny and new, but as someone else mentioned in a few more years it will be seasoned. I'm also looking forward to the new pub on Government - English theme and all. Anyone who's been to the Crow & Gate in Cedar knows that a theme can work, if done properly.

But I'd still rather hoist a pint in a pub that feels like it has a soul, ya know?

[gumgum]

I'm with you about the new London pub. It should be a great addition to our revitalized Government St..

I don't have a problem with a theme pub. The way I see it, every night club has a theme, every restaurant has a theme...I don't know what a a pub would be without a theme. (Even a Legion has a theme afaic.) Go nuts make a theme.
Us locals are so paranoid sometimes about this city becoming too Disney, we forget where the boundaries of criticisms should end on the subject.
Every Canadian city has just as many, if not more than, Irish/ Scottish/ English pubs per capita as Victoria. It's more of an indication of the country we reside, not the city.

[G-Man]

I am sure it will be fine but as for the disneyesque aspect I don't agree. I mean you see irish pubs in lots of towns but they are often owned by irish ex-pats. Anyways I will forgive it for now. If it was being done in western style (probably more authentically Victoria) we would be unanimous in our opposition I think.

As for comfy pubs I agree my favourite was the Old Bailey and I truly miss that place.

Glad you posted Pandababy, now you just have to keep doing it

[Caramia]

Hey pandababy, Welcome!, good to see you were lured out of lurker status to join us.

For pubs - how about the Bent Mast in James Bay? I can't think of a more casual, friendly place, more of a proper a neighbourhood pub than most!

For authenticity heheehe I was sitting drinking my gingerale at Big Bad Johns one evening when an grizzled old man came in and told me he had been coming here all his life. I don't know how long that place has been around and maybe the pickling process had made the fellow look more ancient than he was, but it made me take another look at BBJs.

[Holden West]

BBJ's was intended to be a temporary venue to capitalize on the tourist overflow caused by the '62 Seattle World's Fair. So if Grizzly Adams was in his sixties it's possible.

[Rorschach]

What's your view of the service and the food at Spinnakers's PandaBaby?