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The Roy

I went to The Roy last night. I can see this is going to become a regular haunt. It was crazy busy there. Every table full, standing area full. Noisy. But what a great atmosphere. The decor is very relaxing - dark wood, interesting but not attention grabbing stuff on the walls. I can see it being the kind of place that I would be comfortable whiling away an evening, enjoying a some drinks, some food and some good company. People visited friends/neighbours at other tables. The service was great - casual, friendly, very well timed and he knew his menu and so was able to answer questions. I didn't care for the nachos I ordered. Even though the menu clearly said it was tortilla chips, I was surprised not to see corn chips - my fault entirely. And who orders nachos at an English pub anyway? I take full responsibility. My friends loved their food and I will definitely be ordering the fish'n'chips next time. One word of advice on the food - come hungry. Nice big portions.
The neighbourhood has been hungry for a place like this for a while. A casual place with great atmosphere within walking distance. The owners must be thrilled with the success. We're thrilled to finally have a local pub.

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Permalink Reply by Nolin (Admin) on April 10, 2009 at 1:07pm

tortillas can be made from wheat flour or corn, so you weren't off base for expecting corn tortilla chips. It's pretty rare that a restaurant makes flour tortilla nachos. Especially a pub!

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Permalink Reply by Steve on May 6, 2009 at 11:13am

I tried the Roy, and I can not say that I was a fan of the food. We had steak, onion rings, shepard's pie and calamari. The deep fried foods were over breaded and over fried - they were probably just frozen food, and not worth repeating. The steak was fine, and cooked correctly, though I still far prefer the Tulip. The shepard's pie was too salty, and it may have started life as a frozen dinner as well - the vegetables (peas, carrots, corn) were not fresh and the meat was a bit too fatty.

Shame, I was looking forward to this place.

Looks good for a beer place, but the food options in the neighbourhood make this place quite low on the list of options.

One hope for promise: they have a traditional prime rib dinner on Sundays. If they get this right - e.g. fresh ingredients that are cooked well - this might be worth considering.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Renaud on May 6, 2009 at 1:18pm

Hey Steve, sorry to hear your thoughts.
FYI after two months now the Sunday Roast Dinner continues to be a success.
Home made Yorkshire pudding, fresh mashed potatoes, fresh veg and of course the star YUMMY tender roast beef make for the perfect Sunday night dinner.
YUP I work there and I can honestly say - the food is tasty, filling and folks are leaving happy.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on May 8, 2009 at 9:33am

We had our first visit recently as well - we were hungry and thirsty after Jane's Walk, and decided to stop in. We were still hitting it during brunch hours, so my dining companions all ordered off the brunch menu while I had a sandwich and fries. The sandwich was okay, but nothing too great. My dining partners were all unimpressed with their meals. The service also needed some work - the waitress was variable in her speed and attention, and helpful about some things but a bit rude about others. The highlight of the meal, apparently, was my husband's beer. It's nice to have a comfy place to grab a beer, but I was really hoping to find good pub food in combination. I will definitely give it another try and see if they have worked out the menu better. And next time I'll order a beer!

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Permalink Reply by Chris B on June 8, 2009 at 12:05pm

I actually like the Roy - 'atmosphere' comes with time I think, but they do the basic pub thing well. No one's likely to think they're in Ireland, but the neighborhood needed a nice, standard, reasonably clean pub, which is what the Roy is. At least the owners are local, they're friendly, and its not a "Crap and Firken" or whatever chain. I actually like that I can go there and have a nice, chill pint with my wife, since its not so loud that you can't hear yourself think.

Hard to beat $3 pints, but the Roy's pints are actually very well priced compared to a lot of pubs I've been to in the city and hell, if you have Guiness and Kilkenny on tap, what else do you need :)

That said, there's actually another Irish pub due to open soon in the area (though when that is is anyone's guess, since it was supposed to open in March or April and we're already into mid-June.) It's going to be called the ceili cottage - it will be just east of Leslie, between Simple Cafe and the Beer Store. They have a website which lays out their whole philosophy (I think its ceilicottage.com) - in short, no fried food, tons of live music including a piano bar and Celtic dancing, no bottled beer (taps only, mostly local) and oysters! If it comes to pass as planned, I think that it will nicely fit the bill for the more authentic, raucous "pub" experience. Here's hoping!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy on June 8, 2009 at 9:27pm

I'm eagerly waiting for Ceili Cottage to open. It's very close to my house, which could be good or could be my eventual downfall. They're busy working on it, so hopefully it'll be open soon.
I'm going to The Roy again this Friday. No more nachos for me. Fish'n'chips I think.

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Barns on July 7, 2009 at 2:16am

Live music in a pub would mean a lot of that Irish stuff. That stuff drives me mad. Second, most pubs I've seen in the UK don't have live music. I agree with the local beers, and The Roy has some domestic kak that I wish they would just do away with, but they serve what people ask for, as they are a business.

The Roy has atmosphere. I don't know what you mean by that, but I am interested in your idea of atmosphere. Pubs are places of chat. I like the fact they don't have sports on the television. Sports bars are horrible. Prohibition is filled with all that, and it gets really tired, really quick.

What I would like to see is more locals coming out for the gab at the bar. For a pub in a neighbourhood that boasts friendly people, the best pub around doesn't have too many lurkers. Velvet has more, so how is that?

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen C on July 8, 2009 at 11:32am

I like both The Roy and Ceili Cottage, they are two different establishments, each with its strengths. For example, you can get a good burger anytime at The Roy, but Ceili Cottage only offer burgers as the Wednesday night special.

Ceili Cottage has no deep fryer, so if you'd like chips, out of luck. The Roy's chips are terrific!

But Ceili Cottage have fresh-shucked oysters (by world champion Patrick McMurray when the boss is in) and the most luscious peat-smoked salmon

Had far more professional, proficient service at The Roy, perhaps because Ceili has some servers who are students at the folk-dancing school associated with the Cottage, and they need more training in serving- though they are eager to please.

So it depends what you're in the mood for- both are fine additions to Leslieville.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea N on July 8, 2009 at 8:59pm

Why the debate- I think the neighbourhood sorely needed a great pub that was a bit more polished than The Duke or Tasty Chicken House and now we have two! :)

It is fantastic that they are quite different from each other and it is nice to have the options!

So happy that the Roy and now Ceili Cottage are in the neighbourhood!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy on July 8, 2009 at 9:01pm

Me too!

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Barns on July 9, 2009 at 9:34pm

LOL: Duke & Tasty Chicken. I still laugh and shake my head when I think about those places. Unfortunately, there's a couple more that are in the A-List.