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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Bar Volo - tap and food menu make-over.
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midlife crisis
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 2010
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
- Location: Toronto
Oops. I forgot I was not allowed to speak ill of the almighty Volo. They weren't perfect guys - deal with it.
The attitude that I should pay for both "atmosphere" (believe it or not most bars have tables you can sit at with friends) and the renovations is just ridiculous.
I look forward to the self-serve model however. It is frustrating when you want another beer but your server is off ignoring you, and you can't go up to the bar to order it yourself because the tab is under the servers name and yada yada yada. Can't recall if I've had this problem at Volo but it is widespread. Much prefer the self-serve system. One of my favourite nights at a craft bar was when the kitchen at Blue Monk was closed for repairs. The place was quiet, just one bartender on hand, got some great beer rec's, samples, etc. I find their service to be good normally, but I just prefer to have a bit more control I guess.
The attitude that I should pay for both "atmosphere" (believe it or not most bars have tables you can sit at with friends) and the renovations is just ridiculous.
I look forward to the self-serve model however. It is frustrating when you want another beer but your server is off ignoring you, and you can't go up to the bar to order it yourself because the tab is under the servers name and yada yada yada. Can't recall if I've had this problem at Volo but it is widespread. Much prefer the self-serve system. One of my favourite nights at a craft bar was when the kitchen at Blue Monk was closed for repairs. The place was quiet, just one bartender on hand, got some great beer rec's, samples, etc. I find their service to be good normally, but I just prefer to have a bit more control I guess.
A shark on whisky is mighty risky. A shark on beer is a beer engineer.
I love the self-serve system for drinking-focused bars, unless staff is very attentive which can be challenging. I was recently at Local Option in Chicago and one of the server dudes constantly walked up and down the length of the room, clearing glasses and taking orders. That's rare.
Self-serve is also great for groups (why I take my staff to Wvrst) as nobody's stuck with a tab just for being the last one to leave the party
Self-serve is also great for groups (why I take my staff to Wvrst) as nobody's stuck with a tab just for being the last one to leave the party
You are a good employer -- if I'm going out with more than 5 or 6 and have any say in where we go, I'll almost always opt for a place with bar-only service. I've been stuck making up the difference too many times.Cass wrote:I love the self-serve system for drinking-focused bars, unless staff is very attentive which can be challenging. I was recently at Local Option in Chicago and one of the server dudes constantly walked up and down the length of the room, clearing glasses and taking orders. That's rare.
Self-serve is also great for groups (why I take my staff to Wvrst) as nobody's stuck with a tab just for being the last one to leave the party
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groulxsome
- Posts: 470
- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:24 pm
This "table service" bar thing has always seemed weird to me, so I'm glad they are doing away with it! The three biggest differences I noticed after moving from Ontario from Newfoundland were the better selection in beer, how much harder it is to buy beer, and that all bars (even pubs!) had table service. The only "normal" bar I could find was the Cloak and Dagger - where you sit where you find room and order at the bar through either a running tab or cash.
Isn't the whole table service bar thing a hold over from Ontario's old crazy laws (no leaving the table with open drinks)? Bar service is just easier, like selling (local) beer in corner stores.
Isn't the whole table service bar thing a hold over from Ontario's old crazy laws (no leaving the table with open drinks)? Bar service is just easier, like selling (local) beer in corner stores.
I hope tabs are still available (surrendering your credit card.) I don't usually carry a lot of cash on me and prefer the convenience of having most of my purchases on my CC for bookkeeping purposes. Plus I get points._sloth wrote:Is it cash only as you order each drink\food item or will they still run tabs for people?
Cash only is the only reason why I don't visit places like Thirsty & Miserable more often.
lister
Yeah, it would be interesting to know what the history of table service is at bars. Wouldn't be surprised if tied back to crazy laws. I know back in the day beer was served only in LCBO-regulated glasses (something like 8 oz) and people would order a tray at a time (at least my Dad did). I guess that was a time where you don't want to carry your own drinks.
One impediment to changing is probably consumer knowledge - most people would sit down and wait as we're trained to do. You'd need someone who tells them that it's not table service so people don't get upset. I see it at Wvrst all the time where people need to be told it's bar service. We're all too polite to go up to the bar and ask for a beer if nobody comes to serve us
One impediment to changing is probably consumer knowledge - most people would sit down and wait as we're trained to do. You'd need someone who tells them that it's not table service so people don't get upset. I see it at Wvrst all the time where people need to be told it's bar service. We're all too polite to go up to the bar and ask for a beer if nobody comes to serve us
I never said they were, but I do think they are making a positive change (I have been there when they were busy and table service was lacking).Cale wrote:They weren't perfect guys - deal with it.
Unfortunately most bars still serve shit beer, in an undersized shaker glass, at a ridiculous price. Now that's poor value!Cale wrote:The attitude that I should pay for both "atmosphere" (believe it or not most bars have tables you can sit at with friends) and the renovations is just ridiculous.
Derek wrote: I certainly miss spending a few hours at a table with friends & great beer.
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SteelbackGuy
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 4613
- Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:11 pm
- Location: Hamilton, ON
- Contact:
Steve Beaumont wrote:Or suck it up and help defray the cost of making one of Canada's best beer destinations even better.JeffPorter wrote:Even if it's expensive - if you're hungry run next door to popeye's wolf down a three-piece, and head back over for some Fermium on cask!
Suck it up? Sounds like a full load of flapdoodle coming from a dude who gets comped everywhere he goes. Suck it up? Yeah, we better heed this warning.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!
we went last night.
shit, man, it is intense.
when we were in Mtl, we went to Vices et Verses. There is something awesome and intimidating about looking at a huge blackboard with draught choices so crazy that you don't even know where to begin.
that is what Volo now is.
last night's list was ridiculously great. and i don't think it was "it's our first night open after our renos, so let's blow them out of the water" great. I think it was a "this is a sample of what's to come" great.
you know that it's an important night when you see lots of familiar brewmaster faces in for a drink. and 30 taps of unique Ontario/Canadian beer (the most "typical" beer on tap was King Pilsner) is a huge step forward for our beer scene.
the new tap is pretty snazzy. you have to wait up to 5 minutes to get a beer and there's still a bit of a bottleneck at the bar due to the surrounding seating/stairs. but not a big deal.
the place was cleaned up a bit, with a new tin ceiling. new lights are on the way.
the # of House Ales beer on tap was great to see. all the one-offs were excellent to see (and taste, especially the barrel-aged Nickelbrook porter...shit...that was as close to Oerbier Special Reserva as Toronto's going to get!).
the food: menu is limited to charcuterie boards, and i'm happy that's where they've gone. they're now clearly a beer-focused bar. the board looked really nice and i'd toss down $18 to get some of Grant's charcuterie and some nice, pickled veggies and cheese.
bottles: list is being whittled down. finally, a bar won't be serving the same shit you find at the LCBO (I don't get that Ontario trend...why would i pay you 3 x what i would normally spend to drink something i could buy at the LCBO?). there are some crazy things coming down the pipeline in the next 3 months.
i know that Volo has its detractors for whatever reason, but if you can't get excited about what they're doing and don't think they are, by far, the best bar in Toronto, then you're really fooling yourself. the only negatives i can find with the new volo *may* be:
1. freshness of beer on tap - shouldn't be a problem with a proper tap system, but they haven't increased patron capacity and have doubled their draught. therefore, it may take forever to drain certain lines
2. capacity hasn't increased but demand to go there certainly will. so it will be harder to find a table or, on some nights (especially in the winter, when the patio may be closed on some nights), to get in the bar.
shit, man, it is intense.
when we were in Mtl, we went to Vices et Verses. There is something awesome and intimidating about looking at a huge blackboard with draught choices so crazy that you don't even know where to begin.
that is what Volo now is.
last night's list was ridiculously great. and i don't think it was "it's our first night open after our renos, so let's blow them out of the water" great. I think it was a "this is a sample of what's to come" great.
you know that it's an important night when you see lots of familiar brewmaster faces in for a drink. and 30 taps of unique Ontario/Canadian beer (the most "typical" beer on tap was King Pilsner) is a huge step forward for our beer scene.
the new tap is pretty snazzy. you have to wait up to 5 minutes to get a beer and there's still a bit of a bottleneck at the bar due to the surrounding seating/stairs. but not a big deal.
the place was cleaned up a bit, with a new tin ceiling. new lights are on the way.
the # of House Ales beer on tap was great to see. all the one-offs were excellent to see (and taste, especially the barrel-aged Nickelbrook porter...shit...that was as close to Oerbier Special Reserva as Toronto's going to get!).
the food: menu is limited to charcuterie boards, and i'm happy that's where they've gone. they're now clearly a beer-focused bar. the board looked really nice and i'd toss down $18 to get some of Grant's charcuterie and some nice, pickled veggies and cheese.
bottles: list is being whittled down. finally, a bar won't be serving the same shit you find at the LCBO (I don't get that Ontario trend...why would i pay you 3 x what i would normally spend to drink something i could buy at the LCBO?). there are some crazy things coming down the pipeline in the next 3 months.
i know that Volo has its detractors for whatever reason, but if you can't get excited about what they're doing and don't think they are, by far, the best bar in Toronto, then you're really fooling yourself. the only negatives i can find with the new volo *may* be:
1. freshness of beer on tap - shouldn't be a problem with a proper tap system, but they haven't increased patron capacity and have doubled their draught. therefore, it may take forever to drain certain lines
2. capacity hasn't increased but demand to go there certainly will. so it will be harder to find a table or, on some nights (especially in the winter, when the patio may be closed on some nights), to get in the bar.