My idea of a fun time these days is not battling crowds at some god forsaken club or ridiculous trendy bar, so D and I walked from my place and went eastbound past Greenwood station where we walked a couple of minutes along the Danforth until we found Sarah’s Cafe, a well known beer destination.
Opened 11 years ago on the corner of Monarch Park Ave and the Danforth, Sarah’s is warm and inviting, casual and modern yet rustic, classy and a little sophisticated. The interior consists of small wooden tables situated along the walls where pillows line the bench seating, offering a comfortable spot to enjoy a good book. The walls are lined with paintings of cafes and bistro’s and are joined by some beer signage and a chalkboard informing customers what beers are available. Dimmed lighting, the dimpled golden tin ceiling, the large window looking out to the Danforth and the large drapes covering the entrance, combined with the relaxing music is enough to take your mind off the world for a bit which is exactly what we expect out of pubs/cafes.
Sarah’s isn’t large by any means which adds to the charm. There is room for maybe 30 people in the main dining area, 10 bar back stools surround the small bar and probably 20 people could squeeze in their back room. In the warmer months Sarah’s opens their patio which could accomodate up to 40 people on Monarch Park Ave.
The beer menu is excellent and I noticed an abundance of trappist and artesinal bottled beers, some decent Belgian, UK, French and Czech beers, as well as my new favorite Sapporo on draught. The draught list was excellent and it wasn’t hard for me to make a selection.
The menu offers an eclectic mix of pub fare (fish and chips), Asian (Pad Thai) and bistro (steak frites). Fresh, properly cooked mussels are a specialty and are available in 12 sauces, ranging from Calcutta, a spicy yellow curry cream, to the classic provençale – I had the Bangkok (Chili, Lime and something else I can’t remember)
As for the beer : I had one pint of Sapporo and then we decided to sample some trappist and lambic beers. The one that I remember most was the Bush Ambrée at 12% ABV. It says on the bottle, that it’s “Belgium’s Strongest Beer”