C'est What

Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence Market · Address: 67 Front St E, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Tue–Wed 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Thu–Sat 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM | Sun 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 867-9499

Why Visit

With 50 Ontario craft beers on tap and a chill basement vibe next to St. Lawrence Market, C'est What is where you go for serious beer choice and comfort food that actually impresses.

What Makes It Unique

C'est What’s tap list is one of the largest and most Ontario-focused in the city, including rare cask ales you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. The cozy fireplaces, pool tables, and genuinely standout bison burger make it feel more like a neighbourhood haunt than a cookie-cutter pub.

C’est What is the kind of place that makes you wonder why there aren’t more pubs like this in Toronto. It’s down in a basement under a heritage building on Front Street, a few minutes from St. Lawrence Market and close enough to Union that people will happily make it part of a before-train or after-work plan, but it still feels like its own thing once you’re downstairs. The room has that proper pub feeling you don’t get from a lot of newer bars: low ceilings, brick, wood, fireplaces, a bit of worn-in character, and enough nooks and tables that it doesn’t feel like you’re all packed into one loud box. It’s comfortable in a way that’s very easy to underestimate until you’ve spent an hour there and realize you’ve stopped checking your phone.

The big draw, obviously, is the beer list. C’est What has long been one of the best places in the city if you care about Ontario beer, and the tap lineup is the kind of thing that makes beer people linger over the menu instead of ordering on autopilot. There are usually around 50 Ontario beers on tap, which means you can actually explore rather than settling for one of two local options and then moving on. You’ll see people doing exactly that: comparing notes, asking the staff what’s new, debating whether they want something hoppy, dark, crisp, or a little oddball and seasonal. It’s not a place where beer is treated like an accessory. It’s the point.

What I like about C’est What is that it doesn’t try too hard to be trendy about any of this. The room is laid out like a real pub, not a concept built for social media. There are fireplaces that make the space feel especially good on cold months, pool tables that actually get used, and live music on weekends that gives the place a little extra energy without turning it into a chaos pit. The crowd is usually a mix of people in the neighbourhood, beer fans who know exactly why they’re there, people coming from the market with groceries in hand, and groups that picked it because they wanted a place where everyone can find something they’ll like. It’s social, but not in the aggressively scene-y way that a lot of downtown spots can be. You can talk here. You can stay for one drink or three. Either works.

Food-wise, this is solid pub food done with enough care that it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. The bison burger gets its reputation honestly — it’s one of the better bar burgers in the city, and the jalapeño mayo gives it just enough kick without turning it into a stunt. If you’re the type who likes a proper beer-and-burger stop, this is the move. It’s the kind of dish that makes sense in the room: hearty, straightforward, and better than you expect if you’re just wandering in because the beer list looked good. The rest of the menu does what it should do, too. It’s there to support a long drink, not distract from it, and that’s part of why the place works so well.

Timing matters here. Saturday afternoon is probably the best version of C’est What if you want the full effect without too much hassle. People come over after the market, sit down for lunch or a first pint, and the room has that easy, unhurried energy that pubs are supposed to have. It’s lively but not slammed, and you’ll get the sense that everyone there actually wanted to be there. Early evening on a weekday is another nice window if you’re after a quieter pint and a seat by the fireplace. Later at night, especially on weekends when there’s live music, it gets busier and more animated. That’s fun if you want a more social night, but if your plan is to sit and chat for a couple of hours, go earlier or be ready to wait a bit for a table.

The neighbourhood is a big part of why this place works. St. Lawrence Market is one of the city’s best areas for daytime wandering, but it doesn’t always get treated like a nightlife destination, which is kind of strange given how central it is. You’ve got the market itself, the old brick buildings, the narrow streets, and that general sense that the area has been part of the city forever without feeling frozen in time. It’s an easy place to build an afternoon around: browse the market, grab a snack, maybe do a little errand-running or just walk around the block, and then head downstairs to C’est What when you’re ready for a proper pint. Because it’s so close to Union and the financial district, you also get a lot of office crowd energy during the week, especially around happy hour and after work. That gives the room a nice cross-section of people instead of one predictable type.

Compared with the bars and restaurants around downtown, C’est What feels refreshingly unpretentious. It doesn’t depend on cocktail theatrics, food-trend chasing, or a room designed to make you feel like you’re supposed to leave after two drinks. It’s a pub that knows exactly what it is. The fireplaces and basement setting give it a kind of warmth that a lot of Toronto bars miss, and the beer selection is deeper than most places that claim to care about local craft. If you’re comparing it to newer spots with polished branding and curated playlists, this is less about image and more about the actual night you have inside the room. That’s a big reason people keep coming back. You go because you know you’ll get a good pint, a seat, and a place where conversation still matters.

Practically speaking, the best strategy is pretty simple. If you want a table for a group, don’t assume you can just walk in at peak time and sit wherever you want, especially on a Saturday or on a night with live music. The basement layout helps, but it’s still a popular spot and the good seats go first. If you’re only two people, you’ve got a better shot at grabbing bar seats or a small table, but it’s still smart to come a little earlier than you think you need to. Staff are usually efficient and know the beer list well, so don’t be shy about asking for suggestions if you’re not sure what to order. They’re used to people wanting guidance, and since the tap list changes enough to keep things interesting, that’s often the best move anyway. If you’re coming for the pool tables, expect a bit of competition; it’s not a private rec room, and people do wait their turn.

The honest reality is that C’est What can get crowded, and that’s part of the deal when a place is good and in a highly walkable, central spot. But even when it’s busy, it rarely feels like a place that’s trying to rush you out the door. It’s more the opposite: people settle in, conversations stretch out, and the room has a sort of comfortable low-key buzz that makes time pass quickly. If you’re used to bars where everything is either too loud or too polished, this is a welcome change. It’s one of those spots that reminds you Toronto still has places where you can have a real pub night without pretending you’re somewhere else. For beer lovers, for people meeting up after the market, for groups who want an actual room to hang out in, and for anyone who wants a downtown drink that feels grounded rather than performative, C’est What is exactly the sort of place you should keep in your back pocket.