We visited Godspeed Brewery in the Gerrard India Bazaar and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The brewery has a warm and relaxed vibe that blends Japanese inspiration with a classic European beer-hall feel. They are known for their craft beers, especially Czech-style lagers and Japanese-influenced brews made with ingredients like yuzu and green tea. The space feels cozy and welcoming, making it a great spot to hang out with friends and try something different in Toronto's east end. Along with the beer, they also offer food and small bites that pair well with their drinks. The service is fast and friendly. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Japanese Fries - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Great spot for beer and Japanese inspired snacks. I had the Hommage Belgian which was delicious and strong, 9.5% strong...those Belgians are naughty. The karaage chicken is always a hit and the duck fat fries are as good as they sound (sorry Daffy). Wide open industrial space, modernized and comfy at the same time. Friendly service. Make haste and Godspeed to Godspeed. read more

Beer is still my favorite with lots of great rotating taps and interesting food choices. Service can be a little slow when it's busy but still friendly. Patio is dog friendly. read more

See all

I identify as visible minority and I admit that I am not the typical craft beer drinker. But the retail staff is truly patronizing and impatient. At the retail bottle shop, the staff member audibly scoffed as I entered and reviewed the bottle menu. Generally, they seemed impatient, inattentive, and annoyed. I felt very uncomfortable and unwelcome. If you are in the area, I highly recommend Left Field Brewery. Committed to diversity and inclusion; and the staff is super approachable and friendly. read more

On Sat. July 8 two friends and I stopped in at Godspeed after having had drinks at another venue on The Danforth; it was my 2nd visit to Godspeed Brewery, ostensibly for more drinks. We arrived around 5 pm and and we decided to sit inside and order food instead; I chose the Danger Dog: pork + beef + bacon wrapped, one friend chose the Bratwurst: veal + pork + mustard seed, and my other friend chose the Bison: blueberry + maple (1st, 2nd & 3rd pics respectively). My 2nd friend also ordered and generously shared Sauteed Garlic Rapini and Kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables containing fish sauce) (4th pic.). I should note that WVRST has taken over the kitchen at the Brewery, therefore everything on the menu is theirs and I found everything I had very delicious. The service was prompt and friendly too. It was great to visit the Brewery again which I hadn't been to since 2019. read more

See all

The dining experience cost around $25 per plate and it came with a pack of kids, about half a dozen, all under the age of six, running by our table and throughout the restaurant and shrieking at the top of their voices for a good 45 minutes. The young staff did nothing to stop it. read more

Visited brewery on longweekend Sat. evening. Heard there is usually line up on Sat. evening but I got lucky to get an indoor table with no issues. Ordered some snack food to go with draft beer. For beer ordered draft beers of yuzu saison, pilzen and west coast IPA. For foodwise, had karaage sticks($5 each) first. It was decent size of boneless fried chicken to go great with any beer. If I ordered a bowl of rice, it could have been a meal. Beef curry pan($6.5) was very delicious as well. Beef curry pan($6.5) was delicious as well. Was crispy outside & dough was perfectly chewy. Ratio between dough & filling was great! After 1 each of beer, chicken & curry pan I got full. Ordered two more curry pans to go and they were nicely packed. All the food was served in disposable cutleries & a plates maybe due to labour shortage. Hope they can bring full on menu sometime. read more

See all

This place is great! Very industrial looking on the inside. The beers are all fantastic. If you'd prefer a non-alcoholic drink, they have a jasmine peach tea which is refreshing. Their food is always tasty. Right now they have food menu from a sister company beside them, which serves pizzas and paninis Monday's thru Thursday's. On Friday and weekend their regular menu comes back. The pizza is very tasty. Great crust, nice and thin. The panini was also very tasty! read more

See all

Visited Godspeed Brewery as I was in the area to eat at Lahore Tikka House and wanted to have a few beverages before our meal. Godspeed has a great vibe and the patio was a perfect setting to try some beers with a friend. I had the Dortmunder Export lager and my friend had the Svetly Lezak. The lagers were just average and my friend tried the Citrus beer and wasn't a fan. I stuck to the stout can (Sakoku) and enjoyed that. This brewery is affiliated to Dieu Du Ciel in Montreal and I can see it! Wish they carried the Peche Mortel from their Montreal brewery here though! The Sakoku definitely was similar but not as rich. I had a good time here and will return! read more

Godspeed Brewery - Otsukaresama + Svetly Lezak - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've frequented quite a few breweries over the last year, and I am sad to say I didn't love the selection at Godspeed. There is a strong Asian flair - not just in their food, but also the beers. I wasn't a fan of the Green Tea IPA, but the Yuzu saison was quite refreshing. The beer sizes were also a little odd - 9oz and 13 oz options only - no flights. 9 oz is a bit much if you want to build your own flight. And honestly the 9 oz pours vs the 13 oz pours seemed really really close. The food is fantastic, the beers are a little confusing. A good choice if you want to try out interesting fusions. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A little late on posting this, but here it is. Patios and beer were made for each other; Godspeed Brewery has both! After hearing rave reviews about their food and beer, I was destined to visit. Easily accessed by TTC or driving, this brewery is a small venue that feels big with high ceilings and large windows. It has long tables to share and make new beer friends as well as open roll up doors when the weather is tiptop. Their minimalistic décor keeps it classy. Godspeed doesn't do flights, but you can get half pints or full. They offer a wide selection, so you will find a brew you like. I enjoy their take on German style beers, like dunkels and hefeweizens. They add a Japanese spin, with fruit or smoke, bringing an interesting layer of flavour to their beer. In addition to beer, they also serve wine, cider and craft soda, so don't let the brewery aspect intimidate you, if you're not into beer. Now that drinks are squared away, it's time for food. Some of the portions are small and some are large, so order accordingly. I ordered edamame and karaage. Both were excellent and large portions! The edamame was lightly salted and shareable. The karaage was crisp and not greasy and so good, it's not shareable. These juicy morsels went down easy with a pint of Aki, a smoked dunkel weizen. Service was good and the rest of the patrons there were all having a good time. A few tables with large and small groups as well as couples and friends just grabbing a pint. Love this venue! Will be back! read more

See all

Good beers & service. No action in the middle of the day when we visited but had plenty of space and a good setup. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Kekkon & Irori - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I find the beers here are sometimes hit or miss for me. I recently made a stop to pick up the Yuzu and decided to also try Ochame. This Green Tea beer went well above my expectations and yasss.... I would recommend this current craft beer that's available to everyone. Good balance, light amber colour and refreshing especially good during these past few hot days. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Currently available for take away - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Halloween night Awful, downpour weather But Nice and quiet for me inside tonight KEKKON was amazing, raspberry based Great staff and take out counter EAST end keeps getting better, Leslieville, Gerard, etc read more

Godspeed Brewery - KEKKON is amazing - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

The beers that are made by Godspeed are among my favorite in Toronto. The Czech Lager they have here is just so absolutely drinkable. I could see myself easily drinking 3 or 4 of these because they go down so smoothly with such great taste. I moved back to the city right at the beginning of the pandemic so I did not have an opportunity to sit in here and drink. I finally managed to do so, and definitely loved the experience. The server was super nice, and i liked sitting on the high top barrel thing. Everyone talks about the brewer here because he used to be the brewer at Dieu De Ciel and he definitely makes great beers. I will be back here in the future. Love it. It's one of my top 3 favorite breweries in Toronto. read more

OK so this is my favourite brewery in the city. I've had just about every beer they've made and honestly they were all fantastic. Godspeed offers unique brews and varieties that will keep the biggest connoisseur on their tip toes. I only recently made a trip over to the brewery itself for the first time this year to visit with friends. The staff were great and incredibly knowledgeable about the menus. I would honestly give this 6 stars if I could because I really do love this place so much. read more

This brewery/gastropub/Izakaya style establishment has some seriously great craft beer. The Nanatsu no Taizai and the Umi in particular were big winners for me. If you're a beer afficianado that in itself warrants a trip here! The ambience is this interesting industrial warehouse feel. Food-wise, the Katsu Sando was the favourite thing I had that evening. The karaage wasn't quite crispy enough, and lacked flavour compared to some of the other good places (it lacked that juiciness a good karaage place has). The tsukemono and miso butter mushroom dishes were both tasty. read more

See all

This is a really large and welcoming space with high ceilings, great beer on tap, and a Japanese-inspired menu of a few choice edibles. It's got a mix of table and picnic bench seating for all group sizes. The patio at the front is small but when the garage style doors are open in the front, it really lets a lot of light and breeze into the space for everyone to enjoy all the way to the back. The main attraction is their beer which is also Japanese themed and inspired. I really enjoyed yuzu and ochame. The yuzu one is very refreshing with the citrus flavours while ochame blends in the earthy bitterness of green tea. They have brewed up a lot of intriguing flavours that I have yet to try. Just as a note: their glasses are 9oz and 5oz orders are also served in the same glasses. The open kitchen really gives off that izakaya vibe and the menu is very short and sweet with the offerings. I would recommend the katsu sandwich which is made fresh to order. It's light and crispy outside whilst remaining juicy within. Held between slices of white bread, it's satisfies any craving well enough. The staff and service are attentive and friendly here. It's a cool and chill here. read more

See all

BOTTOM LINE: Japanese-inspired beers and dishes, for a premium. Given how subjective the taste of beer can be, I'll do my best to focus this review more on the space, service and food, before throwing in my two cents about the beer. First off, I love the space and it takes a cue from Bellwoods in terms of converting what appears to once have been some sort of mechanic shop into a sleek dark grey interior with high ceilings. With mostly bench seating, chances are you'll be sharing the table and making new friends. Whenever I've gone, I've found the service to be good...but slow. You really need to be a bit proactive in getting your server's attention if you need something. Second off, let's talk about the food. To no surprise, they're all either classical Japanese izakaya dishes or fusion-inspired delicacies. They do skew towards being a bit fancy, and with that, so are the prices. They're generous with chunks of KARAAGE, which were lightly fried. The MUSHROOM SALAD was a highlight, though like most salads, not that filling. The FOIE GRAS MISO PLATE was prepared with a saucy-like consistency that you can spread on lightly toasted baguettes. The NIKU MISO RICE BALLS were more like onigiris sans the seaweed wrapping and weren't particularly filling. The CABBAGE ROLLS were a pleasant surprise that are served in a bowl dashi broth - I'd recommend trying this. The KATSU-SANDO is a pretty standard pork cutlet sammie. Finally, the ATSUAGE TOFU was pretty refreshing! And finally the beers! I think my main criticism is that they don't offer flights of 5 oz pours. Your smallest glass is 9 oz, or about 2/3 of a standard point. You largest glass is 13 oz, which is still less than a standard pint. I'm not sure the rationale for this, but it will likely limit how many you'll be able to try in a sitting - especially if you're making multiple stops at various east end breweries. As for the beer selection, and I know it's hard to generalize, but I've found that whether it's an IPA, a porter, a lager, a gose, a porter, etc., I like them, but don't love them. This is in comparison to many nearby competitors where I feel like there's always a certain beer I always need to order bc they brew it so damn well. Oh well, I'm sure YMMV. Finally, they also serve some ciders, two kinds of cocktails and some wines. All in all, I would say come and try their beers, but stay for the food! read more

Pretty cool hipster place. Tasty craft beer. Tapas-style food. On the pricy side but enjoyed them all. Nice place for foodies. If going as a group, don't expect to get full here unless u wanna spend big bucks. read more

See all

A hidden gem, but I'm not sure how hidden it is, as it got quite busy even with a power outage going on! The name of this place suggests it's beer-focused, but unlike Blood Brothers which was definitely more about beer, I have to give this place mostly credit for the food, and how fantastically it pairs with the beer. This is a food destination in its own right. Chef Ryusake's menu is intelligent, creative and exciting, a shocking mix for a brewery in the east end. I will probably be dreaming about the pork cabbage rolls in dashi broth for the next few weeks. My husband was in love with the beef curry onigiri and the (warm!) mushroom salad. Fried chicken (karrage) was accompanied by bean sprouts and not enough of the delicious seasoned mayo. They don't have a flight option here, which disappointed me, but you can get 9 oz pours so if you're sharing you can still "sample" beers. Our clear faves were the lager and the IIPA. But honestly the beer was way better paired with food, so come and come hungry. "Bottle" shop sells cans. Service was friendly and my only complaint was waiting too long for the bill at the end. Would return to enjoy their patio! read more

See all

Regarding the closing time...I brought a friend here from out of town whom I hadn't seen in 10+ years for dinner and drinks at 7PM on a Thursday evening. By 9PM we felt pressured to leave so they could close. I regretted this as our choice to catch up! read more

delicious beer! sadly it's back to the bottle shop only, so I haven't had a chance to try their indoor dining experience, but I am very impressed with the brew. Ibushi, the smoked pilsner was a wonderful surprise, crisp and refreshing with very subtle smoky undertones, which were not overwhelming at all. I also tried the Svetly Lezak - which is a Czech style lager, and it was really good too. read more

Godspeed Brewery - a wonderful Ibushi Pilsner with smoky undertones. - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It's hard to write this review because this place looks gorgeous - modern interior, huge space, and with a Japanese snack-stand at the back. I absolutely love all of this, while noting the whole place doesn't match the surrounding neighbourhood. Regardless, it's the beer that counts when it comes to breweries - and I was less than impressed. They seem to be doing great things with the beer here, with various flavour infusions that are quote novel and promising - Green tea IPA; Yuzu Saison, etc. I had the green tea IPA and it tasted more like green tea than an IPA, it was quite weak and unimpressive. The Yuzu saison was pretty flavourless. Overall I would still give this place another go in the future in the hopes that they improve their beer offerings and also to try their food there, but I will not be rushing to go back any time soon. read more

See all

Met a few friends here for some drinks and light snacks and was pleasantly impressed! We started off with their Yuzu saison which I'm definitely adding to my list of cottage beverages for this summer. It's extremely light and refreshing. We liked it so much, we got a couple cans to go! Snacks we ordered included the edamame ($6), pickle plate ($8), rice balls ($9.50), tofu ($13.50), katsu-sando ($15), and karaage ($12). I was pleased that the portion size of these plates were actually decent - not massive but not super tiny as compared to other tapas plates we've had at other places. The katsu-sando was my favorite! Good service with a very stylish, chill space makes me want Godspeed to open a location on the West side! read more

Just south of the Gerrard/Eastwood and west side of Coxwell is a new brewery not even open for 3 weeks called Godspeed. I honestly didn't know of this place at all because I'm rarely in this part of town if ever. I was completely unfamiliar with this area but I happened to be with an adventurous Yelper (Jennifer K) and she wanted to check the place out so we did. We walked over from Maha on Greenwood so it wasn't that far but we didn't know exactly where it was or what it looked like but we knew it was close. When we found Godspeed it was a modern front with garage type doors all open because the day was perfect for having open air. We walked in and sat at the bar. Because it was after 3pm we were told the kitchen wasn't open at the time but that was ok because we were just there to grab a drink anyway having just eaten. Our server was very friendly and told us that they've only been open for two and a half weeks and that today was only his seventh shift. I had gone with the IPA since I enjoy hoppy beers and Jen went with the smoked saison. I really liked the balance of the IPA, not overpowering, not too bitter but a bold enough to keep the interest. Even though we didn't get to eat this place looked like the a perfect place to pair beers with plates in their new digs. It's a really nice place and since I don't frequent this area I sort of have a reason to return to try more. read more

Godspeed Brewery - IPA - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went in on a Saturday afternoon and while there were plenty of people, the place was not crowded and we easily got a seat at the bar. The server was really attentive, the food was delicious (edamame was maybe a little too salty) and the beer delicious. The 5oz beer was about $5 (depending on the option) so it's not the cheapest but not the worst. This isn't five star because there was no option for a flight of beers and the tapas options didn't seem designed to share amongst more than two. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great drinks and ambiance for a Thursday night. Large patio but not the most comfortable seats and did not care for cushions either. Patio is dog friendly wish the menu had dog treats since this let's grab a quick beer in the neighborhood was impromptu therefore we did not have any treats to keep a young 5 year old lab busy. Fries were amazing and really enjoyed the dip as well. read more

Oh heyy, another new neighbour! Can has another micro-bi'ru-ery in a city already well brewing with aplenty. There was much buzz brewed when it was announced a notable brewmaster from Quebec would open a brewery in Toronto's east end. Turns out Godspeed Brewery is that place, timely amongst a handful new crop of breweries popping up my side of town in 2017. And whilst I haven't heard before of Luc Lafontaine, nor Dieu du Ciel!, the Montreal brewery he became notable for, the concept of Godspeed is quite an intriguing way to stand out in the local masses. Perhaps the backstory is just as notable. In trying to learn more, I came across a good Toronto Star article about Godspeed* that goes like this: Luc spent a lot of time traveling to Japan, where he met his wife. Eventually they moved to Toronto and started this venture. All that leads you to find yourself at a clean izakaya style brewpub housed in a warehouse sized space, being served a literal taste of Lafontaine's life experiences. He has even recruited a Japanese chef to design its menu. The Japanese food scene in east end Toronto is dominated by run-of-the-mill sushi places, so in this department, Godspeed is a refreshing godsend in my part of town. Large picnic style tables out front with open garage doors invite parties large and small, and there's a tiny beer shop if you just want to grab some cans. Or get a glimpse of the backspace brewhouse behind the kitchen, why not? The place is oddly nondescript at first glance though, with no signs pointing to its presence, and even its own website doesn't tell you anything about what they got! I hope that changes soon. Some of the dainty bites I recall having on my visit include: Yaki Onigiri ($8) was amazing, especially if you don't bother dipping them in sauce; Gyu Tataki ($15.50): dainty beef slices with hints of charcoal flavour that heightens each bite. For desert, a matcha sweet potato pie that is a must-try, got a balanced sweetness and crunch to it. The food was overall lovely and arrived at our table way faster than I imagined or expected. The service was friendly and on point throughout. Godspeed's own set of craft beers, at least the ones I tried, were more overall subtle and fragrant. The Daidai is one such light and floral brew that I thought was a good choice for occasional prefer-wine-over-beer drinkers. Their stout has a thick nice dark chocolate finish. I took home a can of smoked saison also: a tippy hoppy, just alrighty. I don't know if they do tasting flights (maybe they should), but it just occurred to me that I never bothered to ask about it. In summation, Godspeed brings in a worldly new face to the east-end scene that's worth checking out. {TTC: Take the 506 streetcar to the southern Gerrard/Coxwell/Eastwood junction. Better yet, the southbound Coxwell bus literally stops right in front of the place. Godspeed Brewery is basically one giant food-and-beer-serving bus shelter!} * referenced article: https://www.thestar.com/amp/business/2017/08/10/godspeed-brewery-crafted-suds-served-with-a-taste-of-japan.html read more

See all

Having come from a better run brewery up the hill, Godspeed might be a victim of past experience for me. No beer flights, not cool in my opinion of a place. Nonetheless, the bartender was helpful and gave us advice to choose 4 reasonably priced beers. Extra credit for the green tea beer - the rest were forgettable. In a cutthroat city, there's room for improvement in the overall experience here. But the beer isn't bad. read more

Beer-only review =============== Tall prices, short cans. Great name for a brewery, middle of the line beer. Tried their experimental beer at Cask Days and decided to visit the brewery. Sampled some ambitious variants including the Ochame green tea IPA, Nanatsu no tazai imperial coffee lager, and the Sora dry hopped saison. With interesting ingredients (for the beer world), I was excited to try but these fell flat. If you get a chance to try their Koji flavored beers at Cask Days, give it a try, but these selected cans didn't live up to it. On a side note, their restaurant side of the business and ambiance look really nice. I may stop here to eat and update my beer review. read more

Japanese inspired craft brewery. Decided to check them on the recommendation from a friend. They have quite a huge selection of beers to choose from for a tasting. Ive tried the Yuzu Saison and Ochame Green Tea IPA. While interesting in concept I felt as though the beers have a weak delivery. That being said I still have more to try from them and this review is just based on my initial impression of some of the beers I have tried from them. Recommendation: They have a nice minimalist spot at coxwell that I do recommend checking them out. Although I do wish they did tasting flights. It would create more of a incentive to try all their beers. read more

The east end has been going through quite a boom of new craft beer brewers popping up over the last couple years. One of the newer arrivals is Godspeed, located just south of Gerrard on Coxwell. The facility is quite beautiful and well designed. Definitely one of the sleeker tap rooms to pop up. There is a strong asian aesthetic to their branding, beer names, their interior, and that carries over to the food menu as well. That said, despite the impressive look, I'm not super excited about their beers. First off, they do not offer flights, so you are stuck ordering full or half pours which leaves you forced to either drink more, or not get to actually try as much of their beers. We did have a couple of things, and my overall feeling is "decently developed and rather smooth drinking beers", but nothing that wow'ed me or that makes me rush back to the neighbourhood. Also, their website sucks - doesn't show what's available in the bottle shop or on tap, let alone their food menu... So there's that too. read more

Update: I come here very frequently and it has easily become one of my favourite places to go to, bring people who haven't experienced Godspeed yet, and sometimes the menu is a little different. But I have tried all of their staples and can say that their Chicken Karaage and Mushroom Salad are still my absolute favourite dishes. Their Yuzu beer is also my goto. This is the east end's best spot to hit up. read more

Godspeed Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Visited on a Saturday at about 3 p.m. The setting was packed with patrons. It had a very lively casual vibe and the staff were absolutely wonderful from the minute we walked in. We decided to try all the items on their food menu and 7 beers. Everything was exceptional. I especially enjoyed the pork cutlets sandwich, the chicken karaage and the mushroom salad. I didn't particularly care for a lot of beer, only because I'm not an avid beer drinker, but my fiance, and other two friends I was with enjoyed it immensely. What I will say is that the Yuzu was greatly appreciated and I did enjoy that one immensely, I also really liked the sudachi. I even bought some to take home. I also thoroughly enjoyed the pear and vanilla soda, that was absolutely delicious. In all it was a wonderful experience, staff were attentive & helpful and the food was delicious. It's a great pairing, such unique beer and such delicious flavorful food. Will certainly be back to try the other items (would really like to see the wines offered in full bottles/750ml as opposed to only glasses). The 7 Beer we tried were from the Yuzu to Ochame on the drinks list. Each had a wonderful, unique flavor. read more

See all

It's a nice place. Fun place to sit with friends, have some food and drinks. The food I had was good (particularly the beef). The beer I had was good. I would go again. However, I do agree that, for the area it's in, it's pretty pricey and pretty small. Having said that, it wouldn't take a massive adjustment for me to be pretty happy with it -- but I do believe they will need to correct portions or prices over the long haul. I love my neighbourhood, but with those kinds of prices and portions, I would expect it's the kind of place you'd go "occasionally", and i'm not sure they can survive on "occasionally" this far from the core. For this kind of neighbourhood, I think you want to get people to come frequently if not regularly. Time will tell. Also, as a nitpick, one of the advantages of charging these kinds of prices is that you don't have to haggle with the customer over little things -- you have profit margin to spare. So if your dish comes with a few small pieces of bread, when your customer wants a bit more bread (which should should be almost non-existent on your cost), just give it to them, don't charge extra. Or, alternately, give really cheap prices, then charge for everything. Charging extra for a few slices of bread sends the wrong message, IMO. All that said, I'd still go again, it was good. read more

I'm rooting for this place, I really want it to succeed. All the ingredients are there but I can't see how they can sustain business without making some changes. It's unclear to me who their target demographic is. As a local resident it doesn't feel like they've priced them selves for my business or the business of my neighbours. I don't mean to take away from the food and beer, they're fairly good but I can't imagine people travelling from other areas of the city for it. The shortfall in value is only compounded by the high bar set by other restaurants and pubs within short walking distance (Lake Inez, Eulalie's Corner Store, Bodega Henriette, etc.) and the difference is conspicuous. It should also be noted that Godspeed has already raised pricing since the menu was posted to yelp. They are also only open until 11pm where other options remain open until 12-2am on weekends. All this said they don't seem to have much difficulty filling tables. It's possible that they are enjoying a honeymoon phase thanks to all the pre-opening buzz. My fingers are crossed for some changes. I really want to like this place, they've simply priced themselves out of justification. read more

This definitely was unlike any brewery I've been to. It's a pretty big space and I really liked the ambiance of it. It was wide open and almost felt like being in a fancy gastropub and not a brew pub. The menu was their take on Japanese street food. It was interesting, but I kinda liked it. Yes, it was a bit overpriced from what you'd normally order at a brewery, but the chicken we ordered was delicious. I think it's weird to many people, myself included, because you're normally eating pretzels and other fried fare at breweries. After all, salty snacks and food make you thirsty which makes you order more beer. However, I liked what I ordered. I tried the Smoked Saison because I was intrigued at the thought of a typical Saison in all of its herbal goodness mixed with smoke. I mean it sounds like it could either be really good or taste like a wildfire. I actually really liked it, but I'm a fan of smoky beers. There wasn't much Saison goodness in there, but there was some Saison character. It was light and refreshing. The staff was friendly and not overbearing. I didn't get to try any of their other beers, but they have a good selection so there's something for everyone. read more

We popped in to the highly anticipated Godspeed brewery last night for a couple beers. First impression is that the place is HUGE. Lots of open space and purdy to look at. Nice little patio area in the front. There was a lot of hype around this place, considering the brewmaster use to work at the famed Dieu du Ciel brewery in Montreal. You wouldn't have known it. They had four beers on the menu last night: an IPA, a stout, a dortmunder, and a smoked saison. The highlight was the stout. Very similar to the delicious St. Ambroise oatmeal stout. The IPA however was a total disappointment. Very mild hops and just lifeless. Done more in the vein of a British style IPA, which is fine, but very uninspired batch here. The other two beers were okay, but not particularly memorable. We didn't try the food, but the menu was...odd. Expensive Japanese small plates? At a brewery? Hope things improve as they settle in. read more

I was recently reminded of Godspeed as I am now seeing their beers pop up at other restaurants in TO. The brewery sets itself apart from others with a very minimalist design - Japanese inspired - as is their beer and food. In the summer the garage doors open giving it an very nice patio feel. Don't expect too much from the food menu: it's really just to snack on and is not complicated enough to stand on its own. They could do more with this, but this is my humble opinion as someone who thoroughly enjoys Japanese food. Perhaps they've changed it, but last time I was not too impressed with paying $9 for 2 riceballs. The beer is very good. The yuzu and dortmunder were my personal favourites, and I've stopped by their beer store a few times just for it. If you're ever in the beaches, it's worth the short walk or bus ride up coxwell to get away from the hustle and bustle. read more