Toronto Life
Summer 2006

Hidden away on quiet Colborne Street, a stone’s throw from the Cosmopolitan Hotel, P.J. O’Brien is one of the classiest Irish pubs in town. White-jacketed bartenders keep ruddy-faced regulars topped up with premium tap lagers and ales (including Guinness and Kilkenny), while the efficient wait staff serves reasonably priced Irish fare to a business crowd. Melt-in-your-mouth corned beef and cabbage is the biggest hit; old-fashioned Irish stew is classic comfort food. Servers are polite; white tablecloths add a touch of elegance. Traditional Irish music on Friday and Saturday nights adds to the old-world charm. After 5 p.m., this pub is hopping—so leave work early or be prepared to stand.

National Post
Published: Friday, October 27, 2006

We have no gastro-pubs of the quality one witnesses in London or New York (say, the Michelin-starred Spotted Pig) but amid our foul-smelling sea of mock-Irish pubs with corny names and sawdusty cheeseburgers, we do have one pub of enjoyable quality called P.J. O'Briens which does pub things right. The decor is handsome, from its hardwood floor to its copper bar, and the food is always reliable. The curries are sound, the duck confit is bang on; so, too, the fish and chips, and there is almost always a good daily fish on the menu, like pan-roasted sea bass with orange-infused beurre blanc. 39 Colborne St., Toronto, 416-815-7562, pjobrien.com.