The Brit Cafe in the foreground. Dylan O'Connor's Irish Pub in the background
The Brit Cafe is closing its location on Portage Avenue and moving to Dylan O'Connor's across the street. The Mann family of England have been involved in retail and restaurant work since immigrating to the city in 1998. Mon, dad and four kids are all involved in the restaurant and store.
I remember one of their earliest incarnations was the Raging Brit store on Academy Road at Lanark Street.
In recent times, the family has run both the Brit Cafe and Dylan O'Connor's Irish Pub side by side. However, the prospect of consolidating the two businesses was just hard to ignore.
First, the family had to clean up Dylan's which had a reputation for motorcycle gangs, underage drinking and by my recollection...brawls. The Mann's have been changing the crowd, the look but not the unique tastes and attractions of the place.
If anyone can change the atmosphere there, it will be this British family who managed to get their restaurant noted as the top British restaurant in Canada by The Daily Telegraph in the U.K.
Best fish and chips if you can make it to this St. James treasure.
Hope the Brit name is carried on some place in the Irish pub.
Love the Brit Cafe ! This will mean better hours but losing it's personality, which is too bad.
ReplyDeleteGeez, your blog is keeping me up to date on all my old food haunts !
I agree. I like the windows in the old Brit but it is the food that keeps bringing me back.
ReplyDeleteNo word on if the store will remain part of the operation.
I wonder if they saw the irony in having the "Brit Cafe" inside "Shannon's Irish Pub" ?!
ReplyDeleteLots of cities have a decent sized Brit store. I hope they keep it. Every year, especially around Christmas, I REALLY miss Marks and Spencers.
When I go to Ireland or the UK it's one of my first stops !