Walk into any traditional British or Irish pub in the city and chances are, you’ll find Shepherd’s Pie on the menu. A staple in U.K. cuisine, shepherd’s pie, sometimes affectionately called “cottage pie”, is a hearty dish made from a mixture of minced meat and a thick layer of mashed potato. Most restaurants put their own spin on the dish, with some opting to add mixed vegetables like carrot, corn, and peas into the dish, or even a sharp bite of cheddar cheese. Here are five spots in Toronto to find the perfect shepherd’s pie.
C’est What?
Along with an amazing selection of beer, this downtown taproom is also teaming with delicious comfort food including their take on shepherd’s pie ($17). Made with lamb and vegetable, it’s then topped with indulgent mashed potato and sweet Piave Vecchio cheese which you can enjoy with a pint and some live music, or even a board game or two.
Insomnia Restaurant
Some visitors claim that this restaurant creates the best shepherd’s pie in the city โ but youโll have to try it yourself to see for sure. Insomnia Restaurant’s wild mushroom and lentil shepherd’s pie ($20) features a generous portion of roasted garlic mashed potatoes layered with lentil, cremini and shitake button mushrooms and then topped with a mushroom gravy.
Elephant & Castle
Grab a pint and your mates and head to Elephant & Castle where a delicious shepherd pie awaits. Seasoned ground beef, lamb and vegetables is topped with a creamy garlic mash and baked to a golden brown. It’s then garnished with crisp onions and a side of beef gravy.
King Rustic Kitchen & Bar
Kings of comfort food King Rustic knows a thing or two about deliciously decadent pub fare. Their shepherd’s pie ($22) is made with ground sirloin, sweet corn, carrots and peas in decadently rich gravy and topped with Rustic’s garlic mash and aged sharp cheddar.
Bishop and Belcher