Over the past 17 years, The Fifth Inc. has been slowly annexing a redbrick in the heart of clubland. The building houses The Fifth Grill & Terrace, The Fifth Social Club and Cabin Five, and now the empire has expanded to include the building’s lower level, where a café (The Fifth Cafe) and a British-inspired pub (The Fifth Pub House) have been set up by owner Oliver Geddes. Both venues officially opened last week.
The lower-level space was previously the site of a slew of nightclubs (Still Life, Fluid and Pop) before sitting dormant for over two years.
“The contractor said it was the worst rat’s nest he’d ever seen,” says Geddes, who now jokes about the painful 15-month renovation he undertook to transform the 6,900-square-foot-space from a nightmarish crypt into a sun-drenched, Muskoka-chic respite for the downtown set.
“This area is changing; more and more people are living here, but there’s almost nothing for them to do during the daytime,” explains Geddes, who hopes that locals trapped in 500-square foot condos will see The Fifth Pub House & Cafe as an extension of their living rooms.
Geddes enlisted his mother, Libell Geddes, to help him decorate. They sourced chandeliers from Egypt as well as pieces from Vancouver in an effort to shed the Toronto restaurant dress code that oh-so-many new eateries abide by.
The resulting collection of tartan bar stools, pastoral-printed banquettes and antique knickknacks (plane propellers, a wooden mannequin, wood-carved lamps) is a distinctly Canadian spin on the British pub.
Of course, no pub would be complete without a few high-def screens. There are three 65-inchers behind the bar, and the space is wired to easily set up an extra nine screens for playoff season and Olympic madness.
The café (which hosts only one television) is dotted with wooden mid-century artifacts and is more Parkdale than Richmond Street.
Chef Brad Livergant (Café Belong, Veritas) has designed an expansive menu of haute pub grub with cheeky names like the Kale for Karnivores salad ($13) and the flourless Naughty Chocolate Fudge Cake ($9.50).
“It’s pub food done better,” says Livergant.
Mandatory pub staples such as wings, nachos and burgers (made from house-ground striploin, tenderloin and brisket) anchor the menu. For those non-game nights, there are also of plenty of vegetarian options on offer. Sure to please health-conscious downtowners: the selection of nine salads, including one with marinated beets, lentils, Pecorino and an herb vinaigrette ($10).
Published on: Oct 10, 2013
