I found my new favourite bar. Impressive selection of imported and craft beers in dingy, old, stone building with a roaring fireplace? Sold. The bar is located right across from Milos(another fantastic place) and boasts a variety of beers in their beer bible. I had a chimay white served from the bottle, and for 7 $, it was damn well worth it. I’ll be returning for the food.
James P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 River Falls, WI
I’ve had this vision of what the pubs are like in Europe since I have never been, it remains only that. Chaucer’s pub was a what my vision held as a one of these pubs. Complete with a slightly over served, loud patron Ultra cold the other night and the fireplace was roaring. The place was not too busy but there was a concert going on so supposed one was attending that or staying in to avoid the traffic, which was not too bad considering. Took us a little bit to find a parking spot but it was worth any hassle. Prime rib was better than fair. A great selection of beer. I’ll be back in London next week and be sure it is one of my stops.
Susan F.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Oakville, Canada
Chaucer’s Pub has one of the best beer menus I’ve seen in London —(and that alone is deserving of 4 stars) — however, combine that with a delicious food menu and décor consisting of weaponry — and the four stars are definitely warranted! Chaucer’s has a large«beer book» with beers from all over the world — including an extensive selection of Belgian beers(my favorite!). And the prices are right — I definitely couldn’t get these beers in Toronto for those prices! The food menu consists of Hungarian and German foods, which though I haven’t had myself, I’ve heard everything is amazing. This place is also great for groups — because it isn’t super busy, meaning you can always find a few tables to group together. The only downside of the place, which is taking away a star, is the service. Because it isn’t very busy, I would have expected a little more attentiveness — but there were a few times we even had to look for the only waitress, because there were no staff in the«pub half» at all. Apparently all the staff work at both the restaurant and the pub — they should probably invest in pub specific staff. Besides that(small) downside, Chaucer’s is definitely a great place to check out in London.
Bruce D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, Canada
Great selection of beers and fantastic food! It’s one of the rare places that is every bit as gorgeous as you want it to be when you see it from the outside. A great place to sit and chat over a drink. And yes, I too am going to mention the fireplace. In the winter, the combination of Germanic-style comfort food, the marvelous selection at the bar, and the radiant warmth of the fireplace make this a beacon in downtown London.
Ernest L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Oakville, Canada
This place has the best beer selection in London. Good vibe, good people — what’s not to like? I’ll never forget my first trip to Chaucer’s.
R D.
Rating des Ortes: 2 London, Canada
It’s ok been around for decades large selection on imported beer unfortunately none of the staff we dealt with had any idea of what types brands etc… food is ok ok for quick beer and then leave
Jennifer M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, Canada
Being a lifetime local with Czech heritage, it’s a bit dumbfounding that I had never eaten here until last night. And after drinking a «Czech Bud» and eating Hungarian Goulash, I am kicking myself for being so foolishly amiss. The food was incredible! And I was so happy to see the bread dumplings(the kind my grandma made) alongside the thick, meaty, slightly spicy goulash. The side of sour cream added a nice flavour to every bite. My sister had the schnitzel and my small taste test sized bite was very good. The pub was cozy(great fireplace!) and the lone waitress/bartender was friendly and since I was the only one in there for a short time, she was willing to answer my random questions & carry on a conversation. I liked the décor, too — old world charm one would say, I suppose. Definitely a place to visit again.
Ali m.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
Best beer selection in London, though the draughts are limited they’re always good, and an enormous catalogue of bottles. It has a fireplace, the service is(usually) good, there is an assortment of weaponry and beer steins on the walls… In short, everything you could want in a pub. Great music too on Wednesday nights. Fiddles, guitars, a banjo, occasionally a harp or a concertina, playing Celtic standards. This was the only place I went with any regularity to drink in London, apart from the Grad Club at UWO. After a walk through the snow, a tripel by the fireplace here is indeed as good as it gets.
Brian B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Kitchener, Canada
There are a few really great pubs in London, and this one may be my favourite. There’s a lot to like. It’s in an historic building in downtown London(former printing house of the London Free Press), there’s lovely old wood trim, and a big fireplace in the middle of the pub. In the winter, this is the coziest spot in downtown London, especially when there’s a gang of folks playing fiddle tunes off in the corner. For some reason, so many pubs these days crank the music far beyond a reasonable level. I’d suffer through it if the music was apropos to the setting, but usually the speakers are blasting whatever ephemerally-popular artist is hot at the moment. Chaucer’s doesn’t do this to its patrons, which is *so* refreshing. It’s never too noisy here — the loudest sound is the hum of good conversation. If you come by yourself, this is a great place to dig deeply into a novel. There’s a killer beer selection, too. All sorts of great European brews, and a focus on Belgian ales. They even carry Russian beer — Baltika 3 — which holds a special place in my heart. However, lately they’ve been low on stock, which can get frustrating, especially if your first four choices are on the menu, but not in the fridge. That’s why I can only give this place 4 stars. If you need to soak up the booze, the food is delicious, too. Chaucer’s serves the same menu as the next-door Marienbad restaurant. I’d recommend the schnitzel, and the potato salad.
Kat F.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Austin, TX
I was biting my nails in anticipation for tonight’s dinner, wondering what on earth I would order(as a vegetarian) at a German restaurant/pub. Well, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed an awesome Warm Spinach Salad with red peppers, goat cheese and roasted potatoes(which were also grilled — there were freaking grill marks on them, even!). The salad was really substantial and also had a balsamic dressing — I don’t even normally like balsamic vinegar but it was cut with some honey and olive oil and that made it palatable. There was a huge selection of food and drink at Chaucer’s — two drinks menus(beer and wine lists), a pub food menu as well as a dinner menu that was teeming with Teutonic options like Jäger Schnitzel, Wiener Schnitzel, Kartoffelsalat, Sauerkraut, Meatloaf, etc.