Avling Kitchen and Brewery

Love this spot! The service is always so friendly and the food delicious and aesthetically pleasing. Both times I've come I've been with a large group and the servers are always so great and accommodating. Tonight I got the beet & goat cheese salad and it was beautifully plated and had such a generous portion of goat cheese and hazelnuts. Loved the 3 kinds of beets. So tasty! Didn't love the lamb spiedini, it was a little overcooked/tough/dry but was okay. Had some of my partner's fancy fries and they're so good! Looking forward to coming back soon.

A modern industrial space with really unique craft beer options. One of many local breweries, but one you may miss if you're speeding down Queen. It does beer a little differently than most of the other east end brewers, at least in my opinion. Avling's line-up always seems to draw from more local ingredients and rustic palettes which make their ciders and beers taste very comforting and funky. Their use of wines and unique, often floral and herbal, flavours was always a standout. (I still remember that Smoked Lavender Sour one fondly.) Or maybe that's just the ones I always seem to choose. The space itself is really open feeling, which at times can seem... empty, industrial, and austere. I can't say it's the most comfortable place to hang out. The food often seems amazing on paper but doesn't quite hit right in reality. Which is always a shame for me, as I'm always excited for the Asian (esp Chinese) influence. And it's a bit too expensive considering the quality and size of portions. But anything the location lacks, the beer and staff make up for 10x. Some of the absolute friendliest people working there in all my time going to breweries. Good people, good beer.

The beer selection was at Avling was wonderful, and the snacks (both appetizers we ordered and the sticky toffee pudding dessert) were very tasty. Not sure I'd say the same about the main dishes, which were just fine but nothing to write home about, so I'd heartily recommend this place for a night out for some drinks and snacks, rather than a restaurant experience.

Had a great lunch at Avling. I got the [Welcome to] the club sandwich. The heritage bacon was a perfect balance of crunchy and tender, and the edamame guacamole was a pleasant surprise that was the star of the show. The service was friendly and efficient. Great spot for a group.

Cute hipster brewery pub located in Leslieville! Gets super busy in the evening so reservations prior to dining is highly recommended. Food overall was great. Their mussel dish was my favorite, almost wanted to order a second one. Overall 4.5/5 stars. Only let down was it took a while for some of our food to come.