Sunday Brunch at the Lockhart

"All was well"

Over the weekend, Keshia, my sister, and I had brunch for the first time at the Lockhart (1479 Dundas St W), a cocktail bar famous for its Harry-Pottter-inspired drinks and decor. For the record: My colleagues and I actually tried going 2 years ago, but after 20 minutes of waiting with no chance of getting in, we decided to try our luck on Ossington instead.

This time around, we made sure we got there at 10AM, standing in frigid Canadian weather to stake our claim on a much coveted table. By now though, the hype has semi-dissipated, and the frozen parts of me regretted getting there way too early. Lol!

The bar (Photo Credit: Keshia)

The upside to being the first (and only) diners in line for a 10:30AM opening is that you get to sit anywhere you like: We chose a table along the west wall of the establishment, which gave Keshia and Dee a pretty sweet view of the bar, where we would later see our server/bartender toast some marshmallows for Keshia's "better beer".

As we scanned the rest of the place, we got to see some of the Harry Potter touches a name like "Lockhart" would imply: There was a neon sign, showing the last line to the series, as well as some print outs of Dolores Umbridge's decrees tacked onto the walls. Apart from those, the Lockhart is pretty much like any other Toronto establishment: cool, for sure, though a bit grungy in some respects. What it definitely is is a bar... And not the restaurant I was expecting! Hahaha.

Eggs Benny + Chicken & Waffles

The menus were sandwiched between the sauces that were already on the table and listed some of your regular brunch fare, including the wildly popular trend of chicken and waffles. My sister settled on that, while Keshia and I went for the brunch special... Which was essentially a combination of chicken, waffles, and eggs benedict (insert emoji with tears spewing out of its eyes here). Lol! What can I say? Fried chicken is my nemesis.

In my mind, restauranteurs can cheat a little bit when it comes to chicken and waffles because it is so simple to make, so I was very surprised that the Lockhart could deliver a pretty stellar version of the dish. It was herb-y, savoury, and sweet in one neatly-tied package. I was left wanting more. 

Better beer and a Shaklebolt

However, the real tour de force of the Lockhart is its drinks: The Shaklebolt, named after the famous auror, was delicious and refreshing. It is light enough for brunch and boozy enough to start a night of drinking. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I did not get to try the better beer, but I was told that it was pretty good by two different people. ;-) So it must mean that it's worth a shot, right? Hahaha.

The verdict:
Go once for nostalgia, come back for the drinks.

The nerd verdict:
It might be too hip for my Harry Potter t-shirt.