It was over pints at a Toronto craft beer institution that Stephane Dubois first met Shehzad Hamza through a mutual friend. It was a fitting location as they quickly bonded over their shared passion for interesting and unique beers. Stephane was a homebrewer and the two would often drink Stephane’s concoctions while joking about how fun it would be to start their own brewery.
“One day, we just really talked about it and said, ‘Okay, maybe we can do this’,” Shehzad recalls. “So we just went for it.” Bandit Brewery, named after the city’s notorious garbage-scavenging creature, opened in a former Roncesvalles auto mechanic garage in the summer of 2016.
Pair a flight of small-batch, brewed-in-house deliciousness with some conversation at a long communal table at this Roncey beer hall. Warning: the glasses are embellished with the brand’s signature raccoon bandit logo and trust us, you’ll want to take them home. What you’ll find here are hand-crafted beers, a chill vibe and comfort food favourites like cheese boards, charcuteries and fresh-cut fries (oh, and did we mention the huge street-facing patio?). Sip on a porter, IPA, pale ale or APA in the clean, modern space – there’s loads of natural light and plenty of shiny chrome fixtures and beer kettles to ogle over.
It was only a matter of time ‘til Roncesvalles got a microbrewery, but little did we know it would boast such an impressive set-up. Inspired by the beer halls of Europe, Bandit Brewery has launched their sizeable space at the corner of Dundas and Roncesvalles Avenue, complete with a stunningly modern wraparound bar, communal tables, the full gamut of brewed-in-house craft beer, a snack-worthy food menu, and a huge street-facing patio (dog friendly!).