Pure Spirits is celebrated in Toronto’s Distillery District for its extensive seafood catalogue. Fresh oysters, fish tacos, ceviche, full lobster dinners and whole fish are just some of the standouts on this deep menu. Open since 2003, this restaurant has built a legacy on the backs of many a mollusk. With Oktoberfest festivities setting up shop in Pure Spirit’s cobblestone courtyard, a visit to this eatery was long overdue.

Pure Spirits Hosts Oktoberfest at Distillery District

Scallop Ceviche ($19.90) on the shell is a show stopper with dill oil, habanero, lime and lemon balm

Housed in one of Distillery’s many bricked-out buildings, Pure Spirits boasts a dramatic and moody bar, with spacious banquettes dotting the restaurant. A courtyard patio extends a euro feel. It’s beautiful and welcoming, And bustling. A stream of people and pets makes this a prime place to watch the world go by.

The staff add to this warmth and make you feel right at home. It’s the type of meal you share that makes you feel like you went on a trip instead of just downtown for dinner.

Distillery District is also home to Jardin Kitchen & Juice Bar- Read More Here

The New England Lobster Roll ($37.90) is a lunch favourite with crisps and green salad

Next to the extensive seafood options, Pure Spirits features a slew of vegetarian and carnivore delights. Steak Frites ($33.90) is a generous 8oz portion of tender flat iron with house-cut fries and crispy green salad. Served with red wine shallot butter this dish is a steakhouse lovers dupe.

Other tasty menu finds include the Grilled Fish Tacos ($22). Freshly grilled daily catch
gets the taco treatment with shredded coleslaw and avocado crema. Nonna-approved pasta may be unexpected in a seafood paradise, but Shrimp Pappardelle ($34.90) is divine. Plump Argentinian red shrimp are folded in a rich parmesan cream sauce finished with porcini and truffle (gluten-free pasta available upon request).

Pure Spirits is a Gateway to the Sea

Naturally, a focus of Pure Spirits is on briny fresh finds. A dedicated raw menu is a display of seafood finery. A coast-to-coast rotation of daily oysters like oversized west coast Fanny Bay, salty and sweet Fresh Kiss from Miramichi Bay or Lucky Lime from PEI. $2 buck-a-shuck Tuesdays make for easy foray into the week. Of course, a trio of mignonettes completes the look.

Fresh crab, clams and mussels round out the offerings. Fish n’ Chips is a crispy departure and a pub decoy.

Even the drinks are crowned with seafood, if you are tempted into the Caesar Flight or a chunk of in-house made beef jerky for the Classic Caesar. A full bar suggests any cocktail you may fancy is merely a shake away.

Distillery Lives Up to its Name

The long hightop bar is a destination on its own. But with Oktoberfest festivities happening every weekend until October 27th, a trip to the patio bar is calling. Live music, shniztel and of course, Mill Street Brews are on tap.

Pure Spirits is located at 17 Tank House Lane, in the heart of Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Follow them @spiritspure

All photos by Libby Roach.