Hugh’s Room opened its doors a bit over a year ago in the Roncesvalles/Dundas West neighbourhood and seemed to be popular right away. It’s really more of a live music venue than a restaurant (there is usually a cover charge), but Hugh’s does offer a full menu full of comforting and delicious homestyle food. I’ve enjoyed the oven roasted chicken and the steak & fries. The chicken is moist and crispy with flavourful herbs and served with veg & mashed potatoes. The steak is pretty much what you’d expect, and they do it well. Another thing I like to get there is pork chops, but it comes with spaetzle that I never eat.

The salmon I’ve had came perfectly cooked and was soft and flaky. I also liked the pita platter, which comes with different dips on different nights, and the springrolls are also quite nice; crispy and light, but also with that sheen of grease that one craves once in a while. Kim says the desserts are also quite nice.

The beer on tap is both a blessing and a curse. There are fantastic selections from the likes of McAuslan, but when the till opens for these, there’s a big ca-ching. They are quite a bit more expensive than we’ve seen in other places, and one can certainly rack up quite a bill paying almost seven bucks a pint for the whole night. You could stick to Mick’s Red, which is something like a whole two dollars cheaper, but it seems a shame to do so when there are such other nice things to be had.

There is, however, obviously a lot put in to this place as well. The sound system is top-notch, and the spacious room provides a comfortable amount of breathing room for patrons and soundwaves alike. It’s really an enjoyable place to just sit and listen.

Those in the know book a table for dinner for shows that look like they’re going to be popular, lest you be crammed in the back on an uncomfortable stool. The only times I’ve been grumpy at Hugh’s are when this sort of thing has happened and we were consigned to bad seats by a floor manager who, though obviously well-intentioned, gets a bit brusque when stressed.

Such things are minor, though, and fade away when you are in such an excellent space to hear some great shows, with a full belly and a nice pint.