Kateryna Topol –
The small restaurant at 100 Adelaide Street East has been an oyster bar for 25 years. Today, it is known as the Pearl Diver, a casual neigbourhood spot meant to feel like “an extension of your condo bedroom,” says general manager Alex MacDougall.
The space has an atypical layout with a mix of booths, tables, bar seats and four-tops lined up against the bar. “It is an unusual layout,” admits MacDougall, “but it works”.
Oysters remain the top seller, especially during happy hour ($24 for the Diver’s Dozen). The restaurant opens Tuesday through Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (2 p.m. on Sunday); by 5:15 the couple next to me had already put away three dozen oysters.
“Thursday is our biggest night,” MacDougall says, referring to the 100-oysters-for-$100 special. Be it a challenge or a shared experience, 100 oysters seems like an excellent way to spend an evening with friends.
Throughout the week the Pearl Diver has daily specials. Happy hour (available all day on Sundays) also offers wine on tap sourced from Niagara’s 13th Street Winery ($8), Wellington beer pints ($7), and one-ounce cocktails ($8).
The next popular crowd-pleaser is the seafood tower ($70 on Tuesday). This three-tier platter includes a dozen oysters, shrimp cocktail, seared tuna, pickled mussels, and a crab leg cluster. Perhaps the pickled mussels, seasoned and served with a crunchy vegetable medley, are the most pleasant surprise. If you’re looking for a complete meal, the seafood tower might need to be followed by a warm chowder or a main dish.
The restaurant team aims to source all the fish sustainably through Ocean Wise or MSC (certified sustainable through the Marine Stewardship Council), whose logos are on the menu. “It costs a little bit more, but it is important,” MacDougall emphasized.
“I think when people think seafood, they think it’s expensive, and certainly lobsters are expensive. But we’ve always tried to make a menu that’s approachable,” including with daily specials, he added. “Don’t be afraid to come on in and try us out.”
Specials and the full menu are posted at pearldiver.to; 18% gratuity is included on all bills.
