Borrel

Borrel Toronto's only Dutch-inspired "brown cafe." Craft beer, genever, cocktails, traditional Dutch bar sn

Hallo! Well, that's it for us for a while here in Toronto. But we're heading to Montreal for two popups this week! On Tu...
07/19/2026

Hallo! Well, that's it for us for a while here in Toronto. But we're heading to Montreal for two popups this week!

On Tuesday, we'll be at wine bar extraordinaire serving up deep-fried Dutch and Indonesian snacks. And then on Thursday, we'll be at the Mile End mecca with four Dutch and Indonesian-inspired specials, featuring shrimp krokets, beef rendang sliders, stoofvlees (a tangy beef stew staple from the southern Netherlands) and the kapsalon (perhaps a distant cousin to poutine?).

Please tell your friends and family in Montreal to come by to visit either date (or both)! ... Or get over to Montreal and join us! Merci!

Opening today at 6 p.m. but this happening at Le Plongeoir in Montreal on Tuesday! Bon weekend!
07/17/2026

Opening today at 6 p.m. but this happening at Le Plongeoir in Montreal on Tuesday! Bon weekend!

Hallo! Hope you are well. A somewhat ominous start to our last week ahead of summer break with this end-of-the-world-esq...
07/16/2026

Hallo! Hope you are well. A somewhat ominous start to our last week ahead of summer break with this end-of-the-world-esque weather we're having! We thank you in advance if you're braving the bad air quality to visit us tonight!

Open today and tomorrow at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. before we close up to do a couple popups in Montreal and then back to the Motherland in August. Hope you can join us this week ahead of the break! Bedankt!

Hallo! Hope you had a great weekend. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us last week (and the surprisingly busy Frida...
07/13/2026

Hallo! Hope you had a great weekend. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us last week (and the surprisingly busy Friday!). Things really slow down for us during the summer months and that's why we always close up for a bit. ... And we'll be closing up soon! Sorry for the late notice, but this will be our last week so hope you can join us on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday!

Well actually, Borrel will still be "open" two more days after that, just not here. We'll be in Montreal!

For the past eight months, our friend in Montreal Nick Amberg () has gone above and beyond to connect us with venues to see if they might have us serve up some of our Dutch eats in the summer. Excited to announce that we will be doing deep-fried Dutch snacks at the awesome wine bar Le Plongeoir () on Tuesday, July 21 and then some Dutch comfort foods at Mile End institution Nouveau Palais () on Thursday, July 23!

We nearly had something set up for stroopwafels there but it fell through. … Maybe a blessing in disguise as we have been totally swamped prepping for these popups already! But big thanks to Chiggy () for getting us connected with potential venues (hopefully next time if all goes well!).

So if you have any friends or family in Montreal, please send them our way! Or if you happen to be in Montreal yourselves next week, please come by! Montreal is where I was lucky enough to attend university and I always miss it. And we’ve wanted to try what we do at Borrel in different places, so getting to spend a week in Montreal to do it is a bit of a dream come true. … Just hope it goes well!

More on this on our social media in the coming days. Super huge thanks to Nanna Koekoek () for finding time during her super busy schedule to make this awesome poster!

07/09/2026

Goeiedag! ... OK, as much as I like the rain, we understand if we're not going to be a destination for you if this weather holds. But we are open at 6 p.m. and -- long overdue notice -- we will be closing up Borrel for the summer after next week. So really, just six more days of service!

Sorry, we've been meaning to post the calendar for July and let you know earlier. We've just been very busy with an exciting Borrel project at the end of this month (more on that soon!). And then we're off to the Motherland for August. Open again Thursday, Sept. 3! But hope you can join us this week or next! Stay dry out there!

Hallo! Thanks so much for a much busier-than-expected Friday night! Not that we broke any records but we're just flatter...
07/04/2026

Hallo! Thanks so much for a much busier-than-expected Friday night! Not that we broke any records but we're just flattered that you'd brave the insane heat to visit us! (Any new fans of the rain given how much it's helped cool things down a little bit today?)

Obviously, a very exciting game for Canada coming up. We hope you enjoy the match! Should you be looking for some Dutch comfort food and drinks (and air conditioning!) post-game, we're open at 4 p.m. We might close up a bit early depending on how busy things are. Even though it's a lot more bearable today, that humidity is still brutal!

Dutch flag is down, big screen TV dismounted ... still struggling to remove these adorable Loeki football buntings (than...
07/02/2026

Dutch flag is down, big screen TV dismounted ... still struggling to remove these adorable Loeki football buntings (thanks again Daniella Van Weringh)! But it's time to move on. Not to be a baby, but still kinda sad we don't have any more Oranje to host. Thankfully, regular service is still pretty fun as well. ... And on the plus side, you should have no problem getting a spot here anymore! Haha. Open today and tomorrow at 6 p.m. and on Saturday at 4 p.m. If you want to make a reservation, email us at [email protected]. Tot ziens!

Fijne Canadadag! It took a day to process all the feelings from Monday night's game, so it's on Canada Day that we say t...
07/01/2026

Fijne Canadadag! It took a day to process all the feelings from Monday night's game, so it's on Canada Day that we say thanks to all the Dutch fans who came by to support Oranje! While we're of course saddened and disappointed by the result, we're also so grateful for the four games we did get to host and how much fun they were — mostly due to the fantastic crowds we had! When we were first starting Borrel, it was these kinds of events that we dreamed of hosting (wouldn't you know our luck, the Netherlands didn't qualify the year we opened!). So seeing those dreams brought to life is an amazing feeling!

But I won't lie, I would probably be in rougher shape right now had a lovely supporter not voiced a loud "Thank you, Borrel!" not even a minute after being dealt the deathblow in penalty kicks. Everyone joined in applause and we were really touched. I applauded right back at all of you for putting up with our small space, small TV and very limited seating for all these matches. It was such a great atmosphere in here and we thank you for that. Just wish we had more games to bring you all back here!

Big thanks to Deanna, Jo and Matt (our front-of-house captain who worked all four games!). It was busy in here and they somehow found a way to navigate all the traffic and get drinks and food to everyone. Dayna came up with a system in the kitchen that got the food out super quick, even when we had more chits than we could count! ... Oh man, I miss it all already!

But enough sappy talk already! Many of you I'm sure are just as excited if not more for Canada's match on Saturday. We'll be cheering as well, of course, but we won't be showing the game. We're a little FIFA'd out now (is it OK to say that?) and it doesn't quite feel genuine for us to suddenly be the Canadian bar! Pretty much every other bar in the city will be screening it, so enjoy! And if you want to celebrate the win/drown your sorrows with a loss with some food, we'll be open at 4 p.m. for business as usual. One last HUP!

Goeiedag! Hope you are well and enjoyed the game yesterday. Very exciting for Canada to advance to the Round of 16 where...
06/29/2026

Goeiedag! Hope you are well and enjoyed the game yesterday. Very exciting for Canada to advance to the Round of 16 where they will face either Morocco or ... the Netherlands? That's awkward! Haha. We'll see what happens tonight as Oranje take on Morocco for their Round of 32 knockout match. If we win, we'll discuss the potential identity crisis issues tomorrow!

For now, we need your focus to be on Oranje! Opening our doors at 7:30 p.m. for a 9 p.m. kickoff! As always, it's first come, first served. No reservations. As is always the case, the further Netherlands advance in these tournaments, the more interest grows in attending. So a reminder that we are a tiny place and fill up fast. Our friends at Sauce () will be showing the game on their back patio. While they normally also show the game in the bar, they have live music scheduled tonight so more limited space for this match. Remember, .to, .to and are all Oranje-friendly venues you can visit as well!
.. And while we've hosted some really special crowds these past three games, it came to our attention that on Thursday someone was holding what limited chairs we have for their friends who had not yet arrived. That's not the way this should work, especially if you're denying someone a chair who needed to sit. We've said that if you're attending, you should be comfortable with standing for the game. But thankfully, we've mostly had people offer up their chairs for older fans or those more in need of a seat, and would like to think that courtesy will be extended tonight. Sorry to nag, but we really hope for everyone to have as good a time as possible here and not to disappoint anyone with the limited space we have available.

OK, can't wait to see you tonight to cheer on Onze Nederlandse Elftal for their first knockout match of the tournament. HUP!

06/28/2026

Goeiedag! We don't tend to be a favourite of the algorithm gods, but for whatever reason, a quickly put together clip of Alison making stroopwafels at the last Stroopwafel Sunday went viral ... well, as viral as our posts get! Whether it was posting at the exact right time, Alison's adorability or the sublime soundtrack of "Sunday Morning" by the Velvet Underground ... we don't really know. But the stroopwafel demonstration wasn't even complete! So we present the second part of that process to the algorithm gods and see where it goes.

Serving up freshly made stroopwafels on our front deck and Dutch-inspired brunch specials inside until about 2:30 p.m. (We're going to close up then and hope you enjoy the big Canada vs. South Africa match at 3 p.m. wherever you are watching!) We have a big game of our own tomorrow with Netherlands vs. Morocco at 9 p.m.! We'll open up at 7:30 p.m. for that. More tomorrow! Fijne zondag! HUP!

06/27/2026

Hallo! Thanks so much to everyone who came by yesterday. We were expecting a quiet one with the kids out of school and cottage country a calling but it was a nice little night here. Thanks again!

We are open at 4 p.m. today and tomorrow at 11 a.m. for Stroopwafel Sunday. ... But we'd be lying if we didn't say that we're already on edge for Monday night's matchup between the Netherlands and Morocco in the Round of 32! Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. kickoff. And hopefully after, we'll be celebrating just like we did on Thursday night after the game against Tunisia. ... We'd be sick of this song if it didn't mean the Netherlands were doing well! Thanks to for the great clip. Have a great weekend and don't forget to HUP!

Goeiedag! And we're through! Not only through, but top of the group! With a 3-1 win against Tunisia and Japan tying 1-1 ...
06/26/2026

Goeiedag! And we're through! Not only through, but top of the group! With a 3-1 win against Tunisia and Japan tying 1-1 with Sweden, the Netherlands finish first in Group F and will go on to face Morocco in the Group of 32! We hope to see you on Monday, June 29 to cheer on Oranje as we enter the first of the knockout stages of the tournament! Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. for 9 p.m. kickoff! More to come! HUP! HUP! HUP!

06/25/2026

Goeiedag! OK, last game of the Group Stage happening tonight! Open at 6 p.m. with kickoff against Tunisia at 7 p.m.! You know the drill by now:

- No reservations; first come, first served.

- We're a tiny place. Wish we could fit more but if we're full, our friends at Sauce () will be showing the game on their back patio. (While they normally also show the game in the bar, they have live music scheduled tonight so more limited space for this match.)

- No regular dinner service tonight, but snack menu available with food coming out on disposable containers.

- Very limited seating, be prepared to stand to cheer for Oranje.

And honestly, standing to watch a game makes it way more of a festive atmosphere! As demonstrated by the fantastic crowd we had on Saturday. This was part of the post-game celebrations happening here (thanks to for the great video). ... Let's hope we'll have cause to do this again tonight! HUP! HUP! HUP!

Hallo! Sorry for the short notice but this Sunday we'll be doing our last Stroopwafel Sunday ahead of the summer break. ...
06/24/2026

Hallo! Sorry for the short notice but this Sunday we'll be doing our last Stroopwafel Sunday ahead of the summer break. Please join us for freshly made jumbo stroopwafels (Dutch syrup waffles) made from scratch! We'll be serving them from our front deck from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. but also open inside for regular service and some Dutch-inspired brunch specials! HUP! ... Oh wait, that's for tomorrow. Ah, HUP is for everything right now!

Also a reminder of course that we open at 6 p.m. tomorrow for the 7 p.m. kickoff between the Netherlands vs. Tunisia. No regular service Thursday but non-football seating on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. Email us for reservations (not for the game) or any questions at [email protected]. Bedankt!

Goeiedag! Hope you are well. Big thanks to everyone who came out for our last Metal Monday ahead of summer break. It was...
06/23/2026

Goeiedag! Hope you are well. Big thanks to everyone who came out for our last Metal Monday ahead of summer break. It was a lot of fun. Special thanks to DJ for the killer Pride-inspired playlist! We'll be back with more monthly heaviness at Borrel in September!
.. Also, a long overdue huge thank you to everyone who came by for the Netherlands vs. Sweden match on Saturday! You guys were such an awesome crowd! Also helped that Oranje played so well and we had five goals to celebrate in their 5-1 victory! And yet, it's still not a 100% guarantee that we go through to the Round of 32 so we need your support again this Thursday as the Netherlands take on Tunisia for the final game of the Group Stage!

We'll be opening our doors at 6 p.m. for the kickoff at 7 p.m. Please note that we'll be opening for the game only and not offering regular service. Plenty of eats available from our menu for the games, but it'll be coming out on disposable containers. Also, good chance you'll be standing to watch the game. We reconfigure Borrel to accommodate larger numbers so we remove seats and tables to allow for mostly standing room. While we do have some tables and seats, we fill up quickly and they get snapped up right from doors open. No reservations, it's first come, first served. So make sure you're comfortable with standing. ... It does actually make for a way more festive atmosphere as demonstrated by the Oranje supporters who were here on Saturday!

If we are full, our friends at Sauce () will be showing the game on their back patio. While they normally also show the game in the bar, they have live music scheduled that evening so more limited space for this match. Remember, .to, .to and are all Oranje-friendly venues you can visit as well!

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to make a reservation when we're open for non-football service on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. ... And holy cow, have I not posted yet about Stroopwafel Sunday happening on June 28 yet?! That's happening from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Post coming soon! Hope to see you on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday! HUP! HUP! HUP!

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1333 Danforth
Toronto, ON
M4J1N1

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