Name, concept revealed for restaurant replacing Queen’s Head Pub in Burlington

The Queen’s Head pub is gone, but now we know what will take shape in the Burlington landmark.

And the address says it all: the restaurant will be known as 400 Brant Kitchen & Bar.

After months of renovations and preparations, 400 Brant is expected to open in the spring. However, in the meantime, the restaurant is expected to give customers an advanced sampling of its menu through a takeout service that will soon operate at the entrance on Brant and Elgin Streets.

According to information obtained by halton.insauga.com, locally owned and operated, the new restaurant is taking on the name of its location to help preserve the history of the building, which opened as a hotel in 1860 but for the past 20 years was a popular downtown gathering spot known as the Queen’s Head Pub.

The inside of the building has since been renovated to convert the former pub into a casual, upscale dining room. The restaurant will be helmed by Burlington’s own Executive Chef Stewart Shmidt, most recently of the Waterside Inn in Mississauga, who brings over 30 years of experience.

As well as the renovated dining room and bar, the location will also have separate areas to host private and corporate events.

The operators stress that the made-to-go takeout portion of 400 Brant will offer a high-quality menu and feature such items as grilled sourdough panini with prosciutto, pesto, caramelized onion and peppers and provolone.

The Queen’s Head closed in September following its successful run. The former owners say they had to vacate the spot because their lease was not renewed. Since then, there has been much speculation over the future of what many consider Burlington’s most iconic building.

Some have feared the site would be redeveloped and turned into a condo, which prompted council to consider giving the building a heritage designation. That designation has not been given but is still an option should the city wish to grant the structure an additional layer of protection.

Originally called the Zimmerman House, the 164-year-old building was later known as the Queen’s Hotel and then the Sherwood Hotel before the pub took over.