The Saint John Ale House occupies a handsome brick building near the waterfront, with exposed timber and stone and a long bar that carries an honest selection of Maritime craft beers alongside the expected national lagers. The Moosehead products are always on — the brewery is a few kilometres away — but the rotating craft taps from smaller New Brunswick operations are the reason to come.
The covered deck has views toward the harbour, which is the ideal place for a beer on a summer evening when the fog lifts and the waterfront light goes golden. The kitchen turns out decent bar food — the lobster poutine is a tourist crowd pleaser and not without merit. It is the most consistently pleasant bar in the uptown core.