Brunching in Toronto is practically a sport. Pick one of Toronto's amazing restaurants as your mark, keep your eye on the target and try to maintain your stamina while you wait in the longest of lines.
Sure, you could always make a reservation (if they accept them), but who has time for that? Brunch is a magical, whimsical thing that happens when the moment strikes. Once a table is finally ready at one of Toronto's best brunch spots, the mimosas are flowing and the eggs are glowing a sunny yellow, it all becomes worth it.
In this city, there are as many different kinds of brunches as there are stars in the sky. Sometimes, brunch is a cutesy affair in an airy, art-filled space that you definitely want to dress up for. Other days, it’s a greasy, hangover-fuelled indulgence to help us recover from a night out at one of Toronto's best bars. And with new restaurants opening all the time, the brunching options are endless.
However you slice it, brunch in Toronto is a beautiful thing — and we’ve rounded up the best brunch places in the city (in descending order) to kick your day off with an excellent meal. Dig in.
The best brunch in Toronto
21. O'Somae
357 Broadview Ave.
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This unassuming brunch destination in East Chinatown might not be on everyone's list, but don't sleep on it. It's worth the trip alone for O'Somae's breakfast poutines, fun twists on eggs benny (crab cake, duck) and collection of premium teas and smoothies. The chicken and waffles, though, is what will keep us returning: The fried leg and breast is drizzled in a tantalizing blueberry chutney and maple syrup, and served with a side of yummy cajun home fries.
20. Saving Grace
907 Dundas St. W.
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Bored of basic brunch? This down-to-earth spot in the Trinity-Bellwoods hood serves inventive takes on brunch favourites like french toast stuffed with lemon ricotta and waffles with honey-roasted plums and lavender custard. On the seasonally rotating menu, you’ll also find internationally inspired brunch items like quiche and frittatas. Pair it all with one of their fresh juices or a smoothie. They don’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait for a table in this casual, quirky spot.
19. Lady Marmalade
265 Broadview Ave.
Three words that will send waves of joy to those who love sleep and breakfast equally: All. Day. Brunch. David Cherry and Natalia Simachkevitch launched Lady Marmalade on Queen Street East 13 years ago, then moved to an airy spot on Broadview in 2018. Devotees were relieved to find that the menu stayed the same. Dig into faves like Huevos Migas, Moroccan Scramble and a rather delicious hash that can be made even more delicious with the addition of braised beef or pulled pork; order a cup of coffee; and soak in the Scandi design vibes.
18. Louix Louis
325 Bay St.
Feel like royalty with weekend brunch at the gold-clad Louix Louis inside The St. Regis hotel. The ostentatious atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a bougie brunch that will leave you walking on a cloud all day. Choose elevated brunch dishes like duck and waffle or steak and eggs from the à la carte menu, or bring a date and go for The Royal Brunch for two. For $140 it includes seven courses like smoked salmon and lobster avocado toast, plus desserts and coffee.
17. Ladurée
3401 Dufferin St.
Having brunch and mimosas inside of a shopping mall doesn't sound like the most enticing experience, but Yorkdale Shopping Centre is as high-end as they come and Ladurée more than matches that vibe. The boutique and afternoon tea salon is lathered in soft pink with gold detailing, while wainscotting on the ceiling and a sparkling chandelier set the oh-so-cute scene.
All of the brunch options here are on the lighter side, compared to more hearty, stuff-your-face brunch spots. They have three different kinds of avocado toast on the menu. Our favourite comes with perfect slices of creamy avocado fanned over a toasted slice of brioche and topped with three rolls of delicate smoked salmon. The succinct menu also features a few different styles of French toast, croque-monsieurs and omelettes. Save room for their famous macarons: A dozen different flavours of the delicate desserts range from creamy vanilla and Marie-Antoinette Tea to the floral rose and fruity raspberry.
When it comes to brunch, mimosas are the way to our heart, but Ladurée also offers house cocktails and champagne by the glass or bottle if you're really feeling fancy. Tea, espresso drinks and a few different mocktail options let non-imbibers get in on the fun, too.
16. Toronto Beach Club
1681 Lake Shore Blvd. E.
This lush, beachside hideaway for Mediterranean fare and seafood now offers an all-you-can-eat Oasis Brunch on Sundays. For $75, all of your buffet brunch dreams can come true. Tuck into classics like eggs, bacon and sausage at the breakfast station; find mouth-watering dishes like shakshuka at the hot station; and slurp up oysters from the raw bar. There’s a yogurt station, a carving station and dessert station, too. Don’t forget to add on bottomless mimosas for $45 with prosecco or $195 with Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
15. Bonjour Brioche
812 Queen St. E.
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Since 1997, Leslieville's Bonjour Brioche has been making people's days a little bit brighter (and sweeter). The family-owned French café and bakery is the definition of a neighbourhood spot — and we'd happily go here every day if we could. Stop by for breakfast, brunch or lunch, and, let's not kid ourselves, a dozen croissants.
14. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
85 Hanna Ave.
Every weekend morning, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen faithfully carts out a hand-written chalk sign in Liberty Village that points towards the restaurant, reading something to the effect of “PANCAKES THIS WAY.” Lured by the thought of pillowy breakfast treats, passersby will find more than just delectable blueberry-topped pancakes coming out of the kitchen. Huevos Monty, an eggy-cheese-and-tortilla bake, and the shakshuka, topped with feta and olives, are mouth-watering savoury options if you’re taking a break from the sweet stuff.
13. Cafe Landwer
Multiple locations
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Move over, pancakes, waffles, muffins and oatmeal — shakshuka is our new favourite brunch food. Cafe Landwer, a 100-year-old international restaurant franchise with a location in the heart of the Financial District, serves hungry crowds the saucy Middle Eastern dish in multiple variations, with additions like labneh, feta, eggplant, halloumi, beef kebabs or sausage. All of the locations except for Yorkdale have a patio for outdoor brunching in the summer, but the real experience is indoors; in the dining room, you’re enveloped in a comforting golden-brown coffee colour that feels like a great big hug as you enjoy your meal.
12. Chadwick's Craft Kitchen & Bar
268 Howland Ave.
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This blended Asian and Latin-American spot in the Annex has been making a cracking (geddit?) brunch since it first opened in 2011. Life's already too hard without having to choose one dish, so order the Smoked Beef Brisket Hash and the Chilaquiles & Huevos and take a brunch partner who's amenable to sharing. The focus is on quality ingredients and Canadian products, so you can feel good about overindulging. In the summer, capacity swells thanks to their super cute patio.
11. Flo’s Diner
70 Yorkville Ave.
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Don’t be fooled by the Yorkville address — Flo’s is the antithesis of the fancy-schmancy neighbourhood in which it sits. With retro stools, a red-and-white checkered bar and cherry-red vinyl booths sticky from maple syrup, it’s a real blast from the past, where breakfast is served every morning, seven days a week. Expect menu items as classic as the interior: eggs Benedict (five options), omelettes, french toast. Oh, and an Oreo cookie milkshake for good measure.
10. Chotto Matte
This gorgeous Financial District restaurant has made a name for itself by serving up delectable Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) bites, so we weren't surprised when their new brunch sharing menus knocked it out of the park. Fluffy Japanese pancakes with banana slices, and yellowtail, tuna and avocado sushi donuts taste just as great as they look on the 'gram. Make sure you dig into the mouth-watering crispy buttermilk karaage chicken and poached egg that top the maple syrup-soaked waffles. Their $65, $75 and $85 menus are only available from 12–3 p.m. on Saturdays, so be sure to snag your reservations early.
9. The Federal
1438 Dundas St. W.
Brunch with some funk (they’ve got a great selection of natural vino) isn’t just a weekend thing at this Little Portugal fave. Every day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., bottomless coffee and delicious handhelds await. Expect long lines on the weekend, so we recommend going during the week — we won’t tell your boss if you have a cheeky mid-day caesar, garnished with a Cool Ranch Dorito.
8. Starving Artist
Multiple Locations
We have one word for you: waffles. And if you don’t like those fluffy rounds of heaven, then you can walk away now. Starving Artist is all about the waffles — cinnamon raisin waffles come in the style of french toast; sandwich waffles come stuffed with fillings like spicy chicken, jalapeno, salsa and sour cream; and dessert waffles come in decked-out flavours like the Waffle S’more with roasted marshmallow fluff, chocolate chips and graham crumbs.
We think the real stars, however, are the potato waffles. Akin to a hash brown, but made in a waffle press, these savoury delights are crispy on the outside and almost mashed-potato-like inside. Enjoy them in the B. Benny, slathered with hollandaise, and topped with bacon and two beautiful poached eggs. While you’re munching, check out the local, rotating art pieces that adorn the walls in this laid-back, contemporary setting.
7. Casa Madera
550 Wellington St. W.
Take a trip from Mexico to the Mediterranean via Casa Madera's new brunch offering. Every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., go on a brunch voyage that starts with Mayan hummus and kobe beef before diving into mains like churro French toast and huevos rancheros. If you're more of a lunch for brunch person, Pacifico striped bass and the Madera burger will suit your fancy. Or bring your friends and ball out on a seafood tower while DJ beats bump and live performers swirl around you in the airy space full of lush greenery and reclaimed wood.
6. Milou
1375 Dundas St. W.
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This light-filled café-bistro-bar on the corner of Dundas West and Beaconsfield is the Toronto take on a quintessential Parisian hideaway (it’s inspired by the kind of haunts where artists and writers like Hemingway would post up). From the black-and-white checkered floors to the uneven brick walls, the touches look old-school Paris. They don’t take reservations, which is risky for brunch, but guest turnover is pretty quick. If you’re not up for a plate of duck confit or steak frites for brekky, there are more morning-adjacent options like pain perdu (French toast), or a savoury ham croque madame with bechamel, swiss cheese, dijon and a perfectly fried egg.
5. Maha’s Egyptian Brunch
226 Greenwood Ave.
You would expect to find fantastic South Asian cuisine in Toronto’s Little India, but you might not have bargained for some of the city’s most authentic Egyptian food. Head to Maha’s Egyptian Brunch on Greenwood, just north of Gerrard, and you’ll find an all-day breakfast menu of Cairo classics from chef-owner Maha Barsoom. Roasted eggplant, deep-fried cauliflower, cumin home fries, shakshuka and date-stuffed grilled cheese sammies all await you — and save room for one of their excellent honey cardamom lattes. Get there early: Maha’s is known for its long lineups on Saturdays and Sundays.
4. BB’s
5 Brock Ave.
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BB’s is back, baby, and are we ever pumped about it. When its previous building was sold during the pandemic, this Filipino-style brunch hot spot had to find a new home. Now Parkdale has been blessed with BB’s fresh digs — although it’s full of nostalgic nods to sari-sari (convenience) stores in the Philippines. From Friday to Sunday, you can get your paws on heaping plates of salty-delicious-hangover-curing silog (garlic-fried rice topped with a runny egg) with a choice of protein like longanisa (house sausage), fried milkfish or, our fave, corned beef hash. Caesar lovers will lose it over their tamarind spiked version.
3. Reign
100 Front St. W.
OK, technically this one is more of a breakfast than a brunch, since it’s served weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and weekends from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. But if you’re one of those morning people, Reign at the Fairmont Royal York is well worth getting out of bed for.
Fluffy lemon pancakes come with local maple syrup and a decadent blueberry compote; avocado toast is topped with heirloom tomatoes and a delicate poached egg; while the St. Lawrence sami, piled with peameal bacon, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese, will cure any morning groggies. On Sundays, Reign also serves an $89 brunch with pantry buffet and choice of main.
Whether for breakfast or brunch, the plush atmosphere of green velvet chairs and leather banquettes paired with elegant dark wood and marble fixtures is the perfect place to cozy up.
2. The Drake
1150 Queen St. W.
No matter what time of day it is, The Drake is always a go-to for a great meal in a hip, art-clad setting. The hotel is a dining destination, nightlife hot spot and local arts hub all rolled into one. But we particularly like their weekend brunch, offered Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (for all of us late risers).
Settle into a spot in the light-filled café, the art-adorned main dining room or on the recently redone, year-round rooftop patio, the Sky Yard. Start with one of their well-made brunch cocktails like the Breakfast Martini, or a classic caesar or mimosa. Then, dig into mains like the show-stopping Drake Breakfast: two eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, homestyle potatoes and sourdough toast. The burger here is so good, we would forgive you for ordering it for brunch (yes, it’s on the menu).
1. White Lily Diner
678 Queen St. E.
The old-school interior, the retro booths, the all-day diner menu — White Lily Diner doesn’t do bells and whistles. Honestly, we’re here for it. In their place is irresistible comfort food that you can’t stop shovelling into your mouth — just nod and smile while your brunch companion prattles on about something that isn’t thick-cut bacon.
The closest this east-end staple gets to Instagram theatrics is the knife staked through the heart of their deli sandwiches — though that’s more to contain the mountain of pastrami and pickles threatening to escape. Don’t forget the doughnuts.
