With 100+ cuisines in Toronto, you can travel with your taste buds while indulging in your first (and most important) meal of the day.
Brunch in Toronto is a special category and, for some, a sport. We are so lucky to have so many options from around the world here in one city.
There are all kinds of brunch spots—grand locales for your next birthday gathering or cozy spots for catching up with a friend or enjoying yourself.
Here are 25 brunch restaurants in Toronto to add to your weekend plans, organized by neighbourhood.
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Bloor West & Dufferin Grove
Daily Grind
At this cute side street café, expect everything you love from brunch with thoughtful dishes, many of which have a Vietnamese influence.
The owners of Daily Grind are partners in life and business, and their brunch and dinner menus are inspired by Vietnamese dishes they grew up with, Western brunch staples and their own global travels.
Try it here: Go sweet with their Ube French Toast on brioche bread or the heavily Instagrammed Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Or go the savoury route with the “Gettin’ Crabby” Scrambled Eggs mixed with wild-caught crab and salted egg yolk, crab salad, horseradish sour cream and tobiko.
Gateau Ghost
Gaining wide acclaim for their artful madeleine pastries, Gateau Ghost’s current café and brunch spot started as a virtual pastry shop in 2022.
They have since found their home in Dufferin Grove, where Chef Park brings his Korean heritage into many of the sweet and savoury dishes to fans’ delight. It’s a party in the front and the back, with a full-on sit-down restaurant towards the back and a café and bottle shop in the front, so you can grab n’ go or stay a while.
Try it here: Shrimp toast battered in crushed Frosted Flakes, GG’s Croque Madame with beef bulgogi, mornay sauce and a sunny-side-up egg and definitely, definitely grab a selection of madeleines, like the miso chive, matcha-stachio with pistachio and more seasonal options.
Entertainment District & King West
Miss Likklemore’s
Hit the buzzy strip of King Street West but find yourself an oasis of Caribbean-inspired brunch at Miss Likklemore’s—sometimes even accompanied by live music and DJs.
Expect both classic flavours and unexpected mashups as you try comforting favourites and new takes on brunch, using ingredients from various countries in the Caribbean.
Try it here: Explore the brunch menu with dishes like the Jerk Bacon Benedict or the Oxtail Hash, which features shredded oxtail, brunch potato, oxtail gravy, poached eggs, curry hollandaise and toast. You can also enjoy brunch cocktails like the bottomless Sunshine Spritz for $45.
Queen Mother Cafe
This mainstay has been operating and evolving on Queen Street West since 1974. On the menu, the owner of Queen Mother Cafe draws on their Laotion roots to bring forward dishes inspired by their heritage and global eats.
Try it here: Choose from a variety of dumplings in the Dim Sum Quartet and an array of Eggs Benedicts. Or try traditional Laotian dishes, such as Khao Soi Gai, with chicken simmered in a spicy broth of fresh Thai herbs, turmeric, curry and coconut milk over thin egg noodles.
Bloor-Yorkville & Harbord Village
Amal
With a plush and pastel interior, Amal’s modern Lebanese restaurant is the perfect spot for an upscale yet relaxing brunch. This second-floor establishment offers a warm and inviting atmosphere, and each dish is packed with vibrant flavours and a chic presentation.
Try it here: A sampler of dips is a must, followed by manouche flatbread straight from the oven, shakshuka poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, or a traditional breakfast of foul made with fava beans.
Free Times Cafe
Free Times Cafe is a 42-year-old Jewish restaurant on College Street, across from Kensington Market, that comes uniquely prepared with a Sunday brunch buffet with live Klezmer music and traditional Jewish dishes. And any day of the week, you’ll find a warm, diner-like environment and all-day breakfast.
Try it here: Bagels and lox, Latkes with sour cream and apple sauce, and matzah ball soup.
Riverdale, Leslieville & The Danforth
Maha’s
This pride of the East End is beloved throughout the city, and they have certainly seen the spotlight! Chef Monica competed and excelled on Top Chef Canada Season 10.
Working alongside her mother at Maha’s, day after day, they exceed expectations with their lip-smacking Egyptian food.
Try it here: An astonishingly great date grilled cheese, Egyptian Falafel, where the spice falafel mixture coats perfectly jammy eggs, and lemony lentil soup, which will have you grabbing to take home full jars. Also, that honey cardamom latte.
Pasaj
Offering a taste of Istanbul in Toronto’s East End, Pasaj is both a bakery and brunch restaurant from the folks behind Simit & Chai.
While they offer many traditional Turkish plates, their mastery of creative fusion also brings Turkish flavours together with breakfast classics, elevating them to new heights.
Try it here: Unique takes on Eggs Benedict, like the Pastrami Benedict with a poached egg on a zucchini fritter with sumac hollandaise, a towering stack of Grandma’s Pancakes with sour cherry jam, tahini Halawa, labneh and pistachios and of course, sample their simit.
Pomarosa
Pomarosa is a Venezuelan restaurant with weekend brunch dishes like the oozing Guava & Cheese Empanada and arepas. They also have a great little café and grab n’ go section to take home some of their sweets and savoury goodies.
Try it here: You’ll be in equally good hands if you choose the Breakfast Arepa with scrambled eggs or opt for one with 12-hour braised pork carnitas. Another must-try is the sweet empanada with guava and cheese mentioned above.
Tea N Bannock
This Indigenous restaurant has a brunch and lunch menu with traditional dishes and an Eggs/Bannock/Beverage special with your choice of bannock, fruit, and coffee.
They also offer whole foods and gift options for sale, so lucky you can take home a piece of Tea N Bannock with goods like honey, wild rice, Labrador tea, cedar tea, and more.
Try it here: Navajo Tacos made with fry bread, bison burgers, or the Northern Omelette with wild rice and mushrooms.
Old Town & The Distillery
El Catrin
Expertly playing with both traditional and modern sides of Mexican cuisine, El Catrin boasts an enormous patio that is the perfect perch for people-watching over the lively Distillery District. Inside, it’s all great vibes with bright and flavourful food and flavours and street art-inspired design.
Try it here: Chilaquiles is a Mexican favourite dish of eggs over tortilla chips with all the fixings. Or, get Cajeta Toast, which is brioche filled with cajeta—a Mexican version of caramel—candied peanuts and cinnamon cream. And get a taco from the lunch menu.
Midtown
Fat Pasha
With a combination of Middle Eastern and Eastern European cuisine, the brunch menu at Fat Pasha is a truly delicious collaboration of flavours that’s meant to be.
With a cozy restaurant and leafy patio in the back, you can’t go wrong with brunch any season. Their bagel shop, Schmaltz Appetizing, is just around the back, too.
Try it here: Brisket hummus with fried eggs and pita, or cauliflower and eggs, which has the flavours of their famous whole roasted cauliflower but brunch-ified. Or go sweet with something like the Black & White Cookie Banana Pudding.
Savor Thai
At Savor Thai, expect Thai gastronomy that is a feast for all the senses. Savor Thai brought an Iron Chef (with an 88% success rate) from Iron Chef Thailand to Canada to deliver their vision. Chef Art has executed a menu fit for royalty and the opulent tasting room they have built. The results are absolutely winning.
Try it here: You’ll be satisfied with any of the following: Riceberry-Thai Basil Waffle, Fried Chicken & Green Curry Sauce, Prawn Rice Porridge or Vegan b my Granola & Tofu Yoghurt housemade granola.
Trinity Bellwoods & Ossington
Bar Koukla
This local haunt with Aegean-inspired meze is the perfect perch to feast on brunch and feast your eyes while people-watching and watching the world go by on the Ossington strip.
The venue itself is gorgeous, and you’ll find Bar Koukla putting its spin on brunch classics with tasty hybrid dishes.
Try it here: Baklava Pancakes, Spanakopita Florentine, and Truffle Kouleri with Eggs.
Lula Lounge
Who doesn’t love brunch and a show? Let the music take you away as Lula Lounge hosts their regular weekend Drag Brunch show with a rotating cast of Toronto’s best talent in drag. As a live music venue, you’ll also find salsa and international nights here.
You’ll find something on the food menu for everyone. And the dance menu will have you out of your chair in no time!
Try it here: Get amazing brunch classics for eaters of all kinds with options like Chicken and Belgian waffles AND Vegan Chicken and Belgian waffles, Avocado Toast and Vegan Avocado Toast.
ALSO SEE: The Most Iconic Drag Brunches in Toronto
Patois
Dubbed “Asian Soul Food,” Patois combines Asian and Caribbean flavours under one roof. Beloved at night and for dinner, they also bring a fresh look to menu favourites at breakfast.
Try it here: Patois Eggs Benny with a Jamaican Patty and oxtail gravy, Jerk Paneer Rundown or the Cookie Butter French Toast, HK Style with golden syrup.
Tavoos
Tavoos is a westside gem that invites you in with Persian dishes. Cozy, warm, and inviting, you’ll also certainly want to get a few flatbreads to upgrade your breakfasts at home.
Try it here: Guisvah with eggs, dates, apricots, walnuts and nigella seeds and the Dizi —a platter which eats like a two-course meal centred on a lamb stew.
Parkdale & Roncesvalles & The Junction
BB’s Diner
This MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand restaurant is a hub for modern Filipino cuisine in a relaxed setting. BB’s Diner is a cute and petite outpost on the side street of Brock Avenue that’s filled with charm as they proudly let their favourite Filipino dishes shine.
Try it here: Try the BB’s Silog breakfast plate with garlic rice, two fried eggs, atsara, and your choice of house-made longganisa, corned beef, hash or fried milkfish or the Tortang Talong, a charred eggplant omelet, home fries, pico and aioli.
Cafe Polonez
Go out for home-style Polish cuisine and feel right at home at Cafe Polonez, a family-run restaurant that’s been a neighbourhood mainstay since 1981. Everything is made fresh daily, and there is an all-day breakfast on offer, giving the place a homey diner vibe.
Try it here: Order up stick-to-your-ribs Pierogis, homemade boiled dumplings served with a side of sour cream and fried onions, and your choice of filling. Or, get the potato pancakes known as “Placki kartoflane” and “Nalesniki z serem lub dzemem” crepes filled with sweet cheese or strawberry filling.
Simpl Things
Just off the main strip of Queen West lies Simpl Things with its jewel box of a space. The beauty of it is you’ll always find expertly inventive cocktails and mocktails here, and then there is a roving menu with Italian by day and Asian Snack Bar bites by night.
Try it here: For weekend brunch, there are inventive specialties that are both Asian and Italian-inspired, like the Eggs “Shak”sugo and their homemade take on the Breakfast Sando on housemade milk bread. And this is a world-renowned cocktail bar, so don’t sleep on the drink menu!
Chinatown & Kensington Market
Arch Café
Owned by a husband-and-wife duo originally from Iran, Arch Café is a cute café with a sweet little back patio that adds a Middle Eastern touch to its food and dessert offerings.
Try it here: The Persian Omelette made with a house-made tomato sauce, Bazar Breakfast Platter for two (with house-made sangak bread, butter, feta, clotted cream, jam, cucumber and tomatoes), or an epic skillet Dutch Baby Pancake served with seasonal fruit compote.
Dim Sum King
Up a couple of flights of stairs and worth every step, the Dim Sum King options are seemingly endless, and groups of all sizes can be accommodated. There is a lot of variety in the steamed baskets of dumplings and little dishes that come around on push carts, and you can request them for your table.
Try it here: You can see live renditions of the Pan-Fried Chive & Shrimp Cake and the Pan-Fried Seafood Pancake being made on the restaurant floor.
Hawker
Hawker has dreamed up a delectable 6-course menu for a reasonable $35 on the weekend with a plant-based vegan brunch made with Indian inspiration. It’s the perfect break from the market bustle and Pedestrian Sundays before getting back into vintage shopping, food shop exploring, and more.
Try it here: When I visited, it was charred runner beans, chole, rosemary smoked baingan bharta, ferments, roti, raita, dal with pomegranate, papadam, biryani, and plant-based ras malai ice cream but you may experience a different expression from the chef.
ALSO SEE: Toronto's Best Restaurants for Plant-Forward Dining
City Centre & Waterfront
Light Cafe
This Taiwanese-inspired café has been a neighbourhood staple thanks to its delicious and photogenic food offerings. Light Cafe offers easy dining in or takeout for a brunch picnic.
Try it here: Ube buttermilk mini pancakes with Ube whipped cream, smoked salmon masago pasta and desserts like the yuzu mango cream puff. They also offer a “brunch box” takeout.
Runway06 Restaurant
For a brunch experience that feels like a vacation getaway, book the “all-inclusive brunch” at Runway06 (previously known as Marked). For $95, you’ll receive bottomless bubbly and unlimited South American tapas-style small plates.
With a live DJ spinning, a kids’ price and a bubbly-free option, you can choose your own adventure and leave your cares at the door.
Try it here: Indulge in bites like Manchego Biscuit Eggs Benedict, ceviche, French toast with pistachio & goji berries, and several varieties of churros.
