Would you like a side of culture with your eggs? These spots offer entertainment with your brunch.
Toronto serves up a good brunch game, and if you’re seeking something beyond mimosas and Benny, the city has plenty of options where you can delight more than just your sense of taste.
Dig into board games, books, jazz, drag queens, doughnuts, lake views, improv or art at these brunch and entertainment options that will please your palate and spirit!
Jazz buffet at Hothouse
Hit up Hothouse after a Sunday morning visit to St. Lawrence Market for their Sunday brunch with live jazz.
This spacious, family-friendly spot serves up a buffet complete with staples such as an omelette bar and a pastry table loaded with croissants and danishes alongside heartier fare such as lasagna and roast beef.
Improv brunch at Second City
You might only eat a few bites of your avocado toast at Second City's Improv Brunch because you’ll be too busy laughing.
Held Sundays at noon (translation: you get to sleep in!), this 70-minute show is entirely improvised. Order your brunch and cocktails à la carte (truffle fries, anyone?) and sit back and enjoy the improv troupe’s quick-thinking comedy.
Boating brunch with City Experiences
Get your “I’m on a boat!” Instagram post during a City Experiences Signature Brunch Cruise aboard the Northern Spirit. Hop aboard at noon, depart the Toronto Harbour at 12:30 p.m., and enjoy two hours exploring Lake Ontario.
You’ll have stunning city views while indulging in breakfast classics such as applewood smoked bacon and scrambled eggs alongside lunch dishes such as a veggie coconut stir-fry.
Board game brunch at Twilight Cafe
If game night is something you do regularly with your crew, you’ll want to make your way to Twilight Cafe by Yonge-Dundas Square for brunch.
This spot serves up delightful bubble waffles (choose from chocolate or one loaded with a mix of fresh fruit), and you can also satisfy your bubble tea fix craving as you get your game on. The extensive board game menu features everything from chess and Pictionary to Qwirkle and Cloaked Cats.
Walking brunch with Underground Donut Tour
If your love of doughnuts rivals Homer Simpson’s passion for the fried pastry, you will not want to miss going on a two-hour brunch adventure on the brunch-time Underground Donut Tour.
You’ll stop first at Cops Doughnuts in the Fashion District, but pace yourself when it comes to their tiny, hot, delectable doughnuts as you will continue on foot to doughnut shops on Queen Street West, in Alexandra Park and the bohemian foodie mecca of Kensington Market.
Jazz brunch at Ricarda’s
You might be inspired to be finger-snapping and toe-tapping at Sunday Jazz Brunch at Ricarda’s. With a live jazz band playing, enjoy this French-inspired restaurant’s à la carte menu, which features lighter options such as salmon confit and more substantial dishes such as croissant croque madame and steak and eggs.
Got little ones? This elegant family-friendly spot has a kids’ menu featuring chicken fingers, and burgers and fries.
Book club brunch with BooknBrunch
Bookworms will want to keep an eye on the events page on the BooknBrunch site. Think of it as a book club held at a restaurant in the city, and the invite is open to you and other reading fanatics.
Read the book, buy your ticket, enjoy brunch or tea, chat about the novel, and make new connections with fellow book lovers. Recent book hosts have held events for Spare by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Every Summer After by Canadian author Carley Fortune.
If you like book club brunch, you’ll also like: Literary Toronto: Guide for Book Lovers
Art gallery brunch at AGO Bistro
Before museum fatigue can set in, head to brunch at AGO Bistro to cap off your visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Once you’ve visited its collection, which includes Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room, and exhibitions (coming Fall 2023 is KAWS: FAMILY from Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly), you’ll be ready to grab a seat at AGO Bistro, which offers its Bistro Brunch Prix Fixe on Saturdays and Sundays.
Choose an appetizer, such as their refreshing citrus salad, and an entree—the green shakshuka will not disappoint—and coffee or tea is included.
Drag brunch… all around town!
If you haven’t found time in your schedule to fit in a drag show at night at Crews & Tangos, hit up one of the many drag brunches you’ll find held regularly across the city.
At venues like Lula Lounge, the Drake Hotel and Glad Day Bookshop, you’ll discover some of the city’s top drag queens hosting, including Champagna, Miss Moço and Erin B, all while noshing on homefries and eggs.
Also see: Fake Eyelashes, Real Fun: Where to Take In Toronto’s Best Drag Shows
