Best Brunch Toronto: 25 Top Spots You Can’t Miss in 2022!
Eggs Benedict galore! Or would you rather a place that puts a twist on the good ole hangover cure? We’ve selected old classic brunch spots you have to try and new favourites making a splash this year. With this list you can be sure you won’t miss the best brunch Toronto has to offer, no matter what your budget. Come early though, Torontonians sure love their brunch, even if it means waiting in line.
For great food any day of the week, check out these amazing Downtown Toronto restaurants, explore the bars and restaurants of Ossington Avenue, and see what else Toronto has to offer this summer!
1. Pow Wow Cafe
This restaurant serving indigenous-inspired foods in the heart of Kensington Market does an incredible brunch, preserving the culture one heaping plate at a time. You’ll get a mountain of colourful, delicious, local ingredients such as their signature frybread topped with two poached eggs, smoked salmon, and their Dill Corn Chowder. Come for dinner, too, and try the tacos!
213 Augusta Ave | facebook instagram
2. Beyond Kensington Market Toronto Food Tour
Stop by for brunch at 7+ different tasting locations as you explore Kensington Market and Chinatown with an experienced local guide. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to try specialty foods such as dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, fish & chips, a Jamaican patty and more. Not only will you leave with your stomach full and happy, you’ll learn about local culture and discover the city from a new perspective, making this more than a meal, but also an unforgettable experience. Toronto Food Tours
Learn more and book your tickets here!
3. Dirty Food Eatery
Don’t let the name fool you! You can safely assume anything you order from this Junction spot is going to be delicious. Their dishes come loaded with toppings, such as various cheeses, their spicy house mayo or fried green tomatoes, taking brunch classics to a delightfully indulgent next level. The best part is: it’s all brunch all the time at Dirty Food.
3070 Dundas St W | website
4. The Green Wood
Starting with the freshest ethically-sourced local ingredients, The Green Wood does a lot. Their brunch menu is diverse, exciting and changes with the seasons, naturally. It features knock-out dishes such as the Chickpea Shakshuka, Salmon Rosti and even a B.Y.O.B Build Your Own Benny option. To indulge, pair your meal with a fresh house cocktail or mimosa!
1402 Queen St E | website
5. The Poet Cafe
At The Poet, they go above an beyond the mandate of a cafe, serving amazing breakfast and lunch options all week. Plus, they brunch. You’ll find Persian-inspired contemporary dishes on Saturday (with lots of vegetarian options) and on Sunday: a feast. Any egg dish you choose, such as the Tahini Date Omelette, is accompanied by 6 traditional sides, completing the poetic experience.
173 King St E | website
6. Rose and Sons Deli
What was once a diner is now a kick-butt deli with a brunch menu taking cues from Central Europe, Montreal and New York. Classics like reuben or corned beef are always available. Or, amp up your deli meats with their weekend specialties: breakfast sandwiches, “The Hotz” hot dogs, steak grilled cheese… mmm! Meanwhile, the loaded New York Cheesecake Pancakes will satisfy any sweet tooth.
176 Dupont St | website
7. City Betty
What happens when America’s East Coast meets the West, and the two cuisines decide to shack up in Toronto? Colourful plates of vegetable-filled goodness that keep the grease levels tasteful even for this all-important meal. The restaurant is only a few months old, but their farm-to-table approach has been a hit. The 7 season menu keeps it fresh, while their thick-cut bacon will never go out of style.
1352 Danforth Ave | website
8. Lady Marmalade
Lady Marmalade tops Toronto’s brunch game. All of your classic A.M. faves (finessed to perfection) are offered alongside a globally-inspired lunch menu. You can build your own benny, easily substitute vegan alternatives, and be sure the ingredients are local and sustainable, whenever possible. Together, its a perfect hollandaise covered storm, pleasing all patrons from Leslieville and beyond.
898 Queen St E | website
9. Maha’s Egyptian Brunch
When it comes to the best brunch Toronto’s contenders are incredibly diverse. Maha’s is far from ordinary North American fare, and boy is it good. Drawing lineups like any local favourite, it’s their foole that’s causing people to re-think brunch. Setting you back only $8 or 9, the fava bean dish is an affordable delight, so try their other mouth watering dishes and a cardamom-honey latte, too.
226 Greenwood Ave | website
10. Emma’s Country Kitchen
This is is comfort food prepared from scratch, with love. Using family recipes that have been passed down for generations, they bake, smoke, fry and do whatever else needs to happen to put tasty treats on the table. You can, too, by picking up family favourites from the grab-and-go deli section, or even ordering take-out. Make sure to indulge in one of their home-made donuts, too.
810 St Clair Ave W | website
11. Figo
Figo is an upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown, and they’ll give you permission to eat pizza for breakfast! Everything they prepare is beautifully executed with refined Italian flavours, which translate to the atmosphere. In the sleek, bright and airy space you’ll be able to eat in effortless comfort. They even offer a brunch prix fixe for less than $30, complete with dessert.
295 Adelaide St W | website
12. Lamesa
In search of the best brunch Toronto often resorts to bennys. To spice it up, try the version at Lamesa for a Filipino twist! Their dishes fuse traditional South Asian tang with contemporary ingredients, making brunch food you won’t find anywhere else. Spicy, zesty flavours highlight the meat, egg and vegetables dishes. With garlic rice on the side, a perfect brunch experience is born!
669 Queen St W | website
13. La Cubana
They have three locations around the city, but only the original Roncesvalles serves up their unique brunch menu, and it has a patio too. Cuban flavours perfectly balance out their egg-topped dishes, making them feel both familiar and original all at once. Plus, you can get dessert for brunch! There’s no better way to end a meal than with donuts and Cuban coffee.
392 Roncesvalles Ave | website
14. School
Who would think eating somewhere school themed could be so fun? From the apple at every table, to the Black n Blue Flapjacks stacked high and drizzled with black and blueberry sauce, to the aptly named Millennial Toast, everything is executed with humour and an ability to make things delicious. Come early to try and minimize wait times but, we promise, it’s worth it.
70 Fraser Ave | website
15. Jack and Lil’s
Jack and Lil’s is a catering company offering a truly unique Sunday brunch experience. You’ll feel right at home in their cozy space full of vintage trinkets, and the warm spirit continues from there. This mother and son operation serves brunch family style. Simply load what you want on your plate from the harvest table, weigh, pay, and most importantly: enjoy the South-African inspired flavours.
823 Dundas St W | website
16. Aunties & Uncles
Every day is brunch day at Aunties & Uncles! This charming family friendly spot just off College and Bathurst will serve you classic breakfast staples, heaping piles of pancakes, a breakfast pocket, breakfast tacos, and a whole selection of various sandwiches, all for under $10! Have the brunch of your dreams without breaking the bank, just make sure to bring cash to the nostalgia filled diner.
74 Lippincott Ave | website
17. Souk Tabule
Souk Tabule is another venture from the people behind the several Tabule restaurants serving fine Middle Eastern fare around the city. Defined as “fast casual,” you can pick-up, take-out, or dine-in to savour their delightful dishes. You can even shop for ingredients for a meal at home. Their brunch menu is short but balanced out by an incredible regular menu, and both are available all day!
494 Front St E | website
18. Insomnia
Open morning to night, Insomnia does it all. They really deliver on variety, with 7 options for Eggs Benedict alone, and just about any morning classic you can think of. Since it’s also a bar, they know a thing or two about hangovers. They also know a key yet underrated step in making the best brunch Toronto is willing to line up for: home fries. The sauce on these ones is legendary.
563 Bloor St W | website
19. Café Cancan
Pastel hued elegance inside and out, the decor at Café Cancan is unlike any other brunch place we’ve seen. The contemporary French Bistro offers classic favourites with a refined twist where delicacies such as Fried Duck Eggs, Truffle Scrambled Eggs are executed to perfection. They do reservations (a rarity!) while saving the bar seats for walk-ins, making it the perfect place to celebrate in style.
89 Harbord St | website
20. Hello 123
Hey vegans, this one’s for you! How many times have you gone out to brunch and been stuck eating the one token vegan item on the menu? Hello123’s brunch/lunch menu offers a rich variety of clean, plant-based nosh any day of the week! They’re experts in layering flavours for complex, colourful and delicious meals. Here, you can be a vegan and eat your omelette too!
1122 Queen St W | website
21. Smith
Smith takes up all three beautifully designed floors and the patio of a sweet townhouse in the Village. Come for a boozy brunch with a whole drinks menu dedicated for that special meal, or simply to relax and indulge in some staples. On top of it all: they take reservations for the weekend, so there’s no hour-long wait for eggs! You’ll be hard pressed to find another casual place that does the same.
553 Church St | website
22. Beast Restaurant
The best hangover cure in the city is the gooey, fried, oh-so-delicious Beastwich, or is it the Ace Hill Breakfast which comes with a tallboy can of pilsner? Whatever you choose from the Beast brunch menu (available Wednesday to Sunday), it’s sure to be meaty and delicious. This place isn’t a dive though, they buy local, use the whole animal and even make their own kimchi.
96 Tecumseth St | website
23. La Palma
Sleek, modern, bright and airy – sitting in La Palma feels like a fresh breath of West Coast air. You bet there’s avocado involved! Also a croissant, tomato and egg (that’s just in one sandwich). On weekends, their breakfast and lunch/dinner menus overlap from noon to 3, so you’ll get your pick of the lot. With an eye for detail, the dishes offered later in the day are vegetable-filled yet decidedly Italian.
849 Dundas St W | website
24. FARMHOUSE Tavern
Here, farm-to-table is the name of the game. In rustic, rural-inspired digs they take it back to the basics, focusing on the source of ingredients, and on making the best food possible, of course. Start your day off right with the juicy Barnyard Burger and the oyster-garnished smoked caesar, or see what else is of the moment on their ever-changing chalkboard menu. P.S. They also take reservations!
1627 Dupont St | website
25. Chadwick’s
Serving elevated pub fare inspired by the world’s street food, Chadwick’s brunch menu is full of flavours – especially those brought up from Latin America. The have a Build Your Own Benny selection with the biggest selection of toppings we’ve seen (or is it bottomings since they go under the egg?) and a Venezuelan Breakfast that’s pretty unique in Toronto.
268 Howland Ave | website
Now that you’ve had the best brunch Toronto has to offer, take a look and discover some things to do in brunch hotspots Trinity Bellwoods, Leslieville and Little Italy, or simply check out the coolest things to do in Toronto this summer. The fun doesn’t have to end when your meal does!
