Is there ANY good places to eat breakfast in TORONTO?

I have not had any success at finding a great breakfast spot in Toronto.. it seems that we have to fly to Vancouver, New York or Paris for decent food. I am sick of Toronto's mediocre restaurants and would really like someone, somewhere, to tell me of a consistent breakfast spot where the food is actually enjoyable. Recently having had breakfast at the Four Season's hotel in Yorkville, the blueberries had mold on them, they ran out of chocolate croissants and the toast was cold, unlike the grapefruit juice, which was warm. Novotel is hit and miss, but the service there is at least friendly and the food not bad as far as bacon and eggs go. I've been to the trendy small spots on Queen, College and King.. best yet is Braisse, but again, nothing to write home about. Can any buddy help? I have found Pusateri's omlette to be the best tasting, but the service and unfriendly cashiers, not to mention the crowding, makes for a rushed, unpleasant atmosphere. Suggestions would be appreciated. I am honestly condsidering moving out of Toronto to Vancouver as the food, by far and large, is 10x better than Toronto (breakfast at the Four Seasons there is incredibly perfect) - not to mention there restaurant choices for lunch and dinner! Looking forward to some feeeback - first time user of Chowhound. Thanks, Todd.

[sandj11]

wow, it's amazing to find this thread.
Breakfast/brunch is my favourite meal to eat out.
I used to live in Toronto years ago, and by far the best all round in my opinion was Movenpick in Yorkville. I wept when it closed.
I'm returning to Toronto for a visit in the spring, and am on the search for a replacement.
Here are my requirements:
All Day breakfast (or at least served until noon or so)
GREAT coffee. This means really fresh beans, frequently cleaned espresso machine for americanos etc. Ideally ORGANIC.
Nice atmosphere - a place where one can sit for two or more hours and not be hurried away. Good people watching, or great view out the window etc.
Eggs. I don't need fancy. Fried, poached, scrambled. Free range/organic a huge plus.
Good toast or fresh baguette. Not bog standard sliced bread please. Croissants are nice to have if fresh.
Not too noisy, i.e. loud blaring music or so packed and long queues you feel you have to eat and run.
Ideally in the west end or downtown.
All suggestions welcome.

[Sui_Mai]

Bar Mercurio has a second spot on Bloor in the Graduate students building called l'Espresso or some as innocuous as that. It seems to tick all the boxes you've listed. Their coffee is pretty good for Toronto. I adore the atmosphere and view is pas mal.

[sandj11]

Great, thanks Sui_Mai!

[Poorboy]

Link

-----
Edward Levesque's
1290 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L1C4, CA

[hbada]

Go to Skyway Jacks in Markham. Also a location in Mississauga. American style all day breakfast. Great quality, big portion, low price and great service. Always a great breakfast there.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/135340...

[ginger1969]

Repost from Jan 3/09 with some edits.

This is my first post and it is with regret that I have to be a downer. Happy New Year by the way to all! I have been a creeper on this board for a very long time and I decided to take my husband for a Birthday breakfast to Morning Glory. I have to say I was disappointed at best. First this was a few weeks ago in December and it happened to be their 5th year anniversary. But the place was not busy at all. It was around 9:30 am so it was not like they were rushed off their feet or anything so when we came in from the cold there were two ladies working and neither seemed to care if we came in or walked out and only spoke when we said good morning. I knew the place was not going to be fancy so the decor did not put me ff but the cold reception was puzzling, When I mentioned it was my husbands birthday too there was an "oh' not even a "oh well happy Birthday to you!' or anything. I did like the fact they were playing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. :-)

So back to our order...! We ordered French toast Rosti and farmers sausage for my husband and I got a muffin which was apple. We had two cappuccinos as well. The French toast was meh- nothing to write home about (I was expecting at least nice mutli grain bread or a thick slab raisin type bread but it seemed just like average sandwich bread) and they give you a tiny ramekin of maple syrup. Then the rosti was small maybe like 1/2 a potato not flavourful at all and dry like they fried it on a nonstick pan with no oil or butter-but the homemade ketchup was very nice (and very necessary to add some taste). The Farmers sausage were very nice and good spices. The cappuccinos were okay but Tango Palace beats them hands down.

The muffin however had to be the worst I have ever had besides store bought! I could only have a few bites and it was dry and I almost choked trying to get it down without a swig of my cap. It lacked flavour but also tasted a bit like baking soda. :-( I tried to make the best of it by being upbeat but my husband was not overly impressed and asked where I heard of this place. I now have lost my Chow street cred with him. :-)

I wanted to try Edward Levesque Kitchen but I am a bit gun shy after my experience at Morning Glory! Please someone ease my fear. Is it worth the $30 plus I am going to pay like I did at Morning Glory.
Thanks and let me know if this was just a one off.

[Poorboy]

I was looking for a place to take a couple of people out to for brunch and came across this thread. Ed Levesque's Kitchen was my choice and I am sure glad I found this gem.
We arrived at about 12 noon and there was a que at the door of about 7 in front of us. It was cold and I wasn't feeling like going to plan "B" and decided to wait. The place was busy.
We were seated after about 15 to 20 minutes so no big deal.
2 of us ordered the Cumbrae's skirt steak breakfast and one other ordered the sauteed portobello, brie and roasted pepper omelette.
The steak and eggs was superb, the best I have ever had.
The omelette, while I did not try it, was apparently very flavourful and cooked to perfection.
The staff were very courteous and friendly but not overly familiar, which is fine for me.
What jumped out at me is that the kitchen is at the front of the restaurant and you pass by it as you wait to be seated. A retro kind of thing. But this allowed me to see the kitchen and the way the food was being handled and prepared. Even the cook greeted us while he noticed us standing there.
Service, for a busy place, was spot on.
I had coffee, the others were a little "under the weather" shall we say and ordered their meals with a Bloody Caesar (what can I say?) and the bill came to $56.00 without tip. If they did not order the drinks, the meal would be an excellent value for the quality. Heck, even with the drinks, it was still under 20 dollars a person.
I will be returning to Ed Levesque's Kitchen again!

[kas]

the Coachhouse Yonge/Wellesley south/west corner
http://www.restaurantica.com/on/toronto/coach-house/23018014/

Flo's Diner in Yorkville http://www.flosdiner.ca/

[kas]

The New Yorker Deli is pretty good
1140 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5S 2B4
[phone]‎

[foodismyhobby]

really? coachouse? i live nearby and never thought of going in there.

[Googs]

Seriously. Coach House. For real diner breakfast. Not the kind invented by a marketing strategist.

[aiw]

I Like Insomnia at Bathurst/Bloor. Lineups can be large, but the portions are great and the place is comfortable. It has a "new York" feel to it. Lots of selection with respect to food.

[eatereater123]

What is a "New York" feel?

[JKL5]

morning glory
the swan
brasaii
bite me
mitzi's
easy

ive been to lakeview once since theyve renovated, took 2 hours to get my poached egg, and when it came it was hard and was poached in dirty water, another ten minutes to get a 'clean' soft egg

creme de la creme on bloor by royal york is pretty good too

[Squeakycheese]

Sounds like you don't mind spending a few $$$... King Edward Hotel is pretty good... also, Celestin is open from 8:30 am at weekends, also a couple of days in the week (I think Wed/Thurs/Fri)

[likescrab]

I like the joint in Kensington, can't remember its name, sorry, it'll come to me....Shaha's? Anyways, it's on the east west street near my market bakery and it advertises breakfast burritos and they're really good. Their home fries are great and they are just nice, hardworking people. It's my go to for brekkie these days...

[halugii]

shai's! maybe?

[bill_best]

One of my favourite places for breakfast is The Grille in Etobicoke. (Queensway just east of East Mall..near Sherway Gardens)

Huge portions and I've rarely been disappointed . Be sure to bring a friend to share a meal! ;)

http://thegrille.ca

[dale_]

A good breakfast place just openned up on Kipling just sounth of Horner called Egglicious. Great food, good portions, and even better price.
Also, being a fan of eggs benidict, The Grill on Queensway west of Kipling has a great all day breakfast and is open 24/7.

[NewtonSquare]

Been to Egglicious (not that new) several times over the past year and find the eggs and home fries always have a stale, dull taste to them as though they are reusing old grease out of the deep fryers or something like that. Found the same staleness at The Grill (and that other 24 hr. joint across the street). You ask, why did I keep going?? Had jobs around those locations and had time to kill in the early morning. Another post reminded me that I noticed the other (new) Egglicious on Derry and Goreway, may give them a try.

I like my eggs to have a bright, fresh taste to them whether in an omellette or just scrambled. My Favs are: Erlind's - Six Nations Reserve, The Dundas St. Grill (Kipling) and P + M Restaurant - Weston Rd (N/ Lawrence) in that order.

Anyone ever notice that eggs have a distinctly different taste in other parts of the country? Have found that on visits to Edmonton, Montreal, and Port aux Basques (NF), at the hotel. Used to live in Montreal and found the egg taste different (better?) on a visits here also. Not just the eggs, but milk too!

[Cup cake]

B restaurant (B stands for brunch) has been fabulous the both times that I've been there. It is located at 2210 Dundas St. West at Roncesvalles. Definitely not your hotel brunch - but not sure why you'd go to hotels for brunch anyways. B and Saving Grace are true Toronto treasures, low key, casual, and amazing food.

[robgm]

b is now closed

[kingmo]

i think i agree with you - the service is generally terrible here, bar a few notable exceptions. then again, service in new york can be equally as brash and frosty. anyways... for high-end hand-made breakkie fare, i would go to The Hazelton hotel (Yorkville & Hazelton), Czehoski (Queen W & Tecumseth), or Thuet (King & Portland) - all of whom make their own pastry, sauces, and/or use organic produce. Don't bother with the greasy spoon restos like eggstacy and daybreak. RIP Mildred Pierce... was great while it lasted!

[mogo]

Congee Wong! There's nothing like a big bowl of mush in the morning. :D

[Sallycat]

If you're ever in the west end a great breakfast place to check out would be Creme de la Creme on Bloor Street just east of Royal York. It's a tiny place but have one of the best Eggs Benedict I've ever tasted. Also, their hash browns are freshly made and crispy!

[piccola]

They may be known for crepes, but their omelettes are pretty fantastic, too.

[W4W Toronto]

Insomnia at Bathurst and Bloor for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Affordable, trendy, and tasty!

[thenurse]

Marvelous Edibles on Laird - Excellent food all around, esp. for breakfast/brunch. Value for money/quality, IMO.

[Paula from Toronto]

I had breakfast at the Rosedale Diner on Saturday, and it was quie enjoyable. They make their own hollandaise sauce, and their frites are to die for (esp. the garlic ones). Eggstacy on Bay Street is okay too...very generous portions though.

[ThisCanadian]

Easy - Queen West @ Roncesvales
Bonjour Brioche - Leslieville.

Neither have a lot of room or reservations , but they have a LOT of great food!

Cora's has fantastic food, is really clean but suffers from that same rush-rush atmosphere & the long line-ups which seem endemic to the entire brunch market...

http://www.chezcora.com

-----
Bonjour Brioche
812 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M, CA

Easy Restaurant
1645 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6R1A9, CA

[robgm]

disagree with easy, not a great breakfast, interesting but not great

[snackboy]

I've said it before ...and I know the place can look a little scary but Sneaky Dees on College has quite a decent breakfast . . . Their omelettes are excellent and their homefries are great . . . I also love their bacon as they cook it well and it is always crisp (the way I like it) . . . and for an excellent omelette with homefries and toast it will run you a whole $5.75 . . .

SB

[howdydoody]

Eggstasy on Bay at Bloor hands down.

[nummanumma]

how can no one mention bar one on queen west?

[deelicious]

probably because there are already so many recent threads about breakfasts and brunches that it seems redundant to keep naming them all thread after thread. Bar One is great food and coffee for sure.

[ThisCanadian]

is Eggstasy the same as the place in Montréal?

[ribboy]

Todd you are not the first to notice this...it's hard finding a nice place for eggs and bacon without forking over $20 and having to put up with wait staff that treat you like a pet..keep looking...and let me know what you find..

[graydyn]

It's a shame isn't it? I could train a chimp to cook breakfast, and yet more places than not completely fail. A thread on where to find a good one shouldn't even be necessary.

[MeMeMe]

Boom - on St. Clair, near Dufferin.

The food is delicious, the service is great. When they see a big line up they bring over muffins or waffles for nibbling. I went there twice last weekend (I never do this, ever!!!) and enjoyed both brekkies. It's a loud bustling place, they move the tables so the wait isn't torturous, even when you're hungry! And they have a beautiful espresso machine - which churns out some impressive beverages!

[eaterdrinking]

Dang! I feel tremendous trepidation about sharing this gem, as it's already busy as heck, but promise that if you see a VERY hungry looking redhead in line you'll slowly back away from the door. Kidding. Sort of. But not really. I digress.

While I'm quite fond of 'Easy' and 'Edward Levesque's Kitchen', it is with great squeamishness that I recommend (eeep!) Morning Glory located at 457 King Street East. The food is tremendous, the place is small and unpretentious, and the service is good-natured, efficient and unobtrusive. They make their own bread, baked goods and preserves, and their coffee is (allegedly) yummy. The servings aren't huge, but the quality is very good. You'll spend between $10 and $15, give or take. Don't tell them I sent you!

[acd123]

How come no one mentioned Gallery Grill, which has the best high-end brunch in town?

[JamieK]

I love Gallery Grill but it just doesn't seem to be a "breakfast spot" as the OP seemed to be looking for. Plus it's only open for brunch on Sundays from Sept to June.

[Yongeman]

Morning Glory is a very nice spot ed. Thanks for reminding me of a couple of fine breakfasts there. I'll have to revisit soon.

[capetowngirlie]

Morning Glory located at 457 King Street East. The food is tremendous, the place is small and unpretentious, and the service is good-natured, efficient and unobtrusive. They make their own bread, baked goods and preserves, and their coffee is (allegedly) yummy. The servings aren't huge, but the quality is very good. You'll spend between $10 and $15, give or take. Don't tell them I sent you!

Permalink | Report | Reply
eaterdrinking May 29, 2008 08:17PM

I can't agree more, great quality and I must say, fantastic coffee to die for! Morning Glory IMHO delivers great tasting food made with great ingredients Consistently, something I sadly have not found at Ed Levesque. MG's yeast raised waffles, wow!

[TheGloaming]

Morning Glory has awesome homemade ketchup. I can eat a jar of this stuff.

[Googs]

Love Morning Glory. Only one problem. There should be a law that you can't name the place after something you don't serve. *Sigh* Great, healthy brekkies.

[graydyn]

I'm pretty sure serving Morning Glorys would be illegal.

[Sui_Mai]

I think I heard somewhere that it's run by the same folks that did the short-lived but much-loved Triple-X Diner on Queen and Crawford (where the lame-o Fresh is now). They had superb espresso and brunch there and a really friendly vibe. If they are the same owners as XXX I'm not surprised it's well-recieved.

Can anyone confirm this?

[Bobby Wham]

HAHAHAH, Novotel? HAHAH, Four seasons? what is this? Dude, you're hitting all the wrong spots, stop complaining, you just don't know where to go. Try Aunties & Uncles, Saving Grace, Bonjour Brioche, B, Swan, you gotta stop hitting hotels for brunch. I go once in a blue moon, Hotel buffet brunches are for rich white people who don't know any better.

[zed1984]

love this bobbywham!

[Googs]

Have you had brunch at the Four Seasons Bobby? It really is in a league of it's own. If you haven't you should give it a whirl. You may (accidentally of course) enjoy yourself.

[zed1984]

breakfast @ four seasons is not quality at all. the croissants are stale and the service slow. i've had tons of breks there and none been anywhere near decent.

[Googs]

I've had tons myself and never a bad situation ever. Great food, impeccable service, beautiful & comfortable room. If you're not getting satisfactory service, why do you keep returning?

[JamieK]

Not only two years old, but the ungrammatical question in the title annoys me every time I see it.

I'm nominating Melanie's Bistro for a good east-end breakfast spot at Danforth and Woodbine. The French toast with carmelized peaches and khalua anglaise is delicious. I also love the cod cakes and poached eggs with hollandaise and home fries, although that's only on the weekend brunch menu (Sat & Sun 8am-4pm)

-----
Melanie's Bistro
1870 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C1J4, CA

[yellowjello]

I just realized that the original posting is about 2 years old! But I had a great brunch experience at Dessert Trends at Harbord St. Their French Style Braised Beef Short Rib Sandwich with Swiss & Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and short rib dip is to die for... of course I like to end off with their desserts, most notably their raspberry and chocolate tart!

-----
Dessert Trends
154 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S, CA

[laurelmcg]

Saving Grace on Dundas is really good. Homemade muffins and bread, and some really out-of-the ordinary entrees (Indian-style eggs w/chickpeas) in addition to the classics. Go early, it fills up fast.

[Moimoi]

Auntie's and Uncles: the omelettes are excellent. Speak to Russ (the owner). He used to work at Arlequin and knows how to do a french omelette...

The Easy on Queen West @ Roncesvalles. Everything is excellent, but I have a soft spot for the breakfast burrito with a side of ancho jam and guacamole. Oh my gawd!

[Smed]

I have always really enjoyed the breakfast at Get Real (ossington between queen and dundas). It is all organic and vegitarian, very fresh and delicious. I am yet to be diappointed.

Boom (on college) can make a great omelette if you can get in the door. I have given up hope on getting in on the weekends sadly, however M-F it is definately worth stopping by. They also make a wonderful espresso.

[torontofoodiegirl]

I've never been to Boom, but I saw that there's a new one opening at Yonge & Eg (my 'hood), where Meggie's used to be -- glad to hear it's good!

I'm a big fan of Cafe Brussel (Danforth & Broadview). Excellent mid-to-high end Sunday breakfest. Be sure to get a reservation.

Link: http://www.cafebrussel.com/main.htm

[Poorboy]

Cafe Brussel (Danforth & Broadview) is no more.

Just went to Sugar Cafe (Queen Street West) for the first time this past weekend and loved it --great hot chocolate, superb french toast and overstuffed fluffy omlette--

Otherwise, Xacutti, Mildred Pierce, Edward Levesque, Mitzi's and the Senator are also great spots, we've found.

Hey Kport Girl - glad you had a good experience at my fave, Sugar. The French toast is so yummy and the little squares of chocolate, to die for. Returning the question you asked me earlier, how did you find it compared to Xacutti?

Hey Peppermint Pate-- well as to Xacutti vs Sugar...

For the most part, I preferred Sugar -- loved the atmosphere (as you said) and the Hot Chocolate, French Toast and Omlette certainly stacked up very well to what comes out of Xacutti's Kitchen.

Xacutti, however, has these amazing Cardamom Biscuits and an out of this world Cheesey Souffle Omlette . My partner preferred the coffee (Americano)at Xacutti.
But last time we were at Xacutti at 11:30, they had run out of the biscuits; and we've also found if we deviate from our specific menu preferences there(Biscuits, Omlette, Banana Brule French Toast)some of the other food is more ordinary. And by that, I simply mean not worth lining up for outside in the winter.

Next breakfast out will definitely be back at Sugar.

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Sui_Mai]

Sadly they are both gone now. Anyone tried Urbano, in the old Sugar's loation?

I had a wonderful breakfast at Mitzi's sister on Sourauren St. Tulip on Queen E has the best "diner" bkfst. It's hard to imagine there aren't a few others in a city this size

It's hard to recommend anything when you didn't describe what you are looking for. Upscale? Buffet? What type of food? What type of ambiance? What are the places that you like in the other cities?

Most breakfast / brunch places are busy on weekends, so things will be quite rushed. Here are the places that I enjoy:

Free Times Cafe (College west of Spadina) - Cozy jewish brunch buffet with live performance on Sundays

Bloor St Diner (Bloor & Bay) - Passable but fairly usual brunch buffet with live jazz in a slightly more sassy environment

Shanghai Cowgirl (Queen & Bathurst) - I was quite impressed with their sunnyside-up eggs last I went ... fresh & brown on the edges, which is not very common among short order chefs these days. It's not very crowded so good for leisurely talks. Also nice patio.

Petit Dejeuner (King east of Jarvis) - Quite crowded on weekends but good quality food (fairly close to Montreal style brunch). Their waffles is quite special, although not everyone like the texture.

Bonjour Brioche (Queen & Degrassi) - Good when you have cravings for French style baked goods.

There are also many local cafes, ethnic food options, etc. in town for breakfast / brunch. But first you need to define what you mean by good breakfast.

Having lived in Vancouver on & off for a year, and travelled quite extensively to other North American locations, I must say I find the food scene in Toronto most exciting of all. The multicultural aspects bring in many ingredients, and most restaurants are still very affordable. I just moved back to Toronto permenantly less than 2 years ago mainly because of this.

I love the breakfast at Cora's. It's a Quebec chain. They have quite a few locations in the GTA:

http://www.chezcora.com/Main-en/Trouv...

Usually there's a really long line up on weekend mornings.

Daybreak, SE corner of Church & Carlton. Three eggs benedict w/homefries $8.95, their hollandaise consistently puts far better places to shame, and they come piping hot. My favourite is the cinnamon-raisin-pecan French toast, six large slices with REAL whipped cream and REAL maple syrup, $8.95. Packed from noon onwards on weekends, so your food could take a while. Kitchen misfires occasionally if the staff changes, but they will correct any problems. Coffee is hit & miss. Portions are huge, you won't eat again until dinner (or possibly the next day).

I second Daybreak. Amazing omelettes. It's not upscale, but is a very friendly 'neighbourhood diner' type of experience.

[jjmellon]

Just had breakfast at Daybreak. The best thing about the place is the variety of choices on the menu. I had the parilla mexicana, which is two kinds of sausage, one piece of bacon, two fried eggs cooked with tomatoes, and refried beans for about $9. No toast came with it, and the refried beans were colder than luke warm -- I left them. The coffee was good, but I think it cost extra. My partner asked about the oatmeal, and was told it was instant. She ordered pancakes, which was a plate of four huge pancakes with some dollops of whipped cream for $6.

So, I agree the service is cheerful and the portions are large. It is not particularly cheap. Maybe some of the other 60 choices are better than what we ordered. But there is no way on earth this is one of the best breakfast places in Toronto.

[food face]

I just went to Daybreak. A decent place with some great things about it and not so great...

Plus'- eggs benedict with perfect poached eggs with decent hollendaise sauce, free yummy pancakes on the side, the huge portions, friendly neighborhood vibe.
Minus'- . Crappy coffee, perpetual burnt smell wafting from the kitchen perfuming the whole restaurant. Weird owner looking angry and bossing around his staff. Horrid chemical frozen hashbrowns with weird smell. I just can't get over the icky hashbrowns at a restaurant that specializes in breakfast! A good breakfast place is only as good as their potatoes. I wouldn't go back because of this.

[Leslieville]

food face- I agree the hash browns aren't great anymore, I think they make them up ahead of time and reheat them, but I've never noticed any chemical taste or smell. What did you find so weird about the owner? I've been there many times in the past and he was always very pleasant and nice to the staff. Some of his servers have been there a few years so he can't be that bad with them!!

[piccola]

The best hashbrowns, in my opinion, are at Mel's (Bloor/Bathurst). Too bad their omelettes suck.

[foodismyhobby]

haha yeah, i used to work at daybreak when it was called eggstacy and i think it's still the same owner (he was grumpy/bossy). i think the other owner (maybe a brother?) went on to open eggstacy at bay and bloor. neither is very good, but eggstacy is better. oh, abd their "freshly squeezed orange juice" is just tropicana, but they pour it into homestyle looking jugs so they can charge $5 a glass or whatever.

[food face]

I have heard really good things about Eggstacy. I'll avoid the Freshly purchased Tropicana!

Any of the Sunset Grills.

What about the Four Season's Brunch? A wonderful experience, I would say.
Not as Top Notch but still very-very good: Mildred Pierce, and Alize.
I did not try yet the 5 Doors North but I heard many raving comments about it.
It's all a matter of taste, is it? Depends on what you expect and how far you are willing to go to get a good breakfast.
One last note: I suggest you avoid Golden Griddle, Pickle Barrel and commercial venues. You might be disappointed.

[Moimoi]

Didn't Mildred Pierce close in July?

[nummanumma]

fwiw i had one of the worst brunches ever at Alize- food, not service. we still laugh about it.

The Senator at Victoria and Dundas.
Quality..Quality..Quality

Not sure if it's up your alley, but I'm a regular for breakfast at People's Foods on Dupont. It's right at the end of St. George. Great consistent, greasy spoon breakfast and the owners are friendly and entertaining. It's always busy on the weekends.

Check it out.

Sounds like your food problem is bigger than just breakfast, but here is a great start to the day. The Senator on Victoria south of Dundas is always top quality everything - from coffee to pancakes to jam. We especially enjoy the french toast. Also, and only if you get there early enuff, the breakfast buffet at senses/SOho is fresh and very very good - but you need to get there early. Excellent pastries too.

Senses has a breakfst buffet??? Since when? How much does it cost?

My two favorites in Leslieville are

Edward Levesque - http://www.edwardlevesque.ca/
Verveine - http://www.verveine.ca/

Both only serve on Saturday and Sunday. They're great. Give 'em a chance.

Thanks very much.. will do!

Not sure if this is up your alley, but I'm a big fan of Aunties and Uncles. It's a cozy, trendy hipster-ish spot. The waffles are outstanding, which is a rarity.

It's on Lippincott, just north of College. But get there early on weekends- the place fills up fast. And it's closed every weekend that's a holiday (by holiday, it means the holiday fall anywhere between Friday and Monday; any excuse for a weekend off).

74 Lippincott St.; 416-324-1375

Link: http://sourpatch.wordpress.com

I would second Aunties & Uncles. Their omlettes are excellent, nice and fluffy

Oops - Easy's on Queen St. WEST, just east of Roncesvalles

[Sui_Mai]

I second this. My fave in TO. Order the Huevos Divorciados (sp?), they are a fresh treat. Their basic breakfast is also top-notch.

The Drake do a nice bacon and eggs. Best enjoyed on their charming and lively patio.

Most delicious and consistent is Easy at 1645 Queen St. E. just a few doors east of Roncesvalles. Especially its huevos divorciados. Plus it does breakfast 9-5 every day - and nothing else.

Since your taste sounds like it runs upscale, I'd recommend Xacutti at College+Palmerston - a little more expensive + weekend brunch only - but innovative. You can read the brunch menu at the link below:

Link: http://www.xacutti.com

Here are just a few recent threads on breakfast...hope this helps you keep your travel budget under control when it comes to having a morning nosh...

http://www.chowhound.com/canada/boards/toronto/messages/37492.html

http://www.chowhound.com/canada/boards/toronto/messages/37470.html

http://www.chowhound.com/canada/boards/toronto/messages/37209.html

http://www.chowhound.com/canada/board...

"Meggie's" on Eglinton Ave, west of Yonge St, on the north side. It is the PERFECT breakfast spot ANY day of the week!

[montrealer70]

Hey guys: THE BEST BREAKFAST IN TORONTO: It just opened all around Toronto, in 6 locations - it's called CORA (In Montreal, it used to be called Chez Cora). The ambiance is that of a fun Quebec ski-Lodge. They serve Farm Fresh Eggs, authentic Quebec maple syrop over the best Frech toast you've ever had - loads of perfectly cooked bacon on the special breakfast plate and all sorts of fruit and creme topped waffles and french crepes like you've never seen. Check this place out !!!! They had opened in Montreal around 1990 and I moved to Toronto a couple of years later - I just noticed the one on Brock Road, just North of the 401 and on their website, I just noticed locations allover the GTA - check out the menu and locations at www.chezcora.com. I haven't been there yet here in Toronto, but I have been to three locations in Quebec, and the food, decor and ambiance were all identical. A true Breakfast Gem !!!!

[TorontoJo]

You might want to take a look at the reviews of Cora's on this board before you make that claim. They've been open in Toronto for a few years now and they seem to be very popular (if the lineups have anything to say). But the food is just not that good. General consensus seems to be that they are not nearly as good as the original Chez Cora in Quebec.

[montrealer70]

Hey Jo, like I said, I haven't been to an Ontarian location, however, it wouldn't surprise me if they f&*&^'ed it up here. Just look at Brown Derby and Moishes that opened up here and died because Toronto based owners/managers have no clue how to run a successful restaurant. Compared to Montreal, there is a general problem in Toronto with the cooking, service is terrible, customer service is practically non-existent. Toronto restauranteurs don't give a &^% about their customers - "just give me your money and get out of here" is the general motto of restaurant owners here. In Montreal, whether you're at a greasy spoon or 5-star restaurant, you're treated like royalty. Of course, I'm generalizing, there may be three of four restaurants in Toronto that meet my expectations (Duffs being one of them). Anyway, back to Chez Cora, I'm still going to go one of these days, but it's a shame that they don't have rave reviews here !!! Just a side note, when I moved here over 10 years ago, I was excited to go to the Golden Griddle because there is no such chain in Montreal. However, the Golden Griddle apparently only serves cold food now - they will all be closed any day now. I know that the pickle Barrel gets a bad rap on CHOW in terms of service, however, their breakfast menu is also very appetizing. Their Jumbo eggs and bacon breakfast is tough to match.

[kas]

I was at Cora's once in the Toronto location and it was great .... but I wish they had a restaurant in the Yonge Bloor area

the OP is right finding a good breakfast place in toronto is a challenge

we loved the Church Street Diner but they have been under renovations forEVER and I am actually wondering if they are gone and under new management

[stephen.p]

Cora's is just an over glorified fast food joint. Better then Denny's, but any place that serves hollandaise from a bag shouldn't claim best breakfast

[lbh]

My favourites are:
1. Mitzi's cafe
2. Saving Grace
3. Morning Glory
4. Gayley's Cafe
5. George Street Diner