*Post Updated 2025 with new additions!* 

I’ve said it before, I’m no foodie. But I do love brunch (well, and gnocchi if you know me at all). And judging by the lineups at dozens of Toronto restaurants every Saturday and Sunday, I’m not alone in this love of all things brunchy. So here are some of our favourite brunch places in Toronto where you can enjoy what I believe to be the best meal of the day.

But first, why the big brunch bonanza?

There are probably a lot of reasons why brunch is a fave with folks. But here’s what it boils down to for me (see what I did there…?)

Reason to Brunch #1.
Who wants to cook on a Saturday or Sunday?

These are meant to be days OFF, people. And by combining breakfast with lunch, you get to take a pass on the kitchen for not one, but TWO meals. Sweet!

Reason to Brunch #2. Guilt-free indulgence.

Speaking of sweet, let’s talk pancakes, waffles and french toast – they all come standard at brunch without even having to ask for a dessert menu. It’s like getting a Free Pass between 10am and 3pm when these treats are just served up as regular food. So I can feel free to eat sweet if I choose to (one of the perks of being a grownup is that, yes, I am the Boss of Me.)

Reason to Brunch #3. Mornings in bed.

Planning to eat around noon means you have plenty of time to spend weekend mornings in bed doing whatever you prefer to do in bed. Do sudoku, do the crossword, do your partner – and you won’t have to do dishes afterwards (added bonus to point #1). Then hit up one of the best brunch places in Toronto, and your day can’t get much better.

Reason to Brunch #4. Brunch is budget-friendly.

In fact, it is probably the cheapest meal ‘out’ that you can enjoy. Because except for the odd special-occasion Mimosa or hangover Caesar, I’m not likely to be pounding back the beers or downing glasses of Shiraz at 11 in the morning. This is way cheaper than ‘date night’, and is good news for my senior years, since I am planning to continue brunching all through retirement.

TIP: For Americans who don’t know what a Caesar is, you may want to read this for the recipe – and for Canadians who love this national drink of ours, may will definitely want to visit this Caesar Bar in Collingwood!

Our Best Brunch Places in Toronto

So having established “Why brunch?” in the first place, here are my top picks (and counting) for where to enjoy this delightful combination of breakfast and lunch foods.

1. Lady Marmalade

Lady Marmalade is just plain “D squared”: Decadent and Delicious. My fave is the brie/bacon Eggs Benny which just might be the best Eggs Benny in Toronto, but seriously, it’s all good. Plus I have it on good authority from vegetarians and gluten-free folks that this place rocks too. (not an issue for me – but hey, it’s a big thing for some people). I have to say that is is probably my defacto favourite place to go in Toronto for brunch and I often go during the week to avoid lineups altogether.

TIP: For those who knew Lady Marmalade when they were on Queen East, they have moved to Broadview Avenue near Dundas, and now accept credit cards (still no American Express) and debit cards. Same killer food, but the decor is less thrift store, and there are 2 floors.

2. Starving Artist

Toronto boasts not just one but several locations for Starving Artist so you can pick the one that’s closest to you (in our case the Runnymede restaurant). Regardless of where you go, the food here is waffle-icious. Meaning waffles are a mainstay, and underpin almost everything on the menu, including the savoury Eggs Benny (here the waffle can even be a potato waffle – hello!) Proof that a waffle can make everything brunch even better.

TIP: Bring cash, not credit here since they don’t accept cards – if you forget, you can always use their ATM on premise.)

3. Bonjour Brioche

It took me years to actually get to Bonjour Brioche in Leslieville, but it’s not for want of trying: it’s one of those tiny gems that is always so busy we usually opt for something else (as Henk likes to say, ‘no one goes there because it’s too busy!’) But there’s good reason why people line up at this French bakery/cafe every weekend. From the silky, savoury crepes to the decadent scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and caviar, this is a taste of France in Toronto. Come for these entrees, or come for just the croissants, but come before 11 and you’ll have a better chance of getting a seat.

4. Toast on Bloor

Toast on Bloor in the west end of Toronto (Etobicoke) came to my attention because apparently it has the best breakfast poutine, according to local reviews, so we decided to check it out. Being more of a Benny fan myself, I chose one of these (it always helps to compare what you know and love) and I have to say, their Tex-Mex spin with seasoned beef, guacamole and pico salsa was a creative and delicious variation. They even do one with a burger on it. There are other more traditional options, of course, but if you are looking for that highly-rated poutine, theirs comes with polish sausage, Montreal smoked meat and gravy. Sounds like a meal to me!

5. Dirty Food

The Junction is definitely hot these days when it comes to funky food, and Dirty Food is another of my faves for a weekend brunch. And as much as I’m tempted to order something different, I always end up defaulting to anything egg-y (like their Eggs Jenny on a buttermilk biscuit with wilted collard greens) that also comes with their signature house potatoes. Super-thinly sliced and then roasted, baked, or whatever they do to make the potatoes soft and delicious, these are not your typical home fries. And if they don’t fill you up, there’s always the chicken and waffle sandwich or pierogies (who wants a light brunch, anyways – this has to serve as two meals!)

6. OEB Breakfast Co.

It’s always hard to choose between sweet and savoury when it comes to brunch, and with menu selections like French Toast Trifle with pavlovas or burnt butter hollandaise sauce Eggs Benny, that choice becomes even more difficult at OEB Breakfast Co. Regardless, you can’t go too wrong here, especially if you choose an item with their herbed potatoes which are delicious.

7. Cluny Bistro

The ambiance at this French-inspired Bistro in the Distillery District is reason enough to make this a great choice for a ‘fancier’ brunch place in Toronto. Exposed brick, beautiful coffered ceilings, old-world tile floors and European-style decor add to the elevated experience, but Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie isn’t stuffy and can be lively and even boisterous at peak times on brunch days (Saturday and Sunday both). The food choices are elevated and that is reflected in the prices, too, but then again, this is no hangover-next-morning-diner. In fact, you definitely will want to order up a mimosa here.

8. Botham’s

Another hidden gem in the Junction, Botham’s is tucked away in a little nook on the south side of Dundas just west of Keele and right beside the appropriately named Hole in the Wall, its sister restaurant that doubles as an evening resto-lounge. Brunch here, like everything else they serve, is abundant and tasty, and their made-from scratch potato side that accompanies most items is seriously delicious. Think a whole par-boiled potato,which is then roughly cut into huge chunks, deep fried and coated in seasoned butter! I had mine with their trout gravlax eggs benny special which was wonderful (free range eggs, too!). There are usually a few specials on weekends, as well as their regular brunch menu, and don’t forget about their homebaked goodies, too, like these brownie-topped chocolate dipped giant donuts.

(An added bonus: they stock one of our favourite Niagara wines that come with a story: read more about Organized Crime winery and its background here!)

Trout gravlax Eggs Benny and a brownie-topped donut for, um…later!

9. Lazy Daisy’s

This cute little brunch place in Toronto is located on the fringes of Little India on Gerrard at Coxwell and is immediately recognizable by its cute decorative touches. From daisy chandeliers to fun ‘egg daisies’ on the wall, Lazy Daisy’s lives up to its name and is sure to leave you feeling cheery, especially if you like buttermilk biscuits, one of their specialties.

Whether you choose to have them as the base for a breakfast sandwich (I went for the Son-of-a-Rise to see if it lived up to the hype as Toronto’s #1 Breakfast Sandwich), or as a side with other options, these biscuits are delicious! (as was the sandwich)

I was also seriously tempted by their cinnamon bun pancakes with cream cheese drizzle (mostly because of the cream cheese, if I’m being honest). Maybe next time.

10. Easy Restaurant

This Mexican-inspired Parkdale diner at the corner of Queen St. West (at Roncesvalles) has been around for 25 years, and has the distinction of serving the ‘best huevos rancheros’ in the city according to some. Their twist is that each egg gets its own different salsa (one red, one green), which earns this house specialty the moniker Huevos Divorciados.

Either way, the eggs at Easy are free-range, sourced from local Mennonite farms, and delicious. Easy Restaurant’s menu isn’t 100% Mexican, of course, but this is what they do best, so why not add a little southern flavour to your brunch routine.

One Final Brunch Tip:

Any one of these options would be a great choice for a brunch place in Toronto. But here’s one last tip: the busiest times for weekend brunch are from 11 – 1pm, especially on Sundays. So if you don’t like lineups consider going earlier, later, Saturday instead of Sunday, or better yet, on a weekday – all of these places are open dor some if not all weekdays too.