Weekend Brunch

Torontonians love their brunch. Weekend mornings in this city are sacred: they signify good coffee, leisure and decadent tastes—and the chance to share these indulgences with friends, sleepy-eyed lovers (and most of the rest of the Greater Toronto Area’s population).

To be sure, the city is fully equipped with a thriving nightlife scene: its citizens have figured out how to straddle the hours between bar-fly and bistro with grace. If you wander Toronto’s weekend nightlife scene, you’re bound to catch folks glommed on to their cell phones, plotting the time and place of their next-morning meal; similarly, the brunch table is where plans for the night are made.

Brunch, like the weekend in general, is an end-of-week ritual that students, young professionals and retirees alike wait for, Monday through Friday.  Check out any of the following in good faith: in a city where the options are overwhelmingly plentiful, Grapefruit Moon, Mocha Mocha, Mitzi’s on College and Disgraceland are just some of the stand-outs in Toronto’s thriving restaurant scene.

Grapefruit Moon: This funky corner property, just north of the Annex proper on Bathurst Street, offers patrons a fabulous patio during the good weather, and a quirky, feel-good vibe (inside) the rest of the time. Vegans and omnivores alike will find satisfaction: the Moon serves organic, free range eggs and a variety of totally veg options. The Moon is also a proud supporter of local agriculture outfits like The Healthy Butcher, Hewitt’s Dairy, Wheelbarrow Farm and Augusta Egg Market. Yummy things like the Brie and Roasted Red Pepper Omelette, Huevos Mexicanos and Blueberry Pancakes are, repeatedly, done to perfection.

Mocha Mocha: This small Danforth venue has a rotating door on Saturday mornings. Patrons pile in for staples like omelettes, but healthy, perfectly flavoured options like the Hot Brown Rice Salad and their quesadillas nuance standard brunch fare. Mocha Mocha’s cafeteria-style ordering system doesn’t sacrifice charm—patrons make their choices and fill their mugs en route to cozily cloistered tables along the windows. Space is limited, but no one seems to wait long. And all the while, the coffee flows and dessert options abound: Mocha Mocha claims fame among locals for its macaroons.

Mitzi’s on College: The delicacies served at this trendy, hipster stronghold aren’t cheap but they are, undeniably, worth the splurge. Treats like oatmeal pancakes (served with whip cream, raspberry compote and homefries)—or poached eggs laid out over buttery squash with caramelized leek—are as decadent as they sound. For the die-hard fans, two other Mitzi’s locations exist in the city: Mitzi’s Cafe, on Sorauren Avenue, and Mitzi’s Sister, Queen West (which is open for brunch on weekends only ). This is a good thing—line ups are to be anticipated, brunch through dinner.

Disgraceland: Dimly lit, even on a Sunday morning, this venue’s ambiance lives up to the name’s morning-after inference. It also has one of the best veggie breakfast burritos in the city and is the meeting ground for hipsters and other weekend warriors in Toronto’s mid-west, at Bloor just beyond Ossington. The menu options range from veg friendly (the veggie Benny meets with wide approval) to fully-fried, to Green Eggs and Ham.