Toronto is one of Canada’s most multicultural cities, and you’ll find this perhaps best reflected in the food. Whether you’re craving dumplings in a busy dim sum house or you’d like a vegan spread to fuel your day of sightseeing, Toronto’s restaurant scene is just as diverse as its population. While there are plenty of places to choose from, these eight local breakfast spots across the city will give you the perfect kickstart to your day.
Photo: Baddies Toronto/Facebook
The 8 Best Places for Breakfast in Toronto
1. Kost
Photo: KŌST/Facebook
If you’re looking for breakfast with a view, Kost has you covered. The restaurant has panoramic views of the city thanks to its location on the 44th floor of downtown Toronto’s swanky Bisha Hotel. The dishes are inspired by the Baja Peninsula, offering California-style energy bowls, coconut pancakes, and avocado toast. For an extra health boost, you can order a cold-pressed juice with your breakfast. Kost is on the pricier side, but it’s worth it for the Instagrammable views and health-conscious meals.
Where: 80 Blue Jays Way 44th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 2G3, Canada
2. Maha’s Egyptian Brunch
Photo: Maha’s/Facebook
This tiny Egyptian cafe is a true family affair that’s been serving up breakfast to Torontonians since 2014. Everything is made in-house by the cafe’s owner and her daughter, and the owner’s son runs the front taking orders and making drinks. Decor imported from Egypt matches the inventive, Egyptian-inspired menu, which includes foole (fruit folded into whipped cream or custard), baladi bread (Egyptian flatbread), falafel, and lentil soup. All the meat on the menu is halal. Maha’s Egyptian Brunch is open every day except Wednesdays.
Where: 2226 Greenwood Ave, Toronto, ON M4L 2R2, Canada
3. Dim Sum King
This dim sum staple is in the heart of Toronto’s Chinatown. Adorned with Chinese lanterns suspended from the ceiling, it encompasses everything great about Cantonese dim sum. During breakfast, carts circulate the dining room stacked with bite-size dishes like steamed shrimp dumplings, Beijing duck, and steamed buns that diners can flag down to share at their table. Dim Sum King is the spot to enjoy a shared breakfast among family and friends.
Where: 421 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 2W4, Canada
4. Aunties and Uncles
Photo: Aunties & Uncles (Toronto)/Facebook
This country-style diner is a long-time favorite among locals in Toronto’s West End. Aunties and Uncles has a cozy atmosphere inside thanks to the many trinkets and wall hangings. The atmosphere is more like an antique market than a diner. In the summer, you can enjoy your breakfast on the quiet outdoor patio. The breakfast fare is comfort-focused, revolving around omelettes, sandwiches, soup, and french toast — all for a reasonable price. Be sure to go early because this place fills up fast.
Where: 74 Lippincott St, Toronto, ON M5S 2P1, Canada
5. Saving Grace
Photo: 双下巴凱利/Facebook
This small, all-day breakfast spot is known for its vast array of dishes, so you can expect to wait in line every day of the week. Although the interior is simply decorated, the dishes on offer are far from bland. French toast is Saving Grace’s claim to fame: It’s dipped in egg, milk, and nutmeg; comes with banana slices; and is covered in sugar. If you’d like something less traditional, go for the carrot cake waffles or eggs Rajasthani, the latter of which is inspired by street food in Rajasthan, India. It’s open every day of the week, but aim to go on a weekday to (hopefully!) beat the lines.
Where: 907 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1V9, Canada
6. Mars Food
Mars Food has been serving out-of-this-world greasy breakfasts since 1951. Today, the diner remains mostly as it was back then, with vinyl stools, a chrome lunch counter, and tiny booths. The menu matches the retro diner aesthetic. Every iteration of eggs imaginable is on offer, as well as pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, and homefries. An added bonus? Mars Food is one of the few places in Toronto where you can grab a sit-down breakfast for under $10.
Where: 432 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1T3, Canada
7. Baddies
Photo: Baddies Toronto/Facebook
This spot’s owner is an Australian who wanted to create an Aussie-inspired cafe. Two things Baddies takes seriously are coffee and food presentation. The cafe has a top-of-the-line espresso maker for perfect coffees, and each dish is Instagram-worthy. Whether you order the vegan chia pudding or spiced sausage sammy (along with a perfectly crafted flat white), your dish will practically be begging for you to take a photo. Baddies also has a convenient grab-and-go counter in case you need a quick and affordable takeaway breakfast.
Where: 679 Lansdowne Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 3Y9, Canada
8. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Photo: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen/Facebook
Midlred’s is committed to serving dishes made of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Its take on breakfast is: “b’lunch.” Throughout the week, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen offers a morning menu that includes a mixture of classic breakfast options (think scones and buttermilk pancakes) and lunch favorites (hamburgers and chicken avocado clubs). If you swing by on the weekend, you can expect a classic brunch of steak and eggs plus splurge-worthy cocktails.
Where: 85 Hanna Ave #104, Toronto, ON M6K 3S3, Canada 