Sundays were made for brunch. It combines the best aspects of both meals, leaving behind the requirement of either cooking twice or paying for two meals within the first half of your day. Sweet brunch adds an extra element: before noon you get breakfast, lunch and dessert all in one.
French toast and pancakes are two dishes that in any other situation would be considered an unhealthy snack, being comprised of sweet sauces and filling carbs. On lazy weekend mornings, they somehow become a perfectly reasonable option.
I've been around the brunch scene since before it was hip and consider myself somewhat of a brunch expert. Here's a list of the best brunch items in Toronto that will leave your sweet tooth perfectly satisfied.
French Toast
1. Portland Variety
Portland Variety perfectly nailed the classic elegance of a great French toast. The bread, while enormous and thick cut, is light and airy with the perfect crust. The strawberries were fresh and slightly tart to complement the cream. I've been searching for the perfect French toast for a long time, and this was definitely a contender.
I would recommend visiting this place for the delicious French toast, the pretty dishes and the cool, modern interior. It felt as though I was on vacation while eating my delicious brunch.
2. The Westerly
This banana bread French toast with bananas and caramel sauce definitely isn't for the faint of heart. While incredibly tasty, this French toast erred more on the side of a dessert than breakfast and left my sweet tooth satisfied for many days following.
The portion size at The Westerly is perfect and the banana bread added an unexpected touch to the dish. This restaurant is extremely charming and the location is fun to explore if you have the rest of the day off.
3. YAYA Leslieville
This French toast was giant. I'm telling you, I think I got through maybe a quarter of it. What you see here is a giant slab of brioche stuffed with decadent mascarpone cream, ricotta cheese, vanilla bean and lemon-lime zest.
YAYA serves farm fresh, local, organic foods, so at least if you're eating something unhealthy, it isn't as unhealthy as it could be and it's good for the local farmers.
4. Wish Restaurant
Wish is a staple in the Toronto brunch scene. Serving classics like avocado toast and a variety of Bennies, this place should be on everyone's brunch bucket list.
While pretty, the restaurant is a bit more expensive than other places, making it a good choice for a special occasion or a cool place to take a pic for Instagram.
Pancakes
1. School Resto
I'm a huge fan of School. It's the perfect balance of #basic and indulgent that allows you to look hip while stuffing your face with approximately a million calories.
These pancakes were decadent and delicious, covered in pecans and cream with fresh fruit on the side. While the stack was a high feat to tackle, I managed to leave only minimal amounts for my dad to finish off.
2. The Good Fork
These red velvet pancakes with cream cheese frosting on the side were decadent AF. They were more like a pile of cake than pancakes, but I'm not complaining.
My family shared this flapjack stack as an extra brunch item and still couldn't finish them off. They were worth it even just for the picture—eating for the Instagram, am I right? The overall vibe of this place was laid back and cool, with a lot of natural light that I enjoyed.
3. Old School
These pancakes were delish. The stack looks pretty huge here, but it was actually a reasonable portion size. I easily devoured the whole thing.
I would also recommend trying Old School if you're into over-the-top brunch options like bacon waffles, pulled pork French toast and breakfast poutine.
4. Smith
Smith is one of my favourite places to go for brunch. I love the décor and the food is always good. The only problem with the sweet brunch options at Smith is that they change daily, but I've never been disappointed. I also recommend trying Smith for their delicious baked goods.
There you have it: the best places for sweet brunch in Toronto. Though there are many other great brunch options in the big city, these eight restaurants are guaranteed to leave your sweet tooth satisfied.