On the weekends, club goers of the previous night and local students pile in for brunch, a few sporting hangovers and desperately looking for a cure. The first thing you will notice upon immediate entry is that the atmosphere of the diner is unpretentious and friendly. The staff are pleasant but not annoying. There are customers in jeans and t-shirts as well as (last night’s?) clubwear and even business suits.

I am a stickler for acknowledgment in a restaurant. If staff does not at least let me know that they’ll be with me shortly within 2-5 minutes of being seated, the restaurant immediately loses points in my book. Daybreak staff, I am happy to report, came to my table within 30 seconds of my sitting down to ask for a drink order. I was very pleased that I was not made to wait long for anything!

The house specialty is oversized omelettes of a wide variety. They serve many traditional breakfast items such as eggs benedict, French toast, pancakes, wraps, etc. but glancing around the place, the omelettes were the most popular by far.

My dining partner took the simple approach and ordered a Calgary Stampede, akin to a Western omelette with heaping amounts of ham, peppers, onions, and cheese tucked in the egg fluff. Having a weakness for cheese, I opted for a Mediterranean omelette, stuffed with fresh spinach, red onions, feta cheese, and tomato. While the food wasn’t phenomenal, it certainly was steps above “greasy spoon” diner food.

The beverages. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, so my usual breakfast beverages are a large milk and small OJ. My dining partner and I both enjoyed the OJ (pulp-free Tropicana from a box that I could spot from my seat), but I found the milk to be too close to room temperature upon delivery to the table. I did not bring to the attention of the server, so I wonder how easy (or hard) it might have been to correct this problem.

Come hungry. Portions at Daybreak are large. The omelettes are huge and overstuffed, and come with two pancakes, finely shredded potatoes, large slices of toast (your choice of bread), and an curled orange garnish. Omelette plates range between $7.95 and $9.95 (CAD), and for two people, our bill before tip was around $25.00 (CAD), so I left Daybreak multiple times feeling very satisfied all-around.

Daybreak Diner
399 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, ON M5B 2J6
(416) 598-0004

Hours: Unknown, but open very early for breakfast/brunch/lunch. Dinner is not served.

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