Visiting a major city in one day is ambitious – especially if you’re interested in scouting out the food scene. With only 24 hours in Toronto at my disposal, brunch and dinner were at the top of my list. Luckily, the two I tried were a hit. Wondering where to brunch and dine in Toronto? If you only have one day, be sure to visit these two hotspots.
Saving Grace
Saving Grace
Torontonians in the know head to Saving Grace for weekend brunch. Nestled on Dundas Street West, this small, quaint eatery may not seem like much from the outside, but its perpetual line-up suggests otherwise. With only a handful of seats dispersed against a minimalist backdrop, waiting in line is unavoidable here (but so worth it). Once inside, I ordered their French toast with caramelized bananas, while my travel companion (hi mom!) opted for carrot cake waffles topped with honey cream cheese. The caramelized bananas, fluffy toast, and maple syrup blended perfectly together, while the honey cream cheese drizzled on top of the waffles was quite an interesting twist. Both were copious in size, setting off an impending food coma – no regrets! If you’re in the mood for a savoury dish, they also serve eggs (poached, scrambled, pan fried), breakfast sausage, bacon, and roasted potatoes, along with unique salad and sandwich combinations.
Photo courtesy of Gusto 101
Gusto 101
For dinner – or happy hour – make your way to Gusto 101. This Portland Street favourite boasts delicious Italian fare in a trendy setting. On my visit, I sampled their Tuscan Fries with sea salt, garlic aioli, the Margherita pizza, and the star of the night, their Agnolotti di Zucca. These butternut squash agnolotti were accompanied by a brown butter, sage, Parmigiano, and pumpkin seed sauce. It was definitely a ten out of ten! The Margherita pizza was simple and well-executed – as it should be, while their Tuscan fries were well-seasoned and the perfect starter. All of this was accompanied by Gusto’s in-house wine on tap. At $1 per ounce, I sampled their fruity and refreshing Gusto Bianco (Pinot Grigio).
What’s your favourite way to spend 24 hours in Toronto? Let me know below!
Opening photo courtesy of Gusto 101
I have yet to try both. Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll make it a point to go. I heard great things about Gusto 🙂 I live in Toronto so this will be easy!
Let me know what you think of them! 🙂
Wow, this all sounds amazing! French toast with caramelized bananas sounds delicious!
It was heavenly 😀
One of our favorite things to do while traveling is to eat local foods! It looks all so delicious YUMMY
Same!!! 😀
Yes yes yes! I am from Toronto and I love these places! 🙂
Sincerely Miss J
http://www.sincerelymissj.com
Yay! I’m always happy to get a local’s approval 😀
Love your blog! I always try to eat local! I’m heading to Montreal in July and can’t wait to explore.
Thank you! I’m originally from Montreal so if you need tips (especially on food), let me know 😀
Sooo yummy! We might be taking a trip to Toronto this year so will definitely consider this option. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Have a lovely trip 🙂
All this food seems amazing ! Looks like you had a great time exploring torontos restaurants! I haven’t been in Canada yet but if I’ll ever visit Toronto I’ll definetly try those French toasts !
Yes! Go for the French Toast 😛
Oh girl you’re speaking my language! I’ve been wanting to go to Toronto and both of these places look amazing.
Haha, with a name like “brunchinista,” I think we’d have a lot in common 😀
I live in Toronto and I haven’t tried either restaurant! I better check them out 🙂 If I were visiting in the summer, I’d recommend spending some time by the lake. And any patio!
Yup a patio indeed! I need to come back in summer – it wasn’t too cold though when I visited 🙂
This looks and sounds absolutely divine! Your photos are gorgeous! I can’t wait to head back to Toronto this summer 🙂
Have a great trip 😀
Gusto 101 is one of my favourites in the city…toronto is such a foodie city!
Isn’t it a great spot! 🙂
I would love to visit Toronto one day. Wow like the foods at Saving grace. xx
Hope you get to visit soon 😀
Planning a trip to Toronto this year. I’m keeping this post for reference. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Have a great trip 😀
Ive been wanting to check out the toronto food scene for a while now. I so wanna go, I am gonna have to add it to my list of traveling for the next year.
Same! I feel like there’s so much more to discover, can’t wait to go back 😀
Planning to visit Toronto and I think this post help me and recently i have save this web page as my bookmark thanks for share it.
Have a great trip, Ronnie! Thanks for reading 🙂