When I’m looking to have an extra special brunch, one of my favourite spots is Dessert Trends. Here, the food is made using high quality ingredients and the presentation is just as important as taste. I’ve had everything on the brunch menu, with all items being delicious and memorable.
For meat lovers, the house made fennel and pork sausage with scrambled egg on cornbread, balsamic onion compote and a side salad is sure to please. On days when I’m not so ravenous, I go for the lemon dill scramble which comes with a buttery brioche, smoked salmon and salad. The salade nicoise is also a lovely choice, especially if I’m brunching later in the day; it comes with seared ahi tuna, fingerling potatoes, eggs, olives, anchovies, French beans and a champagne vinaigrette.
The real reason I come here, though, is for the desserts. The master pastry chef, Donald
Duong, is a classically trained French chef who has won numerous awards, having made cakes for the Queen, the Pope, the Canadian Prime Minister and several other dignitaries. The desserts and cakes are all works of art that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Rows and rows of lovely creations line the glass counter: mini cheesecakes, tarts, cakelets, I can never resist them and have also tasted most of these creations. Happily, though, different desserts rotate every few weeks, so I always get to try something new.
If you’re not able to make it for weekend brunch, I recommend visiting this place for a great cup of coffee and a splendid dessert. Afternoon tea is now also being offered in the newly renovated space upstairs, with the mandatory fresh scones, croissants and clotted cream, as well as other delectables, like melon and prosciutto sandwiches, pineapple and watermelon gazpacho, and various petit fours.

Brunch is available on weekends, starting at 10 AM. Please note this place is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

www.desserttrends.ca
154 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON
+1 416 916 8155
Google map: bit.ly/PlGkxo

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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Te Aro is one of those cafes that offers a superb cup of coffee every single time. Whether it’s a latte, Americano, cappuccino, or espresso, I am never disappointed.
I always feel welcome when I come here: the baristas are eager to please and they know
their coffee. Patrons can linger with a paper or laptop for as long as they want. And with little touches like a water pitcher and glasses on each table, magazines, and comfortable chairs, it’s also very inviting.
Saturday mornings are packed with couples, singles, families with small children – this café has high chairs – all enjoying their favourite brew while eating scones or breakfast sandwiches.
Named after a New Zealand suburb, Te Aro is located in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood, a hip spot for shops, galleries and restaurants. Indeed, you can spend hours in this neighbourhood after enjoying a great cup of java.
All coffee is made with beans roasted on-site, and in small batches. Since its inception in 2009, Te Aro has scored top ratings in coffee reviews and is also now available in several cafes and restaurants thoughout the city, but I like getting my coffee at the source.

www.te-aro.ca
983 Queen Street East, Toronto, Canada
+1 877 558 3276
Google map: bit.ly/xiHLnt


* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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Most Torontonians love their coffee and donuts and the place to go is Tim Hortons, also known as “Tim’s” or “Timmies”. This chain of restaurants, found every few blocks throughout Toronto and its suburbs, is as Canadian as the maple leaf.
Line-ups in the morning are usually right out the door at most locations, as a decent cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich won’t put a dent in your pocketbook. The coffee is actually quite good, for a fast-food joint, and they have other options besides donuts: tea biscuits, sandwiches, wraps, and soups. The restaurant prides itself on their “always fresh” policy and their coffee is served within 20 minutes of brewing.
Founded in 1964 by a Canadian hockey player, Tim Hortons is Canada’s largest fast food
service with over 3,500 stores in Canada. It also has locations in the US and many Canadian Forces bases, including Kandahar.
The most famous of its donuts are the “Timbits”, donut holes available in various flavours: Dutchie (donut with raisins, covered in a sugary glaze), Honey Dip, Chocolate, Jelly Filled, Glazed, and Apple Fritter.
Donut flavours vary from store to store, and they always have special flavours throughout the year: red glazed donuts for Canada Day and the Strawberry Bloom donut, a bloom-shaped donut, dipped in vanilla fondant with a strawberry filling and topped with strawberry-flavoured sprinkles.
To experience true Canadiana culture, every visitor to Toronto must step into a Tim Horton’s at least once.

www.timhortons.com

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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