BEST BREAKFAST SPOTS in KING WEST

Our King Blue community has cafés and restaurants galore, including some of the best breakfast spots in King West, ranging from quick and convenient to relaxing and indulgent. Zoë’s Bakery Café, Nook, Le Gourmand and What a Bagel are just a few of the fabulous places to start your day off right.

Zoë’s Bakery Café

Zoë’s Bakery Café at 548 King Street West, has a quick grab counter as well as a dining area. Breakfast is offered Monday to Friday from 8-10 a.m. and a full brunch menu is available on weekends.

The space is bright with vibrant art on the walls – Tibi Hegyesi was the featured artist when I was there – and the service is friendly; our server Kirstie was fantastic. On a Sunday morning, Zoë’s is filled with slightly bleary-eyed yet fresh-faced King Westers recovering from their Saturday night adventures.

Zoë’s weekend menu offers a variety of options for those dining in. The Good Morning Quesadilla ($12) of smoked ham, cheese, avocado, scrambled eggs, red onions, and Cajun-spiced peppers is a standout for breakfast in King West, and specials include items such as the heavenly Buttermilk Pancakes ($13) served with caramelized bananas and whipped cream.

What A Bagel

The amazing smell of warm baked goods wafts through What A Bagel, which sits in a heritage building at 130 Spadina Avenue. This breakfast stop does carry approximately 16 varieties of bagels, but there’s a whole lot more to the shop and the full dine-in menu is huge. Wraps, sandwiches, eggs, and smoothies are a few of the categories on the menu.

There are price variations between the take-out counter and dine-in items (take-out is slightly cheaper) but a lot of the full-menu options are served with a choice of side. My Vegetarian Breakfast Bagel ($7.99), which has scrambled eggs, spinach, sautéed onions on an everything bagel and comes with home fries is flavourful and filling as is the Jaydelicious smoothie ($4.99) – a healthy blend of mixed berries, milk, honey.

What A Bagel is open Monday to Friday (7 a.m.-6 p.m.) and on weekends from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tables along the front window seat about 20 people comfortably and there is also counter seating for 3 to 4 people next to the take-out area.

Le Gourmand Café

Slightly further north at 152 Spadina Avenue is Le Gourmand Café. This cozy café with high ceilings and buttery yellow walls hosts a steady stream of King Blue families staying for brekkie and those on the go grabbing a quick coffee and a pastry.

Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Le Gourmand offers tantalizing pastries and breakfast options, salads, sandwiches and soups. They also sell imported chocolate, gift baskets, and various “gourmet pantry items”.

For my Saturday morning Le Gourmand venture, I try a tasty grilled bacon, egg and cheddar croissant ($4.35) and a fresh homemade pastry ($2.00) which is to die for, with smooth velvety chocolate inside. A rooibos tea ($1.41) perfectly complements my breakfast in King West.

Nook

This charming King West breakfast spot is tucked away at 469 King Street West. Only open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, this café is bigger than its name implies. Chartreuse and chocolate brown décor welcomes the King Blue 9-5ers for breakfast and lunch, providing hightop counter seating, plus eight tables and a cozy corner with two small armchairs.

A Peameal Eggwich ($3.65) on a pumpernickel bagel is a hearty start to anyone’s day. I also suggest squeezing in a coconut, chocolate chip, and walnut square – this is possibly what heaven tastes like. If you have a sweet tooth, beware: Nook’s baked goods also include butter pecan squares, brownies and Nanaimo bars.

Nook is a hidden gem for breakfast in King West – the atmosphere is warm, the service is quick, and it’s the perfect spot to people watch as the 9-5 King Westers walk by above.