This restaurant is my daughters favourite place for breakfast we come all the way from the west end to take her for breakfast.... their pancakes are the best we have ever had. If we could we would have breakfast there every week. Love the atmosphere, not a commercialized restaurant very homely feel. The staff are amazing and friendly. It can get very busy for breakfast but they are pretty fast. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for breakfast.
Our last stop before making our 7.5 hour journey home....This place is so awesome, one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten. I’ve never had a bad meal at this place. Every time I go to Toronto, I eat here despite having Free breakfast at my hotel. This place makes me want to move to Toronto
This is a 5 star restaurant . The atmosphere was so up lifting . The food was so delicious ,everything tasted fresh .
Oh if you like Cesar salad you got to have it here , the way they do it up is so different and so delicious . I highly recommend this place .
Highly recommend this place. We ate dinner here before attending the Bodyguard Musical. Old school dinner style with amazing food and wonderful service.
Not a place I’ve been to regularly, but I know about it and I enjoy the atmosphere and the food when I do go. I loved that I could get a negroni and it was perfectly mixed.
The food was like mothers use to make Service was great Would recommend Hard to believe old time charm in downtown Toronto
The place got a lot of history to it. The staff here is very kind and friendly and the food is absolutely delicious.
Amazing restaurant!
Home-y style food downstairs & upscale dinner fare in their new (and gorgeous) upstairs space, which is a MUST try!! You can't go wrong with the food or service at the Senator. One of my favourite restaurants in Toronto :)
Stopped here for Sunday brunch. The place is so cute! Service was excellent and the food was delicious! Highly recommended!!
The food is good & the portions are good. The staff are very friendly. It reminds me of a neighbourhood diner.
Great food and great service! We come here when we are in Toronto for breakfast. Always good!
Yet another 5 star experience at the Senator. Can say enough about the freshness and attention to quality they have here. The very old diner style genuine atmosphere is a great bonus!
Amazing ambiance and terrific food
Amazing ambiance and great service combined with fresh and delicious food
We had the latke with smoked salmon and soup for appetizers. Followed by eggplant in a tasty sauce and melted cheese. We would have had more but we’re going to the theatre across the street. We will definitely return to this great restaurant
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We had more than a meal.. We had an experience!
Went here with a couple of dining friends before a show. If you are going to the Ed Mirvish theater it is across the street from front entrance.
Atmosphere- Opened in the 40s as a diner and it appears the decor has stayed. Cute, Cute cute, but very deceiving. When we opened the menu we thought it would be full f burgers and fries etc. Not this place.
Food- We had- 1) Arugula and berry salad- great but small. 2) butternut squash soup- excellent flavour 3) chicken pot pie- not your typical pot pie. It came in a mini soup terrine. 4) Mushroom crepes in a cream tarragon sauce- Excellent sauce, mushrooms were tasty but I would have preferred traditional white flour crepes- buckwheat made the crepe have a texture I did not enjoy. 5) All of us had the chocolate pie- Wow
! It was amazing. The chocolate topping and the creamy center was the piece de resistance !
Service- Our waiter pushed this to a total experience. His humour kept us laughing every time he came around.
Impression- I will be back again when we go back for a show. . Food was good but dessert was a star performer. I hope next time I am there the comedian who works there is working.
Nice restaurant. Has an old world charm to it. As expected had very few veg options. But I liked what I had - Mac and cheese pasta. The ginger ale was also nice.
Went here for the first time this morning and I must say I was very impressed! Me and my boyfriend are on day #5 of our vacation so our trip has consisted of many meals eaten out and I must say this may be the top of the list so far. I was amazed by the speed of service, and how quickly our meal came out.
I wish I kept our receipt so I could give a shoutout to our server who also rocked!
As an server myself I am not usually a easy to please customer.
Would definitely recommend!
Food was really good. It is best described as upscale dinner food. Prices were a tad on the expensive side but not unreasonable. Service was good.
What a lovely place! And the staff is amazing. The prices are a little steep but it's cool cause the food is absolutely brilliant. Would definitely recommend.
This is the cutest, and less well known diner style restaurant in the city. This restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. I ordered eggs Benedict Popeye (eggs Benedict with spinach). It was excellent & I will be returning to try the blueberry pancakes.
The Senator is a very interesting throwback to a bygone era. The dark wood booths, the red and white checkered floor, the old-time counter, the antique mirrors, equipment and artifacts scattered throughout. The place has gotten old enough to be really cool. However, it is still a diner. A popular diner at lunchtime; there was a perpetual lineup waiting for tables.
Since I was at a diner, I chose their Senator Burger ($11.95) and added Swiss Cheese ($2.00). Although I really wanted the fries, I was a good boy and chose the salad instead (included with the burger). The burger was flavourful and the caramelized onions added a nice touch.
For that day I somehow had some craving for baked beans so I opted for Berkshire Bacon (but of course) and eggs that came with a side of maple baked beans, home fries and toast. Abe went for Salami and eggs and just like me, he had the maple baked beans, home fries and toast on the side. What we surely both loved was that their coffee was REALLY good! Smooth, creamy, warm and regularly refilled, I lost count on how many I had for breakfast. LOL.
A group of 4 of us dropped into The Senator on Monday for brunch. After a short wait, we were seated into the booth and served quickly. I had the Huevos Rancheros ($13) which came with two eggs, chorizo, avocado, black beans, salsa, and cornbread. I added a side of hot sauce and it was complete! The rest of my group ordered and enjoyed the Senator Special ($10). One of my friends proclaimed it was "one of the best" breakfasts he has ever had. High praise for this old time historical establishment. Very cool interior. Pleasant staff.
Really good breakfast from a really inconspicuous place. They have a good cup of coffee and a nice staff. The space is a little small, but what do you expect from a place downtown? They do breakfast/brunch and they gave us licorice for free when we paid. Awesome.
An old-school diner never goes out of style -
"With all the indie places and trendy cafes on every corner, there is a still a tasty piece of history waiting for you right in the heart of Toronto."
Just a bite from our full review..
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I haven't blogged about a brunch place in forever! So here is this one - brunch at one of the oldest restaurants in Toronto. Walking in on a Saturday morning, I was super happy to know that there wasn't a line. Besides the cute diner area in the back, there is also a coffee bar and a mini patio area outside.
We opted to sit inside though, in one of their little nooks.
D ordered the Senator Breakfast that consisted of bacon, eggs, toast, and home fries - a classic breakfast choice. They had homemade jam at the table for the toast, but it looked like it had been played with so we didn't bother touching that lol.
I got the Salmon Eggs Benedict. It comes with 2 poached eggs and smoked salmon with hollandaise on a homemade biscuit. It was also served with a salad or home fries. I decided to go with the salad, since I already knew I'd need something 'light' to balance out my hearty meal.
:9 yummy yum yum.
Overall, breakfast was great. The service was alright - they weren't too attentive but I've experienced much worse. We weren't rushed to leave although there was quite a line when we left. Food was great though, and we both devoured our meals. I would definitely recommend visiting Senator for brunch if you are in the area!
Great spot for brunch! Had the loveliest server and a super delicious plate stacked with caramelized banana pancakes and crispy bacon. My friends had the eggs benedict and the omelette and said they were both yummy. We also ordered a round of caesars but they tasted super watered down and boring so we will stick to food next time. Loved the look of the place as well, very old school and classic :)
Challah bread for the French toast was great. If its between this place or Fran's in the neighbourhood, Senator wins hands down.
Went there for breakfast - I had the smoked salmon omelette which was delish! Not too many tables for the weekend morning crowd so found we were rushed out of there - which was disappointing. Food great, Prices decent, wait staff just okay - not very attentive.
Fantastic pre-show dinner! Carrot cake!!
Fabulous. The club is to rave over. Cobb salad divine. Grilled cheese is wonderful. Small bur has a great deal of character. Their huge chocolate chip cookies are a must
The Senator has got to be my absolute favourite restaurant to go to. If I could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, I gotta say I think this would be it.
The Senator is Toronto’s oldest restaurants, which can date back to the 19th century. It is located close to Dundas Square and is quite popular for breakfast. Dre from Bite Me Food Blog was kind enough to take CanuckGirl and I here. It is slightly hidden, so you need to look around for it. The interior is very narrow, but they can still fit a decent amount of people here. We came at around 9:30am and the place was quite packed when we arrived. French Toast ($10.25) has thick slices of challah bread dipped in egg Batter & served with maple syrup & seasonal compote. Senator Breakfast ($7.95 Before 11:30am) comes with bacon & eggs with challah toast, beans & home fries. Also your choice of tea or coffee. It was a good standard type of breakfast. I enjoyed it and so did CanuckGirl. House Blend Coffee was much needed since 9:30am Toronto time is 6:30am Vancouver time. Overall, good for breakfasts and has a cool diner feel to the interior. The breakfast selection is under $10 and has great v
dre @ Dundas & Victoria: Diana from foodology.ca was in town, so I met up with her to have brunch. I found this place from Urbanspoon, and also from googling "Toronto's best pancakes". This place showed up on one of the forums I came across. I checked the menu, and it seemed yummy, so off we went. It was pretty busy when we got there and there was a short wait. I liked how some of the booths were made for three people. I wonder if they did some case study where they can fit in more people if they had 3-person booths. Anyway, Diana ordered the Senator Breakfast which comes with a coffee, 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. I tried some of her hash browns. They were tasty. After hemming and hawing for a while, I was torn between getting pancakes or French toast. I asked the waitress what she recommended and without a blink, she said French toast. So that's how my coming here for pancakes changed to French toast. The French toast was really good. They used a thick piece of toast an
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The menu is pretty brief, but I still had a hard time deciding. They did have a very extensive drink menu and one of my favourite beers (Lug Tread) on tap so I was happy. I decided I really wanted the crab cakes but that was actually an appetizer so I added a side of mashed potatoes. My crab cakes were really good, they were very meaty and the tartar sauce was great. They are also served with guacamole but I asked them to hold it. My mashed potatoes were a little lumpy, they weren't the best potatoes I've ever had. My friend I was dining with had the burger and fries, I stole a couple of fries and they were really good - I'd recommend them instead of the mashed (not normally a move I would do).
I was so excited to have crab cakes I forgot to take a picture before digging in. Better than the dessert faired though, I ate that so fast there's no photos. I got the apple blossom which was the size of my head and the carrot cake which was the size of his head. It was so unnecessary but so delicious.
I would recommend The Senator if you're in the area looking for something different than the chains in the square.
Senator Restaurant on Urbanspoon
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Having been in business for over 80 years, I’m a little ashamed that I only stopped by The Senator for the first time last week. Conveniently located a stone’s throw away from the Eaton Centre on Victoria street, they recently introduced a new dinner menu inspired by Canadian classics.
But before I get to the food, let’s talk history. Located at 249 Victoria Street, The Senator used to be a house which was converted to the “Busy Bee Diner” just prior to the Great Depression. The Busy Bee Diner was a small space which only consisted of a counter and open kitchen. In 1948 the diner was sold, renovated and renamed to “The Senator”. The fixtures and styles from the initial renovations are still in place to date.
Upon entering The Senator, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. I loved the old diner feel of the space. The front of the restaurant features a bar with counter seating and booths filling up the rest of the space.
As I mentioned, the restaurant recently launched a new dinner menu. With Executive Chef Andrew Taylor at the helm, the new menu is a blend of modern techniques, old world dishes and Senator favourites. They offer 3 course-dinners for $32 but if you want to order a la carte, starters are $8, mains are $18 and desserts are $8.
There’s no shortage of choices. From the appetizer section, you can choose from a selection of salads, lighter fare or comfort food classics like mac & cheese. Mains include items such as steak frites, fish & chips, green curry veg stew and an 8oz Cumbrae naturally raised beef burger. They really take pride in the quality of their ingredients and are committed to using locally sourced ingredients and organic products, where possible.
We started off with the Maryland Crab Cake – with citrus remoulade and a sesame seedling salad. Made with real crab, you won’t find much filler in this bad boy. The crab cake had a nice crisp exterior with a fluffy interior that was packed full of crab. It came with a (very) citrusy remoulade but I found the crab cake to be quite flavourful on its own – no sauce required!
Since it was freezing out, the other appetizer we shared was the Potato and Leek Soup which was another excellent starter. It came out piping hot, was velvety smooth and seasoned well.
One of the entrees that caught our eye was the Braised Boneless Shortrib of Beef – with mash, honey mustard glazed root veg. The meat was incredibly tender and fell apart with the touch of a fork. Short ribs are one of my favourite winter dishes and the Senator’s didn’t disappoint!
The other entrée we ordered was the Crisp Muscovy Duck Breast – with mashed Yukon gold, quince and cran compote. It was quite the hearty portion – a large duck breast and a mountain of mashed potatoes and veggies. They certainly don’t skimp on the portions here! The duck breast was well cooked and the sauce complimented the meat nicely. It was a tasty dish but we both agreed that the braised short rib stole the show.
With desserts like a chocolate brownie sundae and apple caramel crumble, reading the dessert menu here will bring you back to your childhood. I couldn’t resist ordering a slice of Chocolate Cake which came with a scoop of ice cream (my choice was vanilla) and seasonal berries. It was wonderfully moist and was pretty darn satisfying. I don’t know about you but there’s just something so comforting about a simple slice of chocolate cake!
The other dessert we ordered was the Pecan Pie which we had with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was an incredible piece of pie. I loved the sweet filling with the slight crunch from the caramelized pecans and the crust was perfection. While they make some of the desserts in-house, the two desserts we tried were purchased from the same suppliers that they’ve been using since the near beginning. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
Even though we were beyond stuffed by this point, we were talked into trying one of their spiked milkshakes. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of dairy/alcohol combinations but the Spiked Milkshake we tried was phenomenal. It was a drink the bartender was working on which consisted of fresh orange juice, vanilla ice cream and vodka. It reminded me of an orange creamsicle… so delicious!
I couldn’t think of a better way to end the meal. After all these years, it’s no surprise The Senator is still in business!
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Known for attracting an early morning audience, your cuppa-Joe will be brewed from a custom roast by Dark City Coffee. Later in the day, lightly liquored milkshakes inspired by 1920 soda jerks are smoothed with organic milk from Sheldon Creek Dairy in Caledon, ON. Antiquated dinner items have been replaced by savoury braised beef and chorizo tostadas with queso fresco and chipotle crema, refined rainbow trout with white bean ragout and shaved fennel, and seasonally inspired crisp Muscovy duck breast with Yukon gold mash and quince.
As night falls, post 9pm, a new Bar Senator “After-Dark Menu” comes into effect until midnight. Sip on craft cocktails built with organic Earl Grey-infused Dillon’s gin, like in their Senator Derby, or the Mimosa Senator spiked with a housemade lemon-rind tincture.
They’ll be pouring out pints of local craft beer from Beau’s and Amsterdam Brewery to swig alongside an impressively seasoned Cumbrae’s naturally raised beef burger. The buttery mini crabcakes, despite being made from “the fake stuff,” weren’t anything to scoff at either. They were a hit with my shellfish averse friend.
Eighty-five years-old and The Senator is just starting to catch up with this decade, culinary speaking. The charm of the wood paneled cubbies and antique fixtures, however, are timeless. Perhaps the oft-forgotten Victoria Street staple was ripe for a renewal? Consider yourself lucky that you’re around to revel in its hopeful renaissance. Upon exit, my dining partners and I all agreed that The Senator was a truly renewed gem in an area of Toronto that is terminally digging itself into the edible trenches.
I love this place! Unless you're looking for it on Victoria street you might blow right by it just as I've done about a million times. It wasn't until actually had to pop my head in one afternoon that I realized how cute this place was (and how big it is too!) One of the oldest restaurants in Canada, The Senator has maintained its 20s diner feel. The food, however, is not your typical greasy spoon cuisine that you might expect to get. All the food is organic, local and pure. (They use Cumbrae's beef for their burger!) And what a difference this detail makes! What we ate:-8oz burger with fries-Eggs Benedict (classic)-Pecan pie
A true American diner, this is a great place for breakfast (though a bit pricey). The salmon platter is amazing, the oatmeal with fresh berries as well. You can also get fresh grapefruit juice :-) Be careful with any egg/toast type plates, butter comes in abundance ;-0
Wifi works great, a nice place to catch up on work. Food comes out quick, though service isn't the friendliest. Be sure to reserve at night as it's located in front of a theater and tends to get quite packed!
This place is in one of the oldest original houses in T.O, the food is priced well for area and is super fresh and homemade. Jams good:)
Has been closed with signage on since pandemic with little sign it will open soon though
Hope so it's missed!
Restaurant with a history - read about it on the front page of the menu. As for the food, the pancakes are superb! French toasts are not bad too. And they make their own honey! Very nice service and friendly staff. Very nice experience having brunch here.
Their bread and jam was so delicious! Other food was average. A bit pricey for a brunch, but still affordable. +their homemade chili sauce was spicy, and I loved it!:)
Please press thumb up below if you think this review was helpful😊 and hope you have a wonderful time here!
Always wonderful. We enjoyed the patio for the last warm day of the year. Great attentive service and great diner food. The patio will be open through October we were told, weather permitting. The peach French toast was amazing.
The place is really nice, the fact that is old and kinda classic is great. We had breakfast and it was delicious.
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