Café St. Germain opened its doors on Avenue Road in September and is quickly becoming a local hot spot. The Mediterranean-inspired café, with its modern yet warm decor, draws you in right off the sidewalk. My family and I checked it out for brunch.

A neighbourhood hub

Café St. Germain opened on Avenue road with the aim of becoming a neighbourhood hub. In this area of town, where traffic can get pretty thick heading to and from the 401, it’s certainly a welcome addition to the neighbourhood as a place to spend some time enjoying good food and good coffee. The square tables with chairs and benches make seating adaptable to parties from two to large groups and can easily accommodate strollers. You feel comfortable making yourself right at home.

Mediterranean Urban Country

Walking into Café St. Germain feels like stepping into a friend’s funky country kitchen. The black and white decor — punctuated with splashes of red on the chairs and in the artwork on the walls — suggests modern urban chic, while the open-concept kitchen, right behind the counter, gives a feeling of openness and warmth.

Owner Tia Popovski likes it that way. She believes in total transparency, not preparing food behind closed doors. All the food is prepared right behind the counter for everyone to see.

Whole Food Inspired

Inspired by the whole food movement, the menu includes Mediterranean dishes using fresh, often organic ingredients. It’s healthy and delicious food everyone in the family can enjoy.

We stopped in for brunch, which is served Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 4pm. It took some time to decide on what to order. So many things on the menu looked appealing: crêpes, French toast, croques monsieurs, omelettes… The friendly waitress helped us out describing how some of the dishes are prepared.

We sampled the warm chocolate banana and strawberry crêpe; the mushroom, maple ham and havarti, 3 egg omelette; and the sautéed spinach with poached eggs and wild smoked salmon — all of which were very delicious. Although the ingredients aren’t necessarily local — strawberries, for example, were not in season at the time — everything was very fresh and presented beautifully.

While the grownups sipped our latte and americano, the kids enjoyed freshly prepared smoothies, which were a hit with our smoothie connoisseurs.

We will definitely return. I can’t wait to sample the lunch menu.

Café St. Germain

www.cafestgermain.ca │Facebook

1767 Avenue Road, Toronto, 647-340-2172

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About the Author: Tamara Sztainbok

Tamara loves children’s books, running, and pie. After nearly a decade working in children’s publishing, she launched Puzzle Box Communications - an agency offering editorial services to small businesses. Running her own business affords her the luxury and pleasure of walking her two children to school, and gives her the opportunity to rediscover her Midtown Toronto neighbourhood.

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