The Senator

Came here around 1 pm. There was a big line up at the front and almost no room to move amongst the waiting customers. It took almost 30 min to get seated. The waiter was very polite and joked around quite a bit. The pancake was the right texture and tasted great. I’m not a big fan of beans for breakfast (it was sweet). Their coffee was great and they serve it with their own special milk, which was also great. The atmosphere is very casual and cozy. It was a pleasant experience overall.

Check-​in here and you will receive a 15% coupon for the meal.
I arrived in a group of 4 on a Thursday night at 8 pm. The narrow diner was full, but we were quickly seated as it was a bit past dinner time. Dinner prices are fair for the portion size (ranging from approximately $ 16 to $ 23).
I ordered meat loaf and mash potatoes. It came with a side of green beans, broccoli and brussel sprouts. The meat was tender and the gravy was on the lighter side, perfectly complementing the plate.

Came here early for brunch on a weekend. It was a bit of a wait, and the line was going out the door! Tucked away on Victoria Street, but very close to the Eaton Centre makes for a great location. After waiting for a about 20 minutes, we were seated. I had coffee and eggs benny. Food was delicious! Definitely recommend for brunch, but be sure to get there early to avoid waiting out in the cold. Service was good, and I loved the diner atmosphere. I felt like I took a step back in time in there, and I loved that feeling. Will definitely be back!

Pretty good. Small place but okay food good prices right downtown. Tuna special was pretty good. This is canned tuna and mayo with a salad and soup. Don’t look for anything fancy. But if you want a quick diner lunch– this is the place.

Wow! What a gem of a little diner in downtown Toronto. I went here with my wife and my brother and wow it was so good. We got giant breakfast dishes with all sorts of delicious food. I think my plate was called the «real good plate» or something like that. Anyway it was so much good food. Definitely stop in and try one of these breakfast combos.

Had the Real Good Plate for my first outside brunch in year 2016, and it was really good! It gives you a taste of everything (pancakes, toasted challah bread, maple baked beans, eggs and bacons).
Love the pancakes especially, so fluffy and milky, yet the texture was not sticky at all.
The maple syrup baked beans tastes special too.
Must try their strawberry jam, put on the challah bread — it’s so good.

So I stop here as wait at Uncle Tetsu got me hungry and this was on my list. While this place is know for breakfast, I was pass breakfast hour and wasn’t interested in all day breakfast option.
So I went with senator burger which was good. The patty meat was juicy and tasty it just lack with lettuce and tomato but that was put on side so that can just not be eaten next time. Despite the swiss cheese was 2 buck extra it was melt and so good as an add so I don’t regret that.
Their fries were meh… not good but not bad. All and all a good meal.
I can see why this place has been around as long it has been and how often to get served soda in glass bottle remind you of 50’s diner despite it older than that.

A great spot to go and an especially a good spot to take out of town visitors for lunch.
I have to go back again.

First let me say, the people that work here are sooooo nice! And they are very good looking. Not like supermodel, but like normal very human good looking and you want to hang around with them for the afternoon. Like they are friends of the people on «Friends»
Anyway…
The food is very good. Perfect latte
Didn’t know what to order it all looked good so I got the Senator and was not disappointed. Get the challah bread. Yum.
I might come back for the bacon alone. Mmmm
Next time gotta try pancakes. The guy next to me is wolfing his down and the girl he’s with keeps eating it off his plate, looks like there might have a fight over them…

The earlier you come, the better: p
It can get quite busy, so I would recommend coming at 11 or earlier.
The three of us ordered the Senator Breakfast, highly recommend it!

We are retirees staying in downtown Toronto for three nights. Based on proximity and Unilocal reviews we ended up at the Senator in lieu of the restaurant at our huge hotel the first morning we were in town.
When we travel we try to frequent where the locals eat and it was obvious Senator has been popular with locals for decades.
Depending when you go there is a fast moving line to the door. At 8 – 9 AM you are quickly seated.
We liked the place so much we ate breakfast here each of the 3 days we were in town.
Claire (2 days) and Michelle (1) were friendly, attentive and professional. They are on our all star team from many cities where we have traveled. I don’t know names of the food prep team but they did a great job.
If you are in town near Yonge and Gerry/​Dundas this is the place to go for breakfast and I’ll bet lunch or dinner also.
Order «The Senator» for breakfast and you can’t go wrong.

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.

You must get the French toast it is phenomenal!!! The challah bread is so delicious and thick and full of flavor. I also got the Canadian bacon because obviously I’m in Canada, how can I not, and that was great it was a more succulent ham. The mulled cider was perfect for the chilly weather and our server was amazing. Not only did she give us a discount due to the wait but she also gave us an extensive list of places to visit. I’m not sure of her name but she was blonde with cool tattoos on her arm and had visited Boston so cheers to you. The manager, I believe, was also very hands on. This is a must try place.

Unilocal, you were the reason for this visit. We wanted a good breakfast spot within walking distance of our hotel. We found a nice spot. A lot of history here in The Senator.
I got the ‘The Senator” a delicious combo of eggs, bacon, toast and baked beans.
Friendly staff and a cute little place.

It was our last day in Toronto and we were in the mood for a big, delicious breakfast! That’s exactly what we got!
There was a bit of line up but being it a Saturday morning, it was to be expected.
Once we sat down the service was great but found the food to be a little lack luster. I got the big breakfast and as you can expect it was the usual suspects: eggs, bacon, beans, toast, hash and pancakes. I decided to sub out the toast for a cheese biscuit (which was the best part of the meal) and decided to add on some pancakes. I think for the price of the the switch ($ 3), it was a little expensive but worth it.
Overall my eggs were a little overdone and the potato hash lacked a personality and any crispy ends. I usually like my hash to be crispy and well done, so you get that crunch but this has didn’t have a lot of flavor but was better than anything you get at Denny’s or Ihop!

Definitely the cherry on top of my east coast trip! My husband and I love love love breakfast, we usually try and hit up a good brunch place whenever we can. Being our last day in Toronto, I found this place on Unilocal and read a bunch of good reviews. Their service was impeccable! People were lined up very neatly, seated quickly, treated very efficiently and we were fed AHHHHMAZING FOOD! if you’re in the area, you should definitely check this place out! I got the waffles, YUM! with a side of butter, and a little maple syrup… golden.

If you’re a tourist in Toronto, you have plenty of breakfast options. You may be tempted by Fran’s, Cora, or some other hole in the wall. Reject them all an head to the Senator.
It is a legit old school diner, tucked away amongst the touristy things of Dundas Square. Had the Huervos Rancheros, my Dad had «The Senator.» Both were fantastic.

We came Saturday 11:30am for brunch before catching a musical at Ed Mirvish. We were seated after a 15 minute wait.
The diner has a very classic old-​fashioned feel to it, it’s apparently the oldest restaurant in Toronto.
I couldn’t decide what to get so went with the Real Good Plate — eggs, challah toast, home fries, maple baked beans and a made-​from-​scratch pancake.
I haven’t had maple baked beans before, guess I didn’t realize there would be an odd sweetness to them, so I didn’t like them but I can’t blame the Senator for that. The toast, eggs and fries were average. The beans were touching the pancake which meant part of the pancake got the taste of the beans, not sure why they arrange the plate like that.
The pancake with maple syrup was amazing, very moist. I may return next time I go to Ed Mirvish and if I do, it will be for pancakes.

*the tables and seats were dirty and greasy. Yes I understand the diner is old, but that doesn’t mean they should stop cleaning the tables and mopping the floor.
*my server spent all her time talking to other customers and servers instead of checking up on us. We didn’t receive our water until an old man noticed and gave us halfway through the meal.
Ordered:
–Huevos Rancheros:
My initial reaction: how is this a Huevos Rancheros?! My server didn’t bother to ask me how I would like my eggs to be done. At least give me sunny side up then, why give me poached eggs? Also, all of these ingredients seemed to be cooked separately, then the chef decided to dump everything on the plate last minute. The eggs and salsa were stone cold, overcooked and rubbery chorizo, then that dry cornbread…
–Smoked Salmon and eggs:
2 pieces of smoked salmon, lukewarm baked beans for $ 15? Not worth it.
–Fruit Smoothie:
The smoothie was average as well, you can definitely taste the yogurt and berries, not so much the banana though.
Verdict: Will never return. I can’t stand rude servers, below average food and it was overpriced.

We came here for breakfast since it’s seemingly one of the few hip places we could find open in the area at 7:30am on a Saturday morning!
I had the senator’s breakfast which was pretty basic but for some reason the challah toast with homemade jam was a real winner. I don’t know what it was about that toast but I finished all of mine and didn’t bother much with the beans.
My friends ordered the Benedict and they seemed happy with their choice. We all ordered lattes and they were large and delicious. Overall — a solid breakfast choice in downtown Toronto but not worth more than a 30 minute wait.
It’s very old school 1970s diner style with little booths and I could see it getting crowded during peak hours. But if you come as early as opening time, you’ll be sure to get friendly service and a seat quickly!