Hello Darling

Great brunch place with the kids. Kids get to pick what they want on their plate and the other «normal» items are great and varied. The biscuit sandwich was great.
There is also a selection of toys and coloring books at the rear to keyed the kiddos occupied. Service is a little slow but it goes with the low key feel of this place. I don’t mind waiting for a bit with coffee in hand.

The Sunflower chickpea scramble was the perfect way to start my morning and their smoothies are also awesome. Vegan breakfasts can be a bit tricky when you can’t eat a ton of tofu, but this breakfast was excellent. I definitely left satisfied and would 100% go back… if I lived in Toronto :) Love the neighborhood café vibe. Service was perfect. Almond milk for my coffee was a huge win.

Wasn’t very impressed with the overall experience.
Biz wasn’t very busy and it took a good half hour to get out food on the table from the moment the server left with our order. This is brunch, eggs, potatoes and a bit of greens so it shouldn’t take that long. I have been to places, the farmers tavern to mention one, where the quality bathe complexity of the brunch was far superior and the food took overall at least half of the time.
First we got the coffee served: 4 different cups with 4 different capacities: one was the size of a double espresso: S
We have been asked if we wanted milk or cream. We provided our input and the server a minute after already forgot what we asked so that we had to remind her after several minutes that we were still waiting for the milk and cream.
Food overall was super: the home potatoes were diced up so tiny that using the fork to eat them posed a challenge to all of us. On top of that, the potatoes tasted oily.
The Benny eggs aren’t the usual Benny: here they use sour cream with a sprinkle of chive on it.
Let’s move on.
The whole brunch was way overpriced if considered the size of the portions and the flavour overall. Definitely not the type of experience I would have for the value of my money.
Positive note, when we asked the bill, it came on a little tray with some mini banana muffins.
In general the food seemed not frozen or processed but again, it doesn’t justify the cost and not the passion pit to cook it along a distracted and slow service.
I don’t think I’ll come back again. There are better choices out there that I personally think are better value for my money.
But this is just my personal opinion. Sorry :)

Went here for breakfast mainly due to lack of options. When we were seated — after waiting 3x as long as the «10 minutes» we were initially promised, I remembered why this was not our first pick: all the reports of slow service. We waited 15 minutes for coffee! Seriously, after the interminable wait for a table, at least bring the coffee out quickly. (for example: Boom Breakfast on College serves coffee and waffles to people in the lineup! Now that is service!)
Another reason this was not our first pick: lack of eggs benedict. Oh sure, they have something called «eggs benny,» and it has eggs, but with an assortment of random other ingredients to the extent that reading the description was just sad-​making. Think up a different name for your strange breakfast, I’m sure it is lovely for people who want something that is NOT eggs benedict.
When breakfast finally arrived it was all right — the sausages were nice — but not worth what they’re charging. And the kid’s breakfast was teeny tiny.
Also, it is super loud. It’s like the walls are designed to amplify every conversation and blast you. Ugh.
Most important of all, it left me with a bit of an upset stomach that is still upset three hours later.
Not worth it!

If you want a typical egg Benedict, this is not the place for it unfortunately. Their version of Benny consisted of butternut squash, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, cornmeal tart, poached eggs, and dilly chèvre crema. No meat, no Hollandaise sauce, no English muffin. Portion was small for how much they charged. The «Benny» tasted a little bland, cornmeal tart was tough. The Pear Ginger Juice and the complimentary bite-​size Banana Bread Muffins were decent though. Service could be slow here if you have a big group.

Ok… Got the food. We have lived to see another day!!! :).
The food was good. Service… Not so good.
Will come back again. Maybe they had a bad day.

Good food, slow service. Came in for brunch on a Sunday and were seated, only to be kicked out of our spot and moved to a spot at the bar because the server who sat us made a mistake. The bar spot was nice enough, good for people watching but service was dismal as we were at the furthest point from the kitchen and the waitstaff seemed to forget about us.
I had the two eggs over easy with coconut bacon and subbed a biscuit. Biscuit was more spongy than crumbly, ketchup and hot sauce served on the side were delicious. Coconut bacon was average. My fiancée had plenty of gluten free options, she had the sunny eggs on a corn tortilla with mashed sweet potatoes and black beans — super good, and there were a lot of pickled veggies on the side that added a nice flavour.
Overall, service was friendly but very slow — make sure you’re not in a rush!

I’ve been wanting to try out this place for quite some time, and this past Sunday, I finally did!
We got in around 12:30pm and were expecting a wait (which ended up being about 30 mins long) but we got some coffees to tide us over while we waiting. My almond milk latte was perfectly made and served in a stemless cup, complete with saucer!
While waiting, I took in the décor — it’s both functional and homey. I love that they serve tea in ceramic teapots and can brew a pot for 2 to share. They have some baked goods on display — the apple ring looked really inviting and I had planned to have some as dessert (but ended up being too full to indulge).
We were seated by the window, basking in the sun, which I enjoyed thoroughly. There are no menus at the table — you look at the large chalkboard to see the menu of the day. My buddy and I decided to order the breakfast poutine and sweet potato and black bean quesadilla.
It was a sunny Sunday, so we sat there in the sun, waiting for our meals but sadly, the wait turned too long — it was almost 50 minutes before our food arrived (hence the 4 star rating) but we weren’t disappointed when it did.
My quesadilla was perfect sized — not so big that I couldn’t finish it but not too small to have me wanting for more. It had two sunny side up eggs atop it, which made for a lovely mix of textures and flavours. I think I had devoured more than half of my plate within minutes! The house slaw, fresh avocado and the homemade ketchup and hot sauce added lovely depth to the home fries that accompanied the quesadilla. All in all, lovely meal!
My buddy’s breakfast poutine came with bits of chopped up sausage. The poutine is made of home fries rather than French fries, and tasted pretty good, although I am partial to the texture and length of French fries for my poutine. His dish came with corn bread (with real corn kernels) — it was perfect! The right balance of texture and sweetness… I think I could have eaten an entire loaf of the stuff!
Service (other than the slow arrival of our meal) is great — I really enjoyed interacting with their attentive staff. I’m definitely going back, particularly since I’ve heard that they tend to switch up their menu quite often.

Quality food, amazing service, great ambience and reasonably priced. Best way to avoid chain places and get the most

I was excited to try this place for breakfast. Everything screamed hipster to me and a lot of brunch joints around this area has been quite good. I got the 2 eggs and sausage as the veggie plates didn’t sound too great to me. The sausage was dry, barely warm when I got them and there was more fruit and coleslaw than the rest of my plate. The toast was good though. I liked how they made the sauces in house but at the same time they forgot traditional condiments like strawberry jam and their ketchup wasn’t strong enough. Pricing was also a little too high for brunch. I had to try it myself but I have heard beforehand that costing was going to be a bit higher.

I really don’t want to drop a 2 star on this place as it’s cute on the inside and I know they have a lot of potential. It’s like stepping in to your 94 year old neighbours house and sitting down to a nice brunch or breakfast. The only difference here is, your 94 year old neighbour could probably out cook a set of eggs better than any of the chefs at Hello Darling.
Imma start off first by saying, please invest in Menus guys. It’s cool you have all the items on your menu written on the black board in the middle of the restaurant, but when there’s a crowd of people all looking at it at the same time, it just causes chaos and confusion. Not only for the customers, but for the servers too. There was only one poor girl working the entire restaurant, and on top of the slew of orders she got wrong for our table, our food came out mad late. I’m talking, you gotta make excuses to your boss for coming back from lunch 2 hours late kinda deal. It’s aight, my cat is sick and I had a dentist appointment knowmsayin?
Overall this place deserves a 1 star for the food because my quesadilla was probably the weakest I’ve ever had, but imma give it two for the server who was working it hard. I hate to say this, but Goodbye Darling!

We’ve been coming here since they opened on a regular basis since our home is just up the street. At first we were a little nervous as we are neither vegan nor vegetarian, but the dishes delight even meat lovers. They’re flavourful and creative, and there’s always the option to order a side of bacon or sausage if you just can’t do without meat (which we cannot). Even though the dishes are light and healthy (well maybe not the apple cake french toast…), they’re also quite filling, leaving us satiated for quite some time afterwards.
The menu changes regularly and is written out on a little chalk board, but there’s always a variation of a pancake and an egg dish available. The dishes are creative, expect unusual offerings like coconut bacon (fried coconut meat… to die for!), and mushroom wellington. Familiar favourites make the menu as well, like huevos rancheros. All the produce is always very fresh and breads are fluffy. Everything can be spiced up with their powerful hot sauce. If you’re not into hot stuff, you might be pleased to hear that they make their own ketchup! The coffee is delicious, rich without being acidic or bitter. We absolutely love their smoothies, interesting flavour combos that are always well balanced.
The space itself reminds one of a sunny café, with tables close together and an option to sit at a bar set inside the window where you can watch the world go by as you eat, our favourite spot. When it’s very busy it can get a little loud, but that’s because it seems to attract a natural air of vibrancy. The staff is attentive, but this is a small establishment with the owner in the kitchen and friends and family acting as wait staff. Service can be a bit slow when a rush of people show up at once, be patient, they’re always doing their best and they’re all such lovely people! I personally love the tableware, the plates and glasses are inexpensive vintage pieces you might find at Value Village, charming and homey with no two alike.

Great Service. Cute little spot. Good coffee.
You can’t really mess up bacon eggs and toast. Was expecting a good meal for the price of it alone. Bacon was way over cooked. Eggs we’re good. Potatoes tasted like they were sitting out for a while and were reheated. Server was lovely. Atmosphere was awesome. I definitely want to go back and try something else but to be honest I was really disappointed with the food.

On a recent, now run-​of-​the-​mill, «extreme cold warning» weekend winter wonderland, my party of four decided to brave the instant-​icicle-​inducing chillzone for some brunch. We arrived at 10am, to avoid any lineups, and that we did.
While we were seated right away, our food did not follow until about an hour later. Though some of that time undoubtedly went to deciding between the numerous appetizing specials on the board (there are no table menus at Darling) our meals were not instant. Thankfully, we were in no rush, and during the wait our server was eager to refill our hot coffee mugs numerous times.
The food was delicious, though not mind-​blowing — normally not a concern, but the prices indicate our reaction should have been otherwise. Three of us had ordered some incarnation of a Huevos Rancheros Benny. The eggs were cooked well, the hashbrowns were perhaps over-​crunchy if I might quibble, but overall the dish was pleasant. My GF and I split a cuban breakfast sandwich which was definitely a highlight.
To sum: the food is good, the space is quaint, the service is adequate, but the prices simply don’t qualify. If they were a little lower I would certainly consider saying Hello to Hello Darling more often.

Went here for Brunch on New Year’s Day. Was a long wait to get a table. This might be expected on New Year’s Day for Brunch. My issue is that the reason it was so long is because the food was taking waaaaaaay too long to come out from the kitchen. Once we finally ordered, it must’ve been over 45 minutes before we ate. They seemed totally unprepared for how busy it was. I heard them mention being out of several items, including orange juice. Their menu is pretty limited making this a bit of a bigger deal.
The food itself was good. My guest ordered the pancakes and without asking they assumed he wanted the half order. After waiting so long for the meals to arrive, this was a little underwhelming and disappointing. But we sure as hell weren’t sending anything back at that point. Funny enough, when we got our cheque, they proceeded to charge us for the full order. They quickly fixed this though.
The décor was cute, the food was good, and the coffee was absolutely delicious. But there are waaaaaaaay too many Brunch places in Toronto for me to give this place a second chance.

My friend and I came across this store as we were walking for about an hour and wanted to go some where to warm up. As soon as we walked in, the warmth hit us. It was nice. Our server was pleasant.
She had a friendly smile and a kind disposition. My friend ordered the Earl Grey and I ordered the Mint Green tea. It was really good and it came in this huge teapot that probably equals an extra large and a bit, a large and a medium, or three medium cups to take away (if you are lucky) and at $ 2.50, that is decent… probably better than decent actually.
I also ordered a bowl of lentil vegetable soup. My friend and I both thought it looked like Amy’s veggie lentil and it was $ 6, which was expensive, considering I could get the can for less at a grocery store, but I am the one who suggested it to our server. A cup was too small and I didn’t want to pay $ 8.50 for a salad and a biscuit too… so I settled for the 6 bucks.
They close at 3pm on Saturday. My guess is that they are predominately a brunch joint. I don’t frequent the area enough to know.
I’d go back for the tea alone. Eating breakfast, or any meal for that matter tends to be so expensive when you choose to eat in an-​outside-​the-​home-​establishment. Sure, you pay for the experience and the niceity of not eating at home, yet the price is often so expensive and usually you can get a meal for cheaper in the comfort of your own home.
To anyone reading this I would recommend trying an egg dish. As opposed to something they’re not really known for.

Food and atmosphere were good. The service left something to be desired.
We showed up and all the tables were full but we would be first in line.
Server: it’ll be about twenty minutes.
Me: cool, no problem, can I leave my name or.
Server: sure, but if you go away, we can’t hold your spot.
Me:umm… Doesn’t that make leaving my name irrelevant?
Server: no, not at all.
Whatever, ok, walked round the corner to the amazing Wallace Espresso, grabbed a coffee. We sat outside hello darling. We had to check with them if our table was available, it was. They prevented us from sitting down so they could wipe the table down. We waited 5 minutes, finally just sat down and then they were upset they had to clean around us? Table wasn’t even dirty …
Anyway, good music, atmosphere was nice, food was fresh and tasty.
I like the idea of a chalkboard menu but not when there’s only one, on one wall, and no one tells me… Let me know stuff! You’re a new place in the hood! Expect newcomers often.
I’ll be back, once, to see if service improves.

Admittedly, we’re the brunch type. We dig Hello Darlings ‘egg’ window — a yellow dot on the outside pane so when they pull down the white curtain on the inside — voila. Egg. Unfortunately the decent reviews we’ve heard so far didn’t thrill us far past the creative window.
We were greeted by a very timid server, pointing us to where we could sit (we sat a part of the long row of tables nearest the front entrance). Immediately, the tables on either side had to be shifted, by the other patrons dining beside us, just so I could squeeze in to the bench seat. As my partner commented, if he «stretched his arms out» he could «literally hug the person next to him, and the person next to that». It was tight, but ‘c’est la vie’ in Toronto.
Unimpressive coffee ($ 2.50) and freshly squeezed orange juice ($ 4) in too small of a glass to be seen as of value.
My brunch partner in crime and I both couldn’t resist the promise of a breakfast poutine (hashbrowns, mushroom gravy, cheese curd, two over-​easy/​medium eggs w/​sides of a biscuit, salad and fruit) ($ 14).
After waiting more that 30mins for our meals we got a taste: overall we left full, and pretty content. Unfortunately, we’ve also got high expectations of a glorified breakfast that we are spending $ 25 EACH on with tax and tip.
A couple bites of hashbrowns were under cooked. I get weak in the knees for a savoury mushroom gravy so this one was too sweet to my liking. The biscuit as well is sweet — if you’re into that then this is the place for you — not for me, sadly. The half cup of mixed green salad with a couple sticks of apple and carrot was poorly dressed. The pickled radishes on top were a delightful surprise and beautiful colour contrast. The fruit was fruit (1 strawberry, 1 grape (literally one), 1 perfectly ripe slice of thick honeydew and ¹⁄₅^th of a kiwi).
I appreciated having different flavours in front of me — to jump from salad to biscuit to poutine is exactly how I enjoy eating. However, none of the components of this spread were done overly well. It was a bit of a flop for us.
We asked for our bill and took it to the cash register to pay. The empty pastry fridge looked sad. The open kitchen in the back allowed us a gander: to us it looked as though they are working with one flattop only. The lack of burners seemed to be what kept our meals from reaching us in an acceptable time.
All in all, we’ll avoid this brunch spot in the future. We simply can’t justify the $ 25 spent when the overall experience wasn’t delightful. Best wishes to the Hello Darling team as they continue to grow and be a welcome addition to this developing neighbourhood.

I arrived right when they opened and they needed a few more minutes to prepare themselves. My party was late thankfully but it took us about 30 minutes for our order to be taken and there was more staff than guests. Unfortunately when they did bring us our meals two of them had the wrong type of eggs. I had water which was nice and chilled in a funky bottle. My friends had coffee which they said was terrible; I tasted it so I can confirm this. I loved loved the bread they served with the traditional egg breakfast and was pretty fond of the hash brown.
Our waitress never seemed to recover from being surprised at her first customer (me) and at how busy they were by the end of our visit. Food was exactly what I hoped for but the attitude and slowness of the server was off-​putting. I’d go back but wouldn’t wait in line.

The «Poppy pancakes + Lemon curd blackberries» and the hot «Pear Ginger Nutmeg» were the highlight of my brunch.
Nicely decorated bright space, fun tea pots and mugs add to the atmosphere. Very thoughtful to have the pillows on the bench and a large blue curtain at the door to block the cold and allow for a comfortable sit-​down near the entrance.