The Federal in Toronto

Always hits.

The Cubano & Hibiscus Zamalck to drink = chefs kiss

federal with bacon 10/10

A cozy spot with delicious menu and wide selection of beers and wine. Had the scramble on a rainy day and it hit the spot. Definitely recommend.

Food is trash and extremely political. Having a watermelon emoji on October 7th, shows no class.

As my go-to-date spot, unfortunately theyve made it clear Jews arent welcome.

Rude staff and owners

One of the nicest, coziest, best spots for brunch in the city.

Truly one of the best restaurants. It feels like home when you walk through the door since the staff are so welcoming and the atmosphere is cozy. Then..there s the food. It s elevated comfort and delicious. Always leaves you wanting more or planning to come back

Terrible experience a would never go back

Portions were a little small for the price. Food was a little less fancy than I expected.

Food

A Toronto institution

Best brunch in Toronto! Staff are kind and friendly and the food is amazing!

Good coffee, great service and a damn fine breakfast sandwich. What more do you need?

Food was mid and the servers were kind of rude. Didn t really enjoy the experience and no desire to go back.

Great brunch. Cozy little place with a very friendly staff. Went there on a recommendation and would definitely pass the word around to anyone on this place!

Great place, delicious curly fries, love the pop and non alcoholic options, wish they were open on the times listed

Amazing brunch and bottomless coffee! Very welcoming services.

Cozy place with amazing food and hot sauce. Great staff!

came back to Parkdale remembered liking this place, great breakfast and coffee. very friendly attentive staff.

Beautiful atmosphere, excellent menu

Eggs federal is a must. Mmmmm. Crispy hash brown potatoes. Delicious mimosas too.

Eggs federal is amazing, great staff. A personal favorite.

One of my favorite restaurants in Toronto to have brunch. Eggs are cheesy and delicious, coffee is amazing and overall the food is great. Highly recommended if you are looking for a cozy and friendly spot.

Was very excited to dine at this place but it left a lot to be desired. We ordered the garlic fingers, four guys burger & the steak frites. Garlic fingers were very mid - bread was too dense for the dish and it wasnt enjoyable. The burger was a 2.5/5, it was just a burger, nothing to write home about. My friend had the steak frites and they said it was just ok. Paying $45 and walking away not happy isnt ideal. Maybe theyre only good at brunch

Poor service, slow and unreliable

Came for an early dinner, was delicious and the atmosphere was great, very inviting and cozy. The cubano was amazing.

Really good spot! Food was good and fast service. The place is a little small (maybe not for Toronto). Average plate cost $20. The breakfast the roasted squash omelette was really good and filling, some shredded potatoes on the side and an arugula salad.

Great place. Parking: Hard to find parking Food : 5/5 |

Coolest spot in the hood. Food is fantastic, portions good and drinks even better. 5-7 worth it!

Delicious brunch & great atmosphere!

This rating is based on my experience with service. I arrived today at 11:00am, the hostess put me on the waitlist and informed me it was going to be approximately 45 minute wait. I stood near the front door waiting for my friend to arrive. I had no problem waiting 45 minutes for a table, especially since I had just driven an hour to get there. In the two minutes that it took for my friend to arrive, the hostess/server came up to me and told me that I was giving her anxiety by standing near the front door and told me to leave and go get a coffee somewhere else while I waited. I was appalled to be spoken to and treated like that by service staff for simply waiting for a table at a restaurant. Needless to say we did not wait for the table we left went and ate somewhere else and I will never be back. I am still in disbelief that servers speak to customers like that. I worked in the service industry for 20 years and I could never ever imagine speaking to somebody that way. If somebody simply standing in your restaurant is giving you anxiety, you should probably look for another job.

Extremely satiating and simple food! The quality is outstanding

Thought I would love it, but unfortunately did not meet my expectations. After a forty minute wait for a table during peak brunch time, we got seated in a pretty private area in the back. The restaurant is small so we expected to wait even longer. The brunch menu is short so I picked the Gold Standard Sandwich. I dont know what I was expecting, but its really just a breakfast sandwich. I chose the bacon option (kale and impossible meat also available) and it was ... burned? Not sure if it was intentional but it definitely tasted very burnt. Otherwise the sandwich was pretty ordinary to me. The rosti was extremely oily and not seasoned evenly - one of my bites was essentially coated in salt, while others were bland. I didnt end up finishing. I tried a bite of my friends breakfast burrito and it was good. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. The price was good, we didnt get any extras so I stayed under $20 including tax and tip. Service was also good, I just didnt enjoy the food.

Im not a religious man, but I feel BLESSED to live within walking distance of the Federal. Food, service, and atmosphere each are an unmitigated five stars. Whether a mid-workday break for deliciousness or weekend brunch with appreciative friends, the Federal is my spot.

Super yummy food, worth the wait for a table I had the eggs federal it was great

I love the food here but for some reason they were too busy to take my order.. that s the weirdest answer I ve ever had.. we re too busy at the moment nice

Love a nice lunch (burger is so darn good) on a Friday , or brunch here on a lazy weekend. The food is always out of this world and I love the vibe of the place.

Beautiful vintage plates and cutlery, amazing atmosphere. Beautiful little shop. Lots of worn wood accents, exposed brick. Didnt *LOVE* my food but it was good. Ordered a breakfast burrito, which was sweet? No indication on the menu that it would have anything apple-like in it. Cream of potato & leek soup also had an odd choice of spice in it. Couldnt place it but it tasted like white wine. Like I said, good, but an odd choice of spice is the only way I can describe it. Definitely willing to try the rest of the menu! Ive had the Gold Standard breakfast sandwich many times and its the best breakfast sandwich around!

Delicious food and great service. Recommend the Caesar salad with smoked trout!

Cozy, reliable and delicious. A great neighbourhood brunch and dinner spot.

Great place! Brunch was delicious (who doesn t love a rosti?), and reasonably priced for Toronto. Very hopping for brunch, so expect a bit of a wait. Staff are friendly, and don t rush you at all despite the crowd. Will definitely be going back.

Had some of the best mussels ever! Delicious broth, plenty to eat, and great price. Thanks guys!

This place has my heart. Food is always amazing, clearly staff enjoy what they are doing and the vibe overall gets you nostalgic even though it is very modern. If I could give this place 6 stars, I would give it without any hesitation. Amazing.

Excellent food! Somehow the menu seemed unimpressive but the brunch food was absolutely delicious!

Try the breakfast burrito!

Food was amazing, their service was ok

I was here this morning for brunch and the food and atmosphere was great. We had to wait about 45 minutes for a table around 11 am but there is plenty to see in the area while you wait. However, at one hour and eight minutes after we sat down, the waitress said unfortunately we need this table . I questioned them about their seating policy and they said they didn t have one but their wait list was long and claimed we obliged after they asked if we were finished. Unfortunately this ruined our otherwise positive experience.

Really great food for a reasonable price in this city. Vibe was friendly and warm. A bit noisy as no acoustic panels in place. I really enjoyed my meal, just a well put together dish - a Gold Standard Sandwich. A friend had a Cobb Salad which was a huge plate. Recommended as a nice place for good food, to meet friends and visit!

Fantastic service and food. Place was slammed for Saturday morning breakfast but the staff were still super friendly and accommodating. Had the beef breakfast burrito and it was one of the best I ve had.

Great local spot. Everything Ive ever had on their menu is delicious! Very busy for brunch on weekends, so get there early if you dont want to wait.

Absolutely cozy place with the best natural wines and the best of people - severely underrated gem.

Service was excellent. This place has a lot of cozy atmosphere that is quite old fashioned and rustic. The food was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The quality of their product is higher than average but I would say their sauce and even hash needs seasoning and flavour. Their salad was probably the best in terms of flavour and seasoning. They also had excellent coffee(most restaurants don t have great coffee) I give it a 4 because they do genuinely use good quality product and good quality service, however at their price point (starting at $17+) I kinda do expect a little more love in the main items and not just the side salad.

Waffles and endless

I liked this place. Yummy breakfast food and great service. Limited seating though, a 20-30 minute wait if you just walk in on the weekend, I d make a res

Always a solid choice for brunch! The Eggs Federal is a perfect plate of food.

Breakfast burrito is great!

Cool place but but the food was a bit disappointing unfortunately.

My favourite breakfast spot in Toronto!

Good breakfast spot. Can be quiet when they first open. Perfect spot if you want a chill breakfast and not huge crowds.

Mediocre. Went for drinks and appetizers with friends. Service was poor. Food and drinks were OK but nothing special. Wouldn t go back.

Delicious brunch, cool ambiance, and need to highlight the freshly squeezed juices (had the most amazing tangerine one)

we had brunch here and it was so delicious, just your classic cozy brunch food done perfectly

This is my go to brunch spot. I usually get the scrambled eggs and sausage or impossible patty. Have also tried few of their breakfast sandwiches. Never been disappointed. Definitely worth it.

3.5/5 I got the egg federal. Homemade ketchup tasted unique.. but I don t know if I liked it. Overall, it is good, but not wait 30 minutes to get a table good. The hostess was a bit rude and service from the servers could be better. Recommended dishes

Our server was very responsive and helpful regarding allergies. Our party of 6 all enjoyed our dishes and drinks. Great place!

Went here for dinner last night - best sticky toffee pudding Ive ever had. Everything else was phenomenal: Brussels sprouts, smoked trout dip, orange fennel salad, steak frites. So good!!

One of the best brunch spots in the west end. But you already knew that

Food is super good!! Amazing!! However the back of the restaurant smells like garbage and made the experience kind of unpleasant. I suggest reserving a table at the front.

Lovely little restaurant. Service is always good. Food is reliably delicious. Burger does not disappoint. Parking: Plenty of Street parking

Our go to brunch spot

Love this brunch place in the area. Theres a beyond sausage and house made sausage both are very good. Love the mimosa and the fresh juice of the day. This hot sauce is on every single table. The service could be delayed sometimes if you come on weekends. No reservation first come first serve.

Great place ! Both were amazing and the staff was really nice ! Will be back

Perfect place for breakfast/brunch. Food was fantastic. Service was fantastic. No wait when we went at around 1030 because we were lucky someone else was leaving. The place was full. ------revisit------ Lowering the score. Revisited this place today and dunno why our food took so long. The table beside us had no issues getting their food literally ordered right after them. They rebated a scone and a juice of our wait. No explanation. Was starving so I swallowed everything. Hashbrowns burnt, sandwich poorly made. Will not be back.

Came here for breakfast/lunch. Had a breakfast sandwich which was served with salad and potato hash. Very tasty and fresh. Bottomless coffee

Great brunch, wait staff was super friendly and worked well together, drinks and food is yummy, would recommend!

The Federal is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. Amazing food and service. Price is reasonable too. Very good, congratulations on the space, everything is very delicious, Mara coffee

I doubt youll find a better burger in Toronto. Extremely friendly staff, fantastic brunch food, and a great back patio. Definitely one for the dont miss list!

Great place for brunch! Always busy on the weekends but the turnover is really quick. Love their cheesy scrambled eggs and potato rostis!

We came here late Sunday morning and were put on a wait list. The staff estimated it would be 15-20 minutes and said they would text us when a table was free. We took a seat just outside the front door. At the 25 minute mark we received a text indicating we were first in line. We noticed several people leaving the restaurant in the minutes that followed with no text, and one couple who arrived after us got seated as well. At the 36-min mark we finally gave up and went to the Good Fork down the street where we were quickly seated. Finally, at the 58-minute mark, as we were eating, we received the text!! A 10 min grace period is fine, but when youre almost triple the forecasted wait time, a courtesy call is expected. And if you gave away our table (as we suspect you did), it should be acknowledged. Terrible experience!

Wonderful service and excellent casual brunch spot. Had the breakfast burrito which was very filling. Came with hash browns and a side salad as well, which was a nice touch.

Went once on a date just picking something random and new for the area and it s become a very fond memory. Interior is so intimate and cozy. Staff was very friendly and the food was amazing. I love how curated the menu is. Can t wait to come back

This place used to excellent but the food wasn t great this time and it seemed like a general deterioration in quality. I got the steak frites (medium-rare) but the steak (which was quite thin) came well-done and the frites were what seemed to be McCain curly fries. I also tried my friend s macaroni and it tasted like cardboard. The server was lovely though and we had a couple kids with us so I didn t want to make the situation more chaotic for her by sending the food back, but it was really not good.

It s a good brunch spot

This place is great! Good food with good prices. Service is always on point. Highly recommend coming here for brunch.

The breakfast burrito is amazing.

I come here a lot, probably at least once a month and I ve never received poor service before this morning. It was my birthday today and my friends and I decided to go to brunch here, the server with the blonde curly hair and chicken scratch tattoos gave us attitude the entire time she was our server, and after we all paid she was turning her back to my friend and says never come back here under her breath literally what? I get that people sometimes have bad days but as someone that has worked customer service, you really shouldn t be talking poorly about the customers ESPECIALLY in-front of them? It just gives the restaurant a bad reputation, so yeah, I think this morning would have been my last time here. You re welcome, because I know that s what she asked for

I came to The Federal hoping to have a nice brunch for the friends birthday. Unfortunately that is not what we received today. The server we got was giving us attitude the whole time, I didn t let it bother me until I was told never come back here after paying. Now I m not sure if she wanted me to here that or not? I understand having a stressful bad day, I don t see the need to take it out on other people.

The food is not bad. The interior decoration and atmosphere are good, but the cleanliness needs to be improved. Especially the toilet in the basement is a bit scary.

I popped into Federal to grab a quick drink with my girlfriend before flying back to London, UK. They have steam whistle advertising so I figured they would be fine with that. Instead the guy serving me suggested I try across the road and then shared a laugh with his colleague. Ive been to a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes around the world but rarely have I been treated this badly. A real shame.

I came here for my last hour in town before flying back to London UK with my partner - a university lecturer. It was a hot day and we had walked from Kensington Market. We were really keen for one lovely last refreshment before hitting the UP station to Pearson. We took an empty seat on the patio. There were no other people around waiting for seating. Due to our limited time I suggested that rather than wait for service my partner goes into the bar to order two drinks and pay right away so we can get on our way after enjoying them. I was shocked when he exited the bar steaming angry saying we had to go. Basically we were moved on. I am an ex-Torontonian and have never been told I shouldnt be a customer at an establishment. I walked into the bar to ask the name of the place and why we had been told to leave and laughed at. The waitress made a weak excuse that there were customers waiting for our table. The place was not full inside either. When I pointed out the empty tables she told me she had numbers to text to let the imaginary customers know tables were free. She better get texting then. What a pretentious place on a street lined with genuine welcoming places. Go anywhere else.

Service very friendly plus dog friendly! Perfect breakfast

amazing place with amazing staff and service.

One of the best brunches I ve had in years. Food is perfect, service and atmosphere are great vibes.

Went here for brunch a few days ago and had a great time. They ve got a large patio out front (for the duration of the warm season) as well as a decent amount of seating indoors. Their cocktails are great (especially the Hibiscus Shandy) and the roast squash omelette was to die for. If you re looking for a brunch spot I would recommend this any day of the week!

Great brunch place.

Went for brunch. The tangerine Italian mimosa was delicious + the federal eggs Benny! The steak and eggs was over priced and they didn t ask how we wanted the steak so it was over cooked to our tasting. Overall, it is good but quite expensive for brunch. We spent about $98 (including tip).

Awesome brunch. They make their own ketchup!

Got the federal and Cubano sandwich for brunch with an oat milk latte and everything was delicious! Very cool spot for brunch, highly recommend.

Came in as vegetarian and lactose intolerant and was unable to eat anything on the menu. They soak all of their plant based meat in MILK which is the stupidest thing ive ever heard. Completely inaccessible to those with dietary restrictions and shameful for toronto standards. Dietary restrictions: Bad

Just leaving this review because the most recent is totally inaccurate. I ve been eating here for years - there s lots of veggie options, and though it s not vegan, the impossible sausage is delicious. I can totally understand the disappointment of not getting what YOU want out of an experience, but taking it out on the business in a google review is a trite bit immature ;)

The Gold Standard is the best breakfast sandwich, period. Anyone who will say otherwise is incorrect. Recommend getting it with bacon AND kale. Stays assembled if you get it to-go, not too messy. A+!

First time for us visiting here. Came recommended and now that Ive eaten here, I also recommend it. As with all places in the city, the prices have gone up and its getting harder to eat out. Which is why its nice to find a spot that also offers good food and a fun atmosphere.

Had the Cubano and a few shantys with friends and was very impressed by the food, vibe, prices and staff. Super nice people and a great menu.. Will def be back. Also love their wait list app, as you can see where you are on the list and go for a walk and come back whenever you are near the top. Great establishment

Hugely popular, very limited seating. People showing up close to noon for a weekend brunch can expect to wait over an hour. The service is not the fastest (probably due to all the take out orders they are making) but the food is very good. When presented with my omelette it looked like it came right from a photo shoot it was perfectly cooked. Unfortunately I was too hungry to take a photo. The down side to this place is other peoples conversations bounce off the hard walls and full the dining area with noise so you have to talk quite loud if you want the people across the table to hear you. Also being so tiny and with a mass of people waiting to greet in you cant just hang out here and chat after youve finished your meal, but worth the wait to get in and eat. Arrive before youre hungry if you plan to sit, or make a reservation.

Amazing brunch! One of my favorites!!

Relaxed and cozy comfort food

My friend and I stumbled upon this place, looking for somewhere to eat on Dundas and were so happy we did! The atmosphere is really cozy and inviting, cocktails and wine list were on point, and the menu had tons of great options we had trouble choosing from. Would definitely come back if Im in the area! Vegetarian options: Lots of options!

Enjoyed the restaurant and the food at The Federal! Service was great too. However, I m giving it 3 stars as there were only 2 sockets on the tables, and I couldn t find a spot to use my computer. More power outlets would be a nice addition!

Our favourite breakfast spot ever.

Only walk ins.

They were super busy when we came for brunch but were glad we waited. Service was pretty fast and friendly, and I liked their cubano. Would come back for sure.

Very nice food and company

Delicious burger! Very nice place for a quick lunch.

Very popular and tasty brunch spot. I enjoy the Eggs Federal and their Caesars. Service has always been good. Scones are also a great value for the money.

The Federal is a local go to spot for us. The Gold standard with bacon or Kale is delicious! We already get the rosti and side salad to go with it as it really completes the meal. Great coffee and cappuccinos every time. I also love the lunch options. The chicken curry sandwich and the Kale Caesar are exceptionally tasty. The Federal gets two thumbs up from this guy.

Delicious breakfast food, Ive had both the gold standard sandwich and the breakfast burrito. Im not usually a fan of breakfast burritos but this was excellent. Really great salad. You need to ask for the rosti to be cooked well done or it will sometimes come a bit undercooked in the centre. The service was really bad though. We had to ask to be served once we were seated, and it took forever for anything to come out.

Great brunch vibe. Great local coffee, and I want to come back for the creative Ceaser. Fun personalized service. Yum, great find on Dundas. Definitely a gem. Cubano is pictured.

Such a great spot. We always love going here & getting the burgers. Great food, great service, happy vibes.

OMG! This is the best spot for breakfast in Toronto!!!! So delicious and amazing prices. Customer service is also a big plus. Friendly people and incredible food :) I would definitely recommend it.

Cool little bistro with great atmosphere and really good food.

I came here with high expectation from reading the review.... However the food was disappointing. I ordered a waffle. It came out too dry and cold. There were only 3 slices of tiny strawberry. The syrup was so average and served on a plastic container. Disappointed.

My daughter came in from Vancouver and both me and her are the restaurant industry for many years Service was excellent, Atmosphere was awesome, food wasnt was that good ....over cooked eggs

Loved this place! Such cute decor and plants! front window seats great for people watching. Food was excellent. Had the breakfast sandwich with kale and it was delicious. Potato hash a nice surprise! Spicy tomato soup was excellent too.

The gold standard is the best breakfast sand which I have had in my life.

Best sausage Ive ever had. Kind of like the French toast of sausage. I dont know what they do to it, but its right

Love the food, the people and the bottomless coffee :)

We randomly found this place when searching for a breakfast spot. Glad we came across it. The coffee was dynamite, and we tried the Waffles and cuban sandwich. The Waffles werent my favourite but they came with a delicious flavoured cream, and the Cuban sandwich was an awesome spin on a breakfast sandwich.

Fantastic spot I have a very nice breakfast/Brunch here. The food is good, the vibe is good, the staffs are good. I like so much the wine rack - thank you so much for the information. I will definitely come back again

Cozy spot with a nice atmosphere. Everything about their breakfast was great. A rare instance where I would actually recommend getting the juice.

Amazing food and wine selection!!

4 stars because the item included avocado in the menu but the plate did not have any avocado. I dont know what happened there. Good food and ambience. Fair pricing.

What a funky delight! Excellent kitchen. Warm and relaxing vibe. Good service. A high quality, casual spot to enjoy, be well-fed, well-watered at a reasonable cost!

A delectable spot for brunch in Toronto! I was not expecting such a great experience from The Federal! I was just looking for a brunch and here the Federal was. The Federal breakfast was all I could have want from brunch and more! It had a savoury yet slightly sweet eggs benny and a refreshing arugula salad on the side. Additionally, the waffle was delicious! It was sweet, soft and not overwhelming at all.

Small place with bland food, they seem understaffed. Do not recommend.

Food was great, service absolute trash. Waited 20 minutes for our bill while the server went inside to do shots with friends, she then came outside and kicked a woman out of her table because it was reserved and then sat her friends at that table. Absolute shade.

Always a nice, chill time -mid afternoon in a Friday, the pace is relaxed, the energy is inviting. Razzy (our server) was the absolute sweetest, really made us feel so at home and taken care of.

A Toronto brunch staple. Nice people, yummy food.

Delicious food and great prices!

Terrible customer service.

Delicious breakfast spot with great prices. The scrambled eggs with avo is heaven. Wasn t a huge fan of the waffles as they were a bit overdone but would certainly come back for the savoury fruit. The strawberry rhubarb lemonade was also to die for. Friendly service, great covered back patio + seating out front.

Food was amazing, server was cool.

Had the Cubano which included a small arugala salad and hash brown. The Cubano was excellent, better than la cubanas, although it wasnt traditional. The pork was very tender and succulent still, while in other cubanos, its usually dry. I Liked the avacado in the sandwich to add some more creamy texture. The hashbrown was perfectly done, and the homemade ketchup was excellent. Overall, a really great lunch. Expensive, but it was good enough that I dont want to take a star off for it.

Lovely staff. Interesting red rosé wine. Amazing curry chicken sandwich. Eating outside on Dundas is loud but enjoyable people watching. Id go back to try more things on the menu.

Yummy tasty food. Great service. Good prices .

Good food, good service, good atmosphere!!

Good Toronto pub fare dispensary

I had their Eggs Federal last week. It was delicious and was served super quickly! Unlike a lot of Toronto restaurants, this place serves generous portions at an affordable price. Ill be back for sure!

Great breakfast!

One of our reliable brunch spots. Great for a breakfast sammy or burger for brunch. Very reasonable prices. You might wait a bit on the weekend if you re there at noon

Went for Sunday brunch. Great food, super tasty, and pretty reasonably priced. Serving sizes were a little small for me though. If Im going for brunch I normally want to eat big, so that was a bit disappointing, but its not a huge complaint. Their bottomless coffee was actually pretty good too, much better than the typical breakfast/brunch restaurant.

Came here on a Sunday morning and luckily didn t have to wait in line. We ordered the Cubano and the Eggs Federal. The bread was toasted to the perfect level of crispiness and mushroom cream paired nicely with the poached eggs. I would recommend ordering both! I also really enjoyed the habanero pepper sauce they offered on the table. Coffee was surprisingly good and our waiter was very friendly and attentive.

Brunch, brunch, brunch! If youre a fan of brunch, this is definitely a place to check out. Amazing in the summer with their patio.

4.5/5 Yum. Love this place! Their food is so flavourful including their home made ketchup. They don t take reservations so beware! We visited at around 2pm on a Sunday. There was a bit of a wait so we left our name on their wait list and walked around the area for about 30 mins until a table was ready. Will be back!

Love this spot to grab breakfast, coffee and a cheeky glass of wine.

Poor customer service. Waitress was checking out her phone and talking with colleagues, I waved and waited too long to get my bill, ended up paying at the counter myself.

If I could give more than five stars, I would. We were told it was a 45-minute wait before we got a table. Not only was the table ready, but the server was ready to take our order as we walked in. They were extremely busy, but their service didn t falter one bit. We had the eggs federal and the potato Rossi it came with was the best tasting potato I ve had. It was soft, flavourful, and complimented the eggs. If I m around that part of town, I wouldn t go anywhere else but there for food.

Great food in a small little spot.