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1. Patria

478 King W, at Brant, 416-367-0505, patriatoronto.com. Club kings Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji follow up Weslodge with their most accomplished kitchen yet. Executive chef Stuart Cameron keeps the extensive tapas carte as authentic as possible, most notably at Sunday-only brunch. Best: to start, double espressos topped with milk foam followed by sponge-cake muffins finished with creamy olive-oil pudding shareable plates like fluffy potato frittata with garlicky romesco sauce rustic casseroles of braised cannellini beans, aged tomato and house-made chorizo octopus terrine on house-baked flatbread with aioli and more romesco wood-fired Spanish-style pizzas dressed with white anchovies, spicy piquillo peppers and Manchego cheese salads of shaved fennel, radish and red lettuce dressed with shredded Manchego and artichoke chips to finish, deep-fried churros with caramel sauce soft coffee ice cream sandwiches with nutty brittle and olive marmalade. Complete brunches for $40 per person, including, tax, tip and a cocktail. Average tapas $9. Open for brunch Sunday from 11:30 am, dinner nightly 5:30 pm to close. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNNN

2. Edulis

169 Niagara, at Wellington W, 416-703-4222, edulisrestaurant.com. After being named one of the best new restaurants of 2012 in the entire country by no less an authority than Air Canada’s En Route magazine, husband-and-wife team Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth’s west-side bistro ditches its nightly multi-course tasting menu for a proper ever-changing $40 prix fixe six-course Sunday lunch. Best: warm house-baked crusty bread spread with Stirling Creamery butter and chicken liver mousse smaller plates like smoked albacore tuna with heirloom carrots and tapenade toasts Huevos Estrellados over fried potatoes and crumbled chorizo croquetas thick with nutty béchamel coq au vin with foraged mushrooms, raw celery root julienne and chicken-fat rice watermelon-radish salad in a shallot vinaigrette caramel pudding cake with vanilla custard and strawberries. Complete lunches for $65 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Open for lunch Sunday noon to 3 pm, dinner Wednesday to Sunday 6 to 10:30. Closed Monday, Tuesday, holidays. Licensed. Access: two short steps at door, small washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNNN

3. Bristol Yard

146 Christie, at Pendrith, 647-716-6583. With its period showbiz 8 x 10s on the wall – Keith Moon, Sandie Shaw, Oscar Wilde, the Kray twins – and 60s mod soundtrack, ex-Blowup DJ Davy Love’s 20-seat luncheonette brings a proper British caff to Christie Pits. Why, he even makes his meat pies from scratch! Best: beans on toast updated as a white navy and kidney bean stew in sweet tomato sauce with crumbled Stilton cheese on thick slices of whole wheat toast the Full Monty, a massive fry-up of two eggs, house-made sausage, artisanal bacon, more beans, sautéed mushrooms, smoked home fries, grilled tomato and fried bread the Glasgow cheeseburger, Lorne sausage in sausage gravy on fried potato scones. Complete brunches for $20 per person, including tax, tip and a cuppa. Average main $12. Open for brunch Wednesday to Friday 9 am to 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Dinner Sunday 6 to 10 pm. Closed Monday, Tuesday, holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN

4. Emma’s Country Kitchen

1108 St Clair W, at Northcliffe, 416-652-3662, emmascountrykitchen.com. Ex-Stockyards head cook Rachel Pellett and partner Heather Mee parlay a successful catering business into downtown’s best new weekend brunch spot. The café’s minimal weekday lineup’s not too shabby either, most notably their exemplary retro baked goods. Best: fabulously flaky biscuits sided with blueberry-peach preserves and whipped honey butter those same biscuits as eggs Benedict with house-smoked peameal, poached eggs and a hollandaise infused with whipped cream the Hangover burger, a sage-spiked pork sausage patty dressed with local cheddar, house-cured bacon and a house-baked bun and sided with skinny thyme-flecked frites worthy of Jamie Kennedy a breakfast poutine of said terrific frites topped with bacon, cheddar, hollandaise and two poached ‘n’ deep-fried eggs. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a coffee. Average main $12. Open for weekend brunch 9 am to 3 pm. A la carte menu Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm. Closed Monday, some holidays. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN

5. White Brick Kitchen

641 Bloor W, at Euclid, 647-347-9188, thewhitebrickkitchen.com. After a stint in the pit at the Stockyards, former Beretta and Rowe Farms butcher Stephen Howell and company transform a Koreatown café into one of the best new brunch spots around. Best: to start, a $4 grapefruit mimosa made with 2 ounces of Spumanti Bambino pastry chef Haley Franklin’s buttery English muffins spread with Ontario blueberry compote mains like crisply battered southern-fried chicken with pickled jalapeño dipping sauce, local greens in a lemony vinaigrette and the inevitable fried egg vegetarian deep-fried “Scotch-ish” poached eggs over toasted baguette and cubed home fries chocolate banana bread French toast with caramelized fruit and salted caramel sides of house-cured hickory bacon to finish, house-baked blueberry scones. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a beef-bacon Caesar. Average main $12. Open for brunch Sunday 9 am to 4 pm. A la carte menu Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 10 pm. Closed Monday, holidays. Licensed. Access: short step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

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