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Food & Drink

Top 5 luxe

1. Stock

325 Bay, at Adelaide, 416-637-5550, stockrestaurant.com, @STOCKToronto

Don’t let that right-wing blowhard with the bad weave who regularly runs for the presidency of the U.S. put you off enjoying this terrific $49 all-you-can-eat Sunday spread.

Even the Donald’s ex-wives will appreciate the consummately professional service, from the warm welcome the moment the elevator opens on the 31st floor to the crew who manage the stations. And what stations they be, from the tiers of riotously fresh shrimp to the luxuriously decadent desserts.

Beyond the silver chafing dishes of bacon and scrambled eggs, find an extensive salad bar groaning with imported cheese, fruit and prosciutto alongside a DIY omelette stand. Briny oysters on the half-shell rub shoulders with cheesy macaroni and deep-dish quiche, while the unequivocal stars of the show are the outrageously rare USDA Black Angus roast beef and ex-Drake pastry chef David Chow’s dark chocolate panna cotta and lemon meringue tartlets. They throw in the million-dollar view of the downtown skyline from the terrace for free.

Sure, valet parking’s an additional 10 bucks and a stay overnight at the inn starts at $337.50. But if you’re out to impress, nothing beats Trump.

Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNNN


2. Toca

181 Wellington W, at John, 416-585-2500, tocarestaurant.com

At $79 per person, the extravagant all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet at the flagship restaurant of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is by far Toronto’s priciest. Of course, that significant dent in your wallet also includes all of the boozy mimosas and Bellinis you can pour down your neck.

But what if you don’t drink? Do you get a discount?

“We feel that the quality of our buffet more than justifies the cost, and the additional beverage service is a gift to our customers,” a manager explains.

He has a point, though the champagne’s not exactly flowing. The set-up’s also a little odd, with a seafood and omelette station next to the cheese cave by the door, a second long table of protein, veg and the inevitable eggs next to the open kitchen, and the desserts, complete with chocolate fountain, hidden away in the wine cellar, so it’s best to get the lay of the land before you start loading up plates.

And pile them high you will with shot glasses of strawberry-tomato gazpacho, grilled asparagus, lobster tails and smoked lake trout. There’s even rudimentary sushi, braised lamb shanks of Flintstonian proportions and old-school beef Wellington that even Gordon Ramsay couldn’t fault. Stay away from the skinny-crusted pizza, though.

When the astronomical bill arrives, have several more beverages for the road. You might as well. You’ve already paid for them.

Sunday 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN


3. Café Boulud

60 Yorkville, at Bay, 416-963-6000, cafeboulud.com/toronto, @CafeBouludTO

Located up a sweeping staircase just off the breathtakingly beautiful lobby of the new Four Seasons Hotel, the local franchise of multiple-Michelin-starred Daniel Boulud may not be up to his usual standard, but this casually elegant room still stands head and shoulders above many of its Hogtown competitors, most notably in the service department. Shame about the fugly art on the walls.

At Sunday brunch, choose any starter and main for only $38, about what an entrée goes for at dinner. Our next visit, we’ll avoid the $18 pastry basket, since almost everything we order comes with bread. Soft-boiled duck eggs get crisply crusted with panko over a fricassee of duck confit and tiny shimeji mushrooms. A tissue-thin Alsatian tarte flambée – alas, not on fire – arrives dressed with lardoons and nutty fromage frais, while the substantial charcuterie board shows up with slices of freshly house-baked sourdough.

Skip the duck confit hash if you’ve already ordered the crispy duck egg, and go with the coiled merguez sausage à la Tunisienne with poached eggs, wilted spinach and harissa hot sauce instead. They’re virtually the same.

Sunday 11:30 am to 3 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN


4. Splendido

88 Harbord, at Spadina, 416-929-7788, splendido.ca, @splendido_TO

The hard sell starts the second you walk through the door. Champagne all round? An entire lobe of roasted Quebec foie gras for the table, a snip at 225 bucks? Or maybe “three waves of seafood” ($185), whatever that is? Thanks, but we’ll stick with the $35 brunch prix fixe.

It begins with baskets of warm house-baked croissants and sliced crusty bread paired with Westphalia ham, manchego cheese and trout rillettes. From 10 mains, we opt for eggs Benny topped with avocado slices in Béarnaise sauce and the 8-ounce cheeseburger ‘n’ fries dressed with shredded short ribs and sweet pepper relish. The lobster roll is worth every penny of its $5 surcharge.

Service is fawning until they forget about you to shmooze the next table. How can you tell you’re surrounded by old money? They’re playing the Andrews Sisters.

Sunday 11 am to 2 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN


5. Courtyard Cafe

18 St Thomas, at Bloor, 416-971-9666, windsorarmshotel.com, @windsorarms

No survey of the local brunch scene would be complete without mention of the fabled $50 all-you-can-eat Sunday jazz brunch in the ballroom of the Windsor Arms Hotel. Sadly, it’s not all it’s made out to be.

Oh, the room’s gorgeous enough, all cathedral ceilings, neo-Greco columns and potted palms. A pianist tickles the ivories discreetly. At first glance, the spread wows. There are leafy kale salads and an okay Caesar and platters of fresh fruit. Penne gets drizzled with truffle oil, egg dishes get made to order, and pandemonium breaks out every time they refill the bowls of frozen shrimp and crab legs. Meanwhile, few go near the overly braised short ribs, Moroccan lamb with prunes or the proper hip of beef. And though nearly everyone oohs and aahs over the mountain of pastries – passion fruit cupcakes, anise crème brûlée garnished with gooseberries, artful key lime tarts – you can only stomach so much white sugar and whipped cream.

Bored uniformed servers remove dirty plates and cutlery when they get around to it. If we’d wanted to eat on an assembly line, we’d have booked a Caribbean cruise.

Sunday 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NN

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