El Cafetal Restaurant & Bakery

Sadly this place is now closed. I used to go there for the tortilla breakfast which was reasonably priced, spicy and delicious!

This restaurant brought back memories of South America!
It is a neighborhood spot to grab a simple meal.
For breakfast, I ordered the Columbian Mixto breakfast.
It was steak with a fried egg on rice+bean with a salad ($ 10).
Overall, I liked my meal and it was the perfect amount of food.
My friend had the fried seafood special and there was a lot of food!
I thought it was neat that you can get Inca Cola and chicha morada (purpole corn drink) here!
They had a small selection of desserts and the Tres Leche cake was selling fast! I ordered a piece to take home. It was so moist and sweet.
I may have to come back to try their entrees or more traditional pastries. :)

Took a totally spontaneous spot in here for lunch last week, and I enjoyed my meal! I had a Mexican breakfast option, so it wasn’t anything incredibly interesting, but it was tasty and flavourful. Really tasted fresh, too. They have a wide selection of baked goods in the front, too! The only thing that bothered me about my experience here is that the food was brought out at different times for my friend and I. Other than that, friendly and authentic restaurant that I would visit again! :)

This should be a pilgrimage for every foodie in town. Authentic Peruvian, Colombian and for the less adventurous — Mexican. Try the ceviche, aji de gallina, and tortilla soup. All made fresh. Save room for desert.

Best hot chocolate in Toronto!
We came for the all-​day breakfast, which is excellent. We both had Chillaquiles Verdes, my partner with steak. We both love spicy food, and even though the Verdes is the milder of the sauces, it has real heat to it. Good for us, maybe a bit scary for those who can’t tolerate spicy food. The steak on my partner’s plate was excellent –tender and flavourful, cooked to perfection; I’ll definitely add that when I go back. The green sauce was excellent — tangy and spicy, but still flavourful; the tortilla chips were freshly fried and crispy.
But, oh, the hot chocolate: smooth and creamy without compare! Definitely my new go-​to place for hot chocolate!
The ambiance is warm and inviting, and the service very friendly. We didn’t dare try the baked goods we were so stuffed, but we’ll be back to try them. We did take home tamales, which were excellent when steamed up.
We’ll definitely be back for breakfast, hot chocolate, tamales! And eager to try the pastries as well!

very warm and friendly service
the restaurant /​bakery offers a selection of dishes from 3 countries!: columbia, peru and mexico.
that day we tried a couple of popular peruvian dishes they were different but nothing i’d order again.
the highlight though was the warm to the touch golden globes of almojabanas — a columbian cheese filled bread (see pic) i’d stop in for this anytime :)

I have to confess, I didn’t know what to expect from this unassuming restaurant. My friend that lives in the neighbourhood suggested that we go from brunch. It was super cheap, really good and filling. I still wasn’t hungry when dinner rolled around.
My photos don’t do the food justice, it really was yummy.
**If you are in the neighbourhood and looking for for brunch, check it out. They also have a few bakery items that are gluten free**

A few weeks ago, my breakfast hombres and I walked by this place after eating at the Sunnyside Grill (
) a little west, and decided to add it to our «Spoon Tour». We visit a different greasy spoon — or a place that at least has a «greasy spoon”-style breakfast — each week, and decided to add El Cafetal to the list to add some variety. It didn’t fit our exact specifications, but they had breakfast at a good price, so we just imagined that we were at a greasy spoon in Mexico or Columbia.
One friend and I each had the «Chilaquiles Rojos» which were crispy corn tortilla chips served with fried beans, with red pepper hot sauce — we asked for spicy — fresh cheese and sour cream, him the steak version, and mine «plain» (no meat). Chicken was another option. It came with a tiny salad. When covered with the sauce, the «crispy» chips absorb the sauce, lose their crisp but gain a lot of flavour.
My other friend had the Huevos Rancheros (fried eggs served on a soft corn tortilla covered with red pepper hot sauce. It was served with rice and beans.
The food was very tasty and a nice change from the standard North American breakfast special. The service was friendly. A large cup of coffee was 1.50, with no free refills. It was better than at most greasy spoons. I finished the meal with what our waitress called a «sugar cookie», which was very much like a thin shortbread cookie. It was delicious.
We all agreed it would be worth a return visit… perhaps for lunch!

If you’re looking for a good Mexican/​Colombian restaurant at good prices, this is it! I went here with some friends for a late night meal. It was really good. I had the dinner plate with the chicharron, and avocado. Sorry can’t remember the name, but it was good… mmmmm! p. s. they also sell beer and baked goods… (which go great with your morning coffee!)

Simple but well-​done Colombian and Mexican fare. He’s Colombian, she’s Mexican (or is it the other way around?), and the two countries are equally represented on the menu. A friend who spent several years in Colombia assures me that the Colombian items are very authentic. We really enjoyed the food and desserts, and the pricing is reasonable. They need to work a little bit on décor and ambience, but the service is friendly. Good spot to have right around the corner from us! :)