Portland Variety

Spectacular brunch, the Huevos con Chorizo excite me sexually. The staff are absolutely phenomenal, so helpful and friendly. I’ve never been disappointed here!

Went there yesterday for brunch.
First of all, I cannot believe how a brunch place can be so crowded and loud on a Sunday morning… Totally destroyed my peaceful mood.
My friend and I were seated quickly, but when led to the seat, I wasn’t even able to make out our tiny table amongst all the people and winter jackets.
The server took our juice order and didn’t come back for our brunch order for another 5 min. I ordered the hazelnut french toast which was actually yummy, and my friend ordered the lemon pancakes which was also flavourful.
Unfortunately we had to yell in order for the other to hear the entire meal. I would recommend going with a larger group of people just because the sheer volume of 6 people talking will override that of 2 people. Food is great, but service is terrible and ambience is loud. If you prefer a quaint brunch, don’t go.

The place was pack for brunch. The hostess did a great job to start the vibe. She had every reason to not great you with a smile due to a woman asking her every 2 min if her table was ready yet.
The great staff continued once we sat down with a polite and upbeat waiter.
We ordered the huevos and beans (amazing) & attempted to order the pancakes but they had no more batter??? How do you run out of batter?! So I went with the recommendations of the french toast. Must say I was disappointed they didn’t have the pancakes but the French toast was fluffy and cooked to perfection.
We will definitely be back. I hope to enjoy the pancakes.

Let me add my voice to the throng. Pancakes = excellent. Rarely do brunch places do something different with pancakes, but these lemon ricotta ones with blueberry compote were great. Sweet, and not overpoweringly fruity, the ricotta cuts the tartness. Real maple syrup also.
My dining companion had the fried eggs bravas, which were not bad. Definitely not a classic patatas bravas (more tomato than creamy/​spicy sauce). Not sure I’d order this one again though.
The dining room is bright and airy, a pleasant space on a Sunday morning. A solid choice and I’d definitely go back.

I came here on a rainy, windy, cloudy Toronto day. I got soaked but it was worth it — Portland Variety was a delight. It’s a really beautiful, comfy, pleasant place. I came here for lunch on a biz meeting and ordered a beer to start (priorities!), an arugula salad and flank steak sandwich, and finished it with an espresso. Everything came smoothly and in a timely manner from our friendly server. The food was very tasty and quite filling. I’m a fan, this place is nice.

Came here for brunch on Christmas Eve, unfortunately it was a weekday so they were serving from their lunch menu. The décor is very pretty and the floor to ceiling windows created a great, warm atmosphere.
Food — We had the Roasted Flank Steak Sandwich, Ricotta Gnocchi and Beef Carpaccio to share. The food was good but it was on the salty side. Beignets for dessert were great to finish the meal.
Service — We made a reservation for 11:30, and was one of the first people there for the lunch service. As the place filled up, service did get spotty but we were having a good time and the atmosphere was nice so we didn’t notice it as much. Overall, the food wasn’t spectacular for the price but the ambiance and décor really pulled it all together.

I had a good meal at Portland Variety but it did not wow me at any rate. I would return but I would rather try other places on my list before a return visit is in order…
I ordered the following:
Sticky Lamb Ribs [harissa & maple glaze, spicy peanut brittle]
— This was the best item on the table. I really liked these ribs but you only getfour per order and they are supper gamey (beware for those who don’t like that sort of thing)
Piri Piri Fried Hen [hot honey glaze]
— This was more like deep fried poultry with sweet & sour sauce — not spicy at all, not really piri piri and a little disappointing
Nikkei Ceviche [striped bass, aji de maracuya, persimmons, taro chips]
— Not bad, a little high on the price point for the portions served. We were told it was for two, but I could have eaten this dish as an app on my own
Conclusion: Not a place to spend a dinner, but there are better places out there. Although, I’ll have to admit the service was top notch. It definitely improved the dining experience.

Saw a lot of good Pinterest style pictures online of this place and it attracts my friend and I to check this place out. Located in Fashion District of King Street, the upscale aesthetics and friendly servers make this an excellent place for business lunches.
Came here for lunch and the food is amazing. We ordered the AAA Ribeye Steak sourdough sandwich with caramelized onion, and blue cheese. The steak is definitely AAA as the meat was tender and juicy. Though the onion and blue cheese sounds like simple garnish it truly brought out the flavour of the steak and complimented the taste of the sourdough bread. Accompanied with the Warm Mushroom Arugula Salad it was a delicious and balanced meal of luscious meat, plenty of carbs, and a fresh bed of vegetables. Also, their cocktails are also truly delightful.

This place indeed is a Mecca for hipsters and gourmet delicious food. The ambiance is refreshing and the music is artsy Fartsy :-)
I ordered their Black Kale salad for $ 11.00. It had the right amount of goat cheese, dressing, and hazelnuts… it was so tasty and intoxicating it took my brain on a roller coaster ride!
I also ordered their jasmine green tea, which had the right amount of steam, flavour, and aroma to bring my brain right back from my Kale roller coaster ride into enjoying the upbeat King West vibe!
Portland Variety from now will always be my One and only Kale Crush :-D

wasn’t so impressed with this place.
came here after the CN Tower Climb because it was on my way to the car and I felt like I was starred down in disgust because I wasn’t «dressed nice»
the service was alright, got our coffee refills as we requested and or order was right but it seemed as though the waitress had no desire to make small talk.
the food was decent, my friends Mexican bowl looked good. My eggs Benny wasn’t great. the eggs weren’t soft as requested and the hollandaise sauce was too tarty for my pallet.
definitely not a place in eager to want to return too.

Food: ⁸⁄₁₀ — Value: ⁶⁄₁₀ — Service: ⁶⁄₁₀ — Ambiance/​Décor: ⁹⁄₁₀
The place is nice and gets busy quick. Brunch service starts at 10:00am and if you get there between 10 – 10:30, you’ll definitely be able to get a seat. The atmosphere is nice, but the service was very slow for ordering and getting the bill.
Food is good, but the portions are too small. Their dishes are very simple and there’s not much elevation to it. My eggs benedict ($ 14) was no frills regular eggs benedict in a croissant. It tasted great, but it is definitely not enough as a single portion, especially under the guise of «brunch» in place of breakfast and lunch.
My friends had the huevos with smoked tomato, refried beans, chorizo, cheese, guacamole, salsa ($ 14), which looked small, but tasted pretty good, and the eggplant byaldi with lemon yogurt, poached eggs, and smoked paprika ($ 12), which was far too acidic; my friend didn’t finish the eggplant dish.
We also shared a pastry platter, which was a great deal at $ 10. It came with a chocolate croissant, chocolate chip cookie, some type of tart thing with custard inside, and a moist muffiny chocolate cake thing. All four things were delicious and a great way to end the brunch. If you come here, I’d highly recommend this because you are not going to be full on just the main dishes.

I freakin’ love Portland Variety. Great food, gorgeous décor and sweet staff.
First off, the décor is one of the prettiest in Toronto (in my opinion). Think marble counters, a mix of wood & marble top tables, a skylight, and whimsical chalkboard drawings. It’s airy looking but still cozy feeling.
At the front of house, they have a great variety of tasty takeaway baked goods (cookies, croissants, etc) and readymade food (yogurt, sandwiches, salads, etc) & coffee drinks. Their espresso is one of my favourites in the city — I usually order a latte. Also, points for having decaf! If you get one thing from Portland Variety, make it a chocolate chip cookie. You will have dreams about it later on and may struggle to contain your foodgasm in public (I speak from experience).
As far as breakfast goes, I’ve had the bacon egg cheddar croissant and the breakfast burrito with egg, monterey jack, homemade chorizo & salsa. Both were fantastic. The bacon egg cheddar croissant is buttery, flaky, fluffy. basically everything I’ve dreamed of a croissant sandwich being. If you’re looking for something with a little kick, I recommend going for the breakfast burrito.
Brunch service doesn’t start until 11 am, but you can order from the café at the front and eat in the back before then.
I’ll definitely be popping by Portland Variety for brunch and dinner & cocktails in the very near future.

Extremely pleased coming here for Sunday brunch. The wait was about 20 mins but there’s seating in front. The décor is clean and the space is well lit with a small skylight at the center.
I was torn between whether to go for a savory or sweet option so I finally settled for the lemon ricotta pancakes and a side of smoked juniper bacon. The pancakes come in a stack of three with cream cheese mousse on top and a berry compote. It was divine and so filling. Bacon was always going to be a safe option. The Rosebud Sweet Tea cocktail was light and tart. A good one for the summer or those who enjoy citrus flavors.

Coffee is really good, You might have to wait for. While before getting a table but the waiting area is nice! Service is good and waiters are friendly, food doesnt take super long to be ready even when it is busy.
Had the avocado on toast with eggs, perfect combo!
Enjoy!

Visited Toronto for the first time and went with a large group. The service was amazing, all of the hosts were very straight up with their recommendations! Love that. We tried a whole bunch off the brunch menu, the huevos were the best but everything was amazing too! We tried about 10 different dishes and no one was a disappointed.
Also, the drinks are bomb. We had the Cesar and mimosas, all super tasty.
Totally recommend this place for brunch for anyone visiting Toronto :)

I wanted to go to Portland Variety for quite some time — mainly because of all the tempting Instagram photos that I keep seeing on my feed — the photos of their European style brunch items, their décor and the mural of Kate Moss (located behind the restaurant) were all enough to convince me to give Portland a shot.
I came in rather late today so brunch wasn’t an appropriate meal. I ended up getting an in between meal of the hippie salad along with an iced vanilla latte. Both the salad and latte were delicious! I especially enjoyed the tahini vinaigrette on the salad and the vanilla latte was very refreshing.
The ambiance and décor is perfect — I love the geometric lamps and dish ware! The front of the restaurant is very charming with various baked goods and pastries. I also like the incorporation of the open kitchen.
Overall, the interior design of Portland Variety is very sophisticated, very chic, and very European — basically everything that they represent in their menu. Staff were friendly and accommodating. The only complaint that I have about PV is the priciness. I ended up paying $ 20 for just the salad and latte together. Despite the somewhat high prices, I’m definitely down for coming here again, but next time, for their famous brunches!

I came here for brunch on a rainy day (which is too bad, because I would’ve loved the patio). It was quite busy on a Sunday morning, but luckily for us, we didn’t wait too long to be seated. I liked the décor — typical King West fancy with a dash of hipster charm. The plates and cups were adorable and reminded me of something I could buy from Anthropologie.
I had the smashed avocado toast with sourdough and scrambled eggs. I am crazy for the whole avocado toast trend and this one was delicious, although something tells me that it would taste even better if it came with a few slabs of bacon on top. A tiny fruit salad is also included, which is a nice touch.
My bf had the eggs benedict with ham on a croissant. Again, this was accompanied by a small fruit salad. The eggs benny was good, although nothing to write home about. It’s one of the less unique items on the brunch menu.
I find that the portions here are quite small — which I don’t mind that much but I can see how some people wouldn’t be full. I was tempted to order a pastry basket to top off my brunch (but resisted). A couple of other things on the menu also caught my eye (like the hazelnut praline french toast… which sounds absolutely heavenly), so I think I will be back to try some other dishes on a sunny day!

I love this place! I have been in a number of times and am finally getting around to writing my review, so this will cover a few of my visits.
I was actually at a nearby restaurant on Portland having lunch and had finished up and was heading south, when I realized that I needed caffeine! I saw Portland Variety on the southwest corner of King and Portland so decided to give it a try. I had intended on just a cappuccino but ended up having an almond pastry. The cappuccino was great, and of course the foam art was spot on… but man… the almond pastry!!! Lots of butter in that bad boy for sure, but it was sooo good! I caught a glimpse of the cocktail menu as well and knew I would be back.
My next visit (s) were over lunch and I have been lucky to sample some of the cocktails. All of the bartenders have been very pleasant and talkative, which in my opinion is part of the experience. I have sampled an old fashioned, a last word, and a couple of the custom cocktails including the Kentucky trail and tequila bong, which each use smoke in their prep. For food I usually stick to the warm mushroom arugula salad and add the fish crudo, which makes for an excellent combination.

We decided to check out Portland Variety for drinks and tapas this weekend. My boyfriend heard good things from a friend so we decided to give it a try.
Upon arrival, the place had a few occupied tables but the waitress said we had to sit at the bar because of reservations an hour later.
I ordered the Tequila Bong which was quite good, but even more fun to watch them make. They fill a bong-​like glass with the drink and then fill the rest with smoke from a little machine. The smoke became infused with the liquid as he poured it out into my glass.
We ordered the beef carpaccio and the marrow. My boyfriend was a bit surprised by the former as he didn’t realize it would be thin slices of raw meat, on the other hand, I was quite excited for it! The salsa they put on top of it was amazing. I could have ordered another plate.
The marrow was new to both of us so we dont have much to compare it to. We both enjoyed it but I found there could have been more.
For both of us to have a drink and 2 appetizers cost about $ 35 a person so it is quite expensive. You need to expect that on King West but it would have been nice to order one more thing to completely satisfy us.
The only thing that really bothered us at the end was the amount of tables that were still empty when we left. Sitting at the bar was not truly necessary at all. All and all, we were eating sharable meals and when you do get to sit at the bar, you get to experience the lovely smells that come from the concoctions that are being created behind it. Smoke, sugar, fruit, it was a wonderful experience none the less.

This review is for the brunch.
The place is elegant and hip. It’s quite popular for brunch. Even the bar is quite busy with patrons sipping mimosa and Caesar.
The food is good. The huervos with chorizo, baked beans and cheese was very tasty. It had a nice light heat. The ricotta pancakes are exceptionally moist and delicious. The omelette with mushroom was a little lacklustre.
The elegant linen napkins and nice chinaware adds to the charm. The service is very friendly. My only complaints are that the portions are small and they don’t take reservations for brunch.