Toronto’s best afternoon tea experiences

Dear reader,

Pre-pandemic I tried taking my mom to the Library Bar for one of their famous Birdbath martinis. It was a Saturday, though, and unbeknownst to me at the time, the hotel’s cocktail lounge turned into a tea parlour on weekends. Finger sandwiches and loose leaf were on the menu—giant martinis were not. So we left. (Don’t think me heartless for not splurging on the service. It was all booked up and we were in the mood for something stronger than Earl Grey.) I’ve held an irrational grudge against afternoon tea ever since.

But it appears I’m the only one who feels this way, because our list of the city’s best afternoon tea experiences is consistently clicked on year-round—and it goes supernova in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. So, with May 12 fast approaching, we updated our roundup of the best classic (crustless sandwiches and traditional petit fours on tiered trays), avant-garde (little trompe-l'œil confections that look like cosmetics but taste like heaven) and boozy (cocktail-filled teapots) services.

Also in this week’s newsletter: a man on a mission to get the City of Toronto to adopt a vegan diet, and a one-woman Italian bakery that specializes in focaccia.

Whether you’re an Anglophile, a Bridgerton devotee or just a lover of loose-leaf, afternoon tea is the quintessential weekend indulgence. And there’s no shortage of Toronto hotels, restaurants and tea shops offering feasts of finger sandwiches, petit fours and—for when orange pekoe isn’t enough—flutes of bubbly. Here (just in time to make Mother’s Day reservations), 13 of the city’s most splendid tea services.

Our city’s restaurants are doubling down on steak and our vegan restaurants are closing. It’s not just an us thing, either—a popular plant-based spot in Los Angeles is starting to serve animal-based products. But, despite the resurgence of unabashed carnivorism, a local nuclear analyst is petitioning the City of Toronto to go meat-free.

Katia Bruno started selling her homemade focaccia Barese—a chewier, topping-heavy version of the Italian bread—when she still was working full time at Famiglia Baldassarre, the Geary Avenue spot with a cult following for its fresh pasta. After a bit of a bumpy start, demand skyrocketed. To keep up with orders, she had to turn her side hustle into a full-time job—but she still only cranks out 20 focaccia a week, so getting your hands on one of Panificio Bruno’s tomato- and potato-stuffed rounds is a win.

In the latest issue: the perilous lives of international students. Plus, the professor, the caregiver and the case of the missing $30 million; a Q&A with drag legend Priyanka; the best secret supper clubs; and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.