Cafe Gigi and The Dirty Laundry

What is Cafe Gigi and The Dirty Laundry? Taking over the former Cold Tea address at 1186 Queen Street West, Cafe Gigi and The Dirty Laundry is an ambitious dual-concept venue from Toronto hospitality heavyweights Robin Goodfellow and Aldo Pescatore-Tardioli. Up front, Cafe Gigi greets morning walk-ins as a sunlit European-style espresso bar, before a hidden rear entrance gives way to The Dirty Laundry—a sprawling, dimly lit evening tavern glowing under stained-glass Tiffany lamps, vintage rugs, and a secluded open-air side patio. With green wooden booths and basement-rec-room nostalgia, the 160-seat space was specifically engineered to counter nightlife inflation without sacrificing craft.

Cafe Gigi and The Dirty Laundry Menu & What to Order Under chef Renelle Joubert, the entire food program is 100 percent gluten-free and celiac-safe while retaining all the punch of classic comfort food. Daytime visits spotlight the all-day breakfast sammy loaded with baked egg, crispy bacon, and dill chive mayo, alongside boquerones on toast and tortilla española. Come evening, table spreads center on mountainous platters of loaded nachos, roasted chicken sandwiches on gluten-free Texas toast, and saucy enchiladas. Drinks are famously capped at approachable price points, highlighted by $13 house cocktails like the agave-forward classic margarita, shareable multi-person punch bowls, and boozy banana-cream slushies.

Know Before You Go Seating operates primarily on a breezy counter-service and walk-in basis, making it ideal for low-fuss drop-ins, though weekend evenings quickly fill to capacity once local DJs take over the turntables. Cafe Gigi handles the daytime rush from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., while The Dirty Laundry takes over dinner and late-night revelry from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily. Take the 501 Queen streetcar to Dovercourt Road for door-to-door access, as street parking along Queen West is sparse.