Cafe Plenty

What is Cafe Plenty? Perched on Dundas West just west of University Avenue, Cafe Plenty is a European-inspired daytime counter founded in 2011 by owner Melissa. Taking cues from London and Parisian deli-cafes like Ottolenghi and Gail's, the long, narrow room features white-tiled accents, warm wood finishes, and glass cases piled high with scratch-made bakes and vibrant prepared foods. Seating is intimate and tailored for quick bites, featuring sunlit window counter stools and small cafe tables alongside high-turnover takeaway traffic.

Cafe Plenty Menu & What to Order Abundant, "healthy-ish" comfort food anchors the menu, balancing wholesome grain bowls and crisp seasonal salads with buttery, unapologetic pastries. The sweet potato galette—layered with roasted tubers, goat cheese, and a punchy chili-garlic oil glaze over puff pastry—is a cult favourite that never leaves the case, alongside hearty focaccia sandwiches like the eggplant caponata and the classic ham, Swiss, and dill pickle. Finish with a meticulously pulled Rufino espresso and their decadent, marshmallow-topped S'mores cookie.

Know Before You Go This is a walk-in counter-service spot that does not take reservations; expect steady lunch queues from nearby hospital staff, civil servants, and AGO visitors between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The cafe is strictly a weekday operation, closing by late afternoon and shutting down entirely on weekends. St. Patrick subway station is less than a two-minute walk away, making it an easy pit stop for morning commuters and commuters crossing the downtown core.