Runaway Cafe

What is Runaway Cafe? Located at 102 Lakeshore Avenue on Ward's Island within the Toronto Islands, Runaway Cafe is a delightful outdoor café operating out of a vintage, eye-catching retro pink Airstream trailer. Positioned next to The Riviera Ward's Island Kitchen, the cafe offers a tranquil garden oasis under leafy willow trees where island day-trippers, beachgoers, and island residents gather for quality espresso, iced refreshers, and scratch-baked goods in an idyllic seaside community setting.

Runaway Cafe Menu & What to Order The chalkboard menu focuses on scratch baking and refreshing beverages designed for warm island strolls. The headlining specialty is the house-baked Wild Blueberry Scone—served warm with a crumbly exterior and bursting with tart wild Canadian blueberries. Morning and afternoon visitors regularly order specialty coffees made with locally roasted espresso beans, including rich iced maple oat milk lattes and slow-steeped cold brew finished with vanilla sweet cream. For savory lunch fare, grab a warm pressed baguette layered with artisanal ham and gruyère cheese, accompanied by freshly squeezed lemonade infused with garden mint.

Know Before You Go Runaway Cafe operates seasonally from late spring through early autumn, with weekday hours from noon to 7:00 p.m. and weekend hours extending until 10:00 p.m. Weather can affect island operations, so checking their social channels on rainy days is advised. Reaching the cafe requires boarding the Ward's Island Ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street; upon disembarking at Ward's Island dock, enjoy a scenic six-minute walk through the quaint cottage community to Lakeshore Avenue.