Picnic

Picnic is similar to the Pret a Manger style of store that you see in many European cities. There is a wall full of small, healthy, bite sized food options (i.e. green macha chia pudding, pomegranate and spinach salads). At the main counter you can order pasteries or something from the juice bar.
This is a welcome sight in the bleak, healthy food deficient underground of Toronto. It’s ten steps up from the stale pizza, hard chicken, and sucpicious sushi from the food court down the hall.
For my visit, I mentioned to the person at the main counter that it was my first visit. He gave me a gluten free cookie to celebrate!
Awesome place.

Kinda of bland but easy and fast. At times ive found the taste of salads to not be that fresh and the lettuce to be a bit stale. But there are some good options i like the protein pot and i like the set up and design. Kinda of fels like a waste of space though ibfeel like there could be more offered.
i got the macaroni and cheese hot food and it was atrocious. no taste completely bland. very disapointed and struggling to return even though its convient to my work.

I am updating my review and taking off two stars. Basically, this place is really only good for the lemongrass soup (which they now serve on Tues and Thurs). I have tried a number of salads and sandwiches and it’s just only so-​so. I often find them thin on the filling, which is understandable given the price. However, when I made my weekly visit today, I picked up a chicken and avocado sandwich, got it back to my office and it was OLD. I have eaten this sandwich many times before but today it was hard as a rock. In addition, there was no chicken. I actually should have snapped a photo, but I didn’t think of it before I slam dunked it into the trash can. Completely unacceptable.

This place started off well, and the food is good but service is starting to go down hill compared to when it opened. It’s hit and miss whether you get your rewards points and starting to get attitude when you ask for a bag. I hope they straighten this out.

They are delicious. Only thing stopping me from returning often is that it’s quite pricey. Understanding doable since they’re located in a pretty ritzy area. Ryan O smoothie is delicious and their salmon salad. Definitely a healthy treat once in awhile!

Convenient and healthy lunch options! When I want to pick up something quick, this a great spot. Lots of vegetarian options and delicious falafel salad!

If you are in the Bloor-​Yorkville area and in a rush then Picnic is a fine fast food option. Toronto is finally adopting the Pret a Manger model! This branding is a bit more playful though.
Some people are saying that Picnic is overpriced but I don’t think this point is totally fair; and I’m not just saying this given the area and the well-​heeled crowd that it serves.
For example, I had a chickpea and quinoa salad with cucumbers, feta, herbs and dressing for $ 5.25. The volume was adequate to stave off hunger and the taste and quality was fresh.

A bright and friendly spot in the bay-​bloor concourse, Picnic offers tons of fresh and healthy options for those looking for a quick snack or lunch.
I tried a BLCT sandwich and the strawberry shortcake smoothie. The almond milk base they use is a refreshing non dairy choice.
Get here early if you plan on eating in for lunch. It gets packed!

You will find me here at least a couple times a week!
I LOVE picnic.
Why? It’s healthy, delicious, quick, easy and a great price. I almost always get one of their delicious fresh salads.
They also have a cool reward program that earns you free food and a nice big picnic bench for eating your food, though most people take it to go.
Keep your eyes out, I imagine there will be more Picnic locations popping up around the city in the years to come, this business is definitely here to stay.

One of my go-​tos for lunch and sometimes, even breakfast. I was, at first, not too happy with their choices as they lacked pescetarian/​vegetarian-​friendly options (I only eat «land meat» at dinner), but am glad to see more choices now. One of my favourites is the apple and brie baguette as well as falafel salad (if I feel like something fried). They also have almond milk, which Starbucks still doesn’t have! I’m not a fan of their fruit/​granola cups with yogurt as it’s a flavoured! The fruit is sweet enough that one doesn’t need any additional sweetener!

I emailed Picnic to explain my dismay and the woman said that I would receive a $ 15 credit. I emailed her to ask how I would receive this credit, and got no response — which to be honest made me feel awkward about going and asking about it. So now that I am moving out of the city I decided to cash in my $ 15 credit. I printed my correspondence and took it with me.
There was no record of my credit and therefore I was happy that I brought the email with me. I got the wakey wakey (without banana) and the lemon juice with cayenne. The guy at the cash listened to my story and then wrote $ 15 on a business card and told me to come back another day. I told him nope, I’m never coming back and so he rang up my order and said it was fine.
I think the intention was good for the credit and making amends, but again a lot of hassle. I would say this time around my drink was delicious, but those two drinks came up to $ 14.51. It’s a bit on the pricey side.

I was in the mood for healthy food and I didn’t feel like standing in a long line at Salad Days, Salad House or Xtreme taste and I think Freshii is a rip off.
So I came here based on Amanda M’s review.
What I liked:
–Underground
–Nice clean communal table
–They have ½ sandwiches for under $ 3 so you don’t need to eat an entire sandwich
–It’s somewhat reasonable price (got a ½ sandwich and soup for $ 6.71 incl. tax)
–The chicken tortilla soup was quite good. It had a bit of kick to it.
–They are like a coffee shop, soup, salad and sandwich place in one.
What I disliked:
–It’s not as cheap as Salad House or Salad Days
–The spicy chicken sandwich (½) wasn’t spicy as all and I thought it was a bit small for a ½ sandwich.
Overall, I think this is a solid «feel good» type of place that’s cheaper than Freshii and healthier than Panera. Not a bad bet. Just don’t expect huge portions.

This basically the same model as Pret a Manger in Britain, and it’s been sorely missing in this market. They offer delicious healthy takeaway food for very reasonable prices, with lots of variety. If it were just a little closer to my office I’d eat lunch here every day!

I walked in here not knowing what to expect. I walked out with two bottles of fresh-​squeezed juice and a couple of half-​sandwiches.
I’m definitely a fan and will be coming here whenever I’m in the area and feel like a light awesome sandwich and a yummy bottle of juice!

This is probably one of the worst fast food experiences I’ve had (worse than McDonald’s). I came here after reading a blogTO article on it, thinking it was healthy but boy I was completely wrong about that. Just because a place sells fruit cups and salads does NOT make it a healthy place.
I ordered the pulled pork bowl and the dumpling bowl with quinoa. Quinoa, they said. Healthy, they implied. Not at all. The dumpling bowl had 3 layers of oil on the top and the pulled pork bowl was just as oily. I felt super uncomfortable after eating here and would not come back again.

My regular lunch spot it’s honestly the best deal on Cumberland for the food you get. The heat and run pots are my go to daily protein meals; pulled pork or Turkey served on a bed of quinoa or rice with coleslaw for 5.85…whaaaaaaaat! Ya I’m here at least once or twice a week. It’s in Cumberland terrace safe from the treacherous unpredictable weather of this city. Common eating area for quick and friendly conversations… A nice picnic break from the office.

I have walked past this place for the last month and always wanted to check it out. I was excited when my friend asked the other day to go there for lunch. I was pleased at the concept of pure healthy eating. Everything on the menu is good for you which is an excellent change from all this fast food stuff I have been surrounded with my entire life.
I ordered the quinoa with Mexican chicken on top. I was a little disappointed at the size but I guess they also go for portion control to. I think size options would benefit in a situation like this. Also what we ordered wasn’t on the menu and what was on the menu was available. From a customers stand point I found that very confusing. I also felt this place was over priced, but then again any restaurant u go to over price the healthy food and under price the heart attacks in a box.
Cool concept non the less.

Picnic is different from anything found in the concourse. It is the antithesis of the Druxy’s Deli sitting right across from it, or the bacteria-​laden tables of Holt’s Café. So in that regard, it wins!
The set up is quite communal, which seems cool/​innovative/​trendy/​makes me reminisce of Stockholm – but I’m not quite sure if I actually like it. The lack of seating really narrows it to a grab-​and-​go kind of place for me. Which is fine – who’s got time?
Pros:
–The freshly squeezed selection of juices every morning
–healthy salads
–ready to go sandwiches
–Smoothies (delicious, especially the espresso wake one, and the fact they contain kale, almond butter and almond milk). The mixed is also a favourite I heard.
–Coffee/​latte/​capuccinos etc.
–Friendly/​enthusiastic service
Con:
Selection of protein powders. If i’m paying $ 6+ for a smoothie, I don’t want classic vanilla whey powder???
Update: They apparently got a hemp powder now. Vegans rejoice.

A new, fresh looking food outlet just opened up in the underground Bloor St West concourse at roughly 60 Bloor St W. It is nearly directly across from the Druxy’s/Second Cup area of the concourse.
Anyway, they just opened up and offer up some healthy options which don’t burn your wallet as much as the Holts café. They offer soup, sandwiches, drinks, smoothies, and coffee. The lunch items are pretty standard ‘heatlhy’ fare but the smoothies are interesting. A number of them have kale as an ingredient and some have protein powder as well. The smoothie menu actually reminds me of the Whole Foods juice bar for those who have been there.
The service is super attentive given their recent opening and there is a huge communal picnic table smack dab in the middle of the space. The place was buzzing around lunch hour and from what I can tell, they also have free instore wifi. Always a plus.
I only got a smoothie this time around but I’d definitely come back and try out some of the hot and cold options here.