The Depanneur

Coffee was nice they have almond milk which is great. i ordered the vegan meal. Besides being disgusting looking the taste was even worse. My stomach hurts after only a couple bites because i simply couldnt eat it.

I was there tonight for the one-​pot dinner. 9 $ for green Thai curry, and a red curry with sweet potatoes. The second was amazing. I could have eaten seconds and thirds.
Len also made, on the spot, a maple lemonade that was a perfect sweet and tart counterpart to the spice.
At 6:15 it was getting busy. Maybe a little trendy but not pretentious in the least.
A great idea and lovely setting. He’s done wonders with a space that looked like it should have been condemned. Now it’s white and brick, clean, cheerful, eclectic.
Will return for sure for the warm welcome and fantastic food.
(

Came for the Thick Cut Brunch. They rent out The Depanneur on weekends to serve brunch for its customers. They have a Mix and Match option where you get to choose from a list of breakfast items that range from $ 3 – 5. I definitely recommend the thick cut bacon, which is their signature item. All the ingredients feel really fresh and homemade. Might be because they’re making it right behind you as the kitchen is basically part of the seating area. The place is quite small, but has fun vibes. The service is very good too as everyone there is very friendly and welcoming.

«A place where interesting food things happen». This is how the depanneur describes itself, and it’s so very true. I have to give this place 5 stars because it stands for so much — in terms of involving the community in all things food, creating a community, and sharing of knowledge. There’s something different going on here every day, and it brings people together to learn new things, from how to make vegan cheese, to discussions about the food movement and where it’s at. I haven’t come across another place in Toronto like this, and I really do have to admire Len Senator and his wife for creating this beautiful, magical space.
Not to mention, the food was delicious at the last event I attended. We had Moroccan tagine with couscous, lentil soup, carrot salad, orange yogurt dessert. It feels like you’re in Len’s home, and he’s cooking for you. The food tastes so real and I appreciate how the food isn’t overly seasoned.

I’ve returned twice this weekend for their amazing brunch. Delicious food. Free run eggs (important to me) lovely staff and cool atmosphere! I highly recommend!

Still not clear on the relationship between thick cut brunch and le depanneur, but what a quaint little space. Felt like I was in my friends living room. Ordered the works – a pretty standard brunch option of eggs, bacon, potatoes and salad, but also got a side of the salmon belly. The salmon belly and the thick cut bacon were the standouts by a long shot. I plan to come back for one of their creative dinner programs or cooking classes!

I’m writing this review out of nostalgia. I haven’t been to The Dep for at least nine months. I may be in the nabe less, I may be trying to save money, but I know that they’re having amazing pay what you can (after 10 pm, is it?) drop in dinners, and comforting delicious weekend brunches, so I need to get back here.
Scandinavian-​style communal seating, so don’t expect much privacy. On the other hand between the rustic tables, the steamed-​up windows in winter and the bowls of steaming goodness, it’s easy to imagine you’re Sigrid Undset.
Always vegetarian options, always fabulous food. One of those secrets that make me glad I live in TO.

My brain is still buzzing from the Turkish dessert of tahini halva and lemon October 1^st! Depanneur is brilliant.

This place was so unique and so yummy! We each ordered one of their specials that day which consisted of yummy pancakes with amazing toppings.
Would definitely go back for their specials!

The «Dep» is an amazing restaurant. No two nights’ menus are the same, but everything served is high quality and delicious.
Brunch is served every weekend. I recommend the French toast or the daily specials that they had (I just had house made sausage, bacon, fried egg, greens, and crème fraîche served on buckwheat pancakes — yum!).
Dinners vary every night depending on the chef. I’ve been over 6 times now and have never had a disappointing meal. They’re typically accommodating to dietary restrictions — in fact one of my favourite meals here was a vegan «meatloaf»
I can’t recommend this place enough! Just go!

Disclaimer: This review is based solely on the guest chef dinners that they host.
Thanks to my generous and kind roommate, I have been to 3 of these amazing dinners. Two have been with Chef Daniel Henderson (Director of Culinary Operations at Bento Sushi) for a lovely exploration into fusion sushi and one with Chef Greg Couillard for enhanced traditional Mexican food.
Each and every time, The Depanneur experience is like going to an intimate dinner with 10 or so other people who are about to be your future friend for an evening. You can expect that the person next to you to be a fascinating stranger with interesting stories to share (ex. an actor at the local Broadway or an author). Typically I don’t like having to sit next to anyone for my dinners (I’m not in a cafeteria) but this is type of relaxing family setting is likely to win anyone over.
These dinners serve some of the most creative and tasty food you’ll ever try (cornbread/​bbq sushi, lobster infuse azteca soup, etc). This venue gives top chefs the chance to try out recipes they wouldn’t normally have the chance to serve. They bring in fresh meat & veg and prepare the food in front of you. If they can, they try to bring in local farmer’s produce.
I don’t give 5 stars very often, but this place thoroughly deserves it. It’s run by people who truly understand the importance of care and creativity in food and atmosphere while dining. So please, sign up on their website and try out one of these dinners!

Super endroit !
Touristes pour une fin de semaine (1 personne de Montréal, 2 d’Espagne) J’ai trouvé ce resto grâce aux excellents avis sur Unilocal.Nous avons été plus que charmés par l’endroit ! Le staff était super sympathique, la bouffe était délicieuse!
Mon ami espagnol a dit «We can fell it’s made out of love» et je pense que ça résume très bien tout ce qui doit être dit !
Produits locaux, parfois bio !
les «bines» (fèves au lard) à l’ananas… quelle surprise de voir qu’elles étaient vegan, puisqu’elles étaient réellement succulentes !!!
Semblerait que la fritata était délicieuse aussi…
Nous y sommes allés bruncher le dimanche ;)
On aime aussi le concept de garder «l’essence» du dépanneur qu’était le local autrefois !!!
Excellent ambiance !
Chouette décor !
Great staff!
Bonne bouffe!
Bons prix !
on a adoré !!!
Lorsque je reviendrai à Toronto, je vais définitivement retourner à cet endroit !
Longue vie au Dépanneur!

Delicious food, fun atmosphere, friendly service and filling a bit of a breakfast/​brunch void in this area.
It’s a small place, with a corner store make-​up matching it’s name. This paired with a bright interior and fresh flowers on the communal tables (more solitary seating along the windows) this place is among the most whimsical places I’ve been to in a while.
In winter the windows fog up and the condensation freezes … literally frosted windows. It adds to the atmosphere.
I don’t think there could be a legitimate complaint about the food options — not tons of choices, but enough to choose from for people with any type of food preferences or requirements. I liked the French toast cubes with yoghurt and fruit sauce. The greens came with deliciously pickled cabbages strips. My vegan friend enjoyed the grits. I tried the drip coffee (which was fine), and I think they have some fancier coffee options as well.
Despite all the thumbs up above, still no 5 stars, because:
Maybe it’s worse in winter, when the door stays closed, but I noticed a distinct grease smell in my hair and clothes after each of the two times I’ve been here recently
I have not tried their dinner options. Hopefully soon.

I came here just after unknowingly getting a concussion and everyone was really nice to me despite my crabby attitude. (I’m sorry)
The food was really yummy and it was a fun experience to watch the chef doing their thing and even though he seemed juiced at times he didn’t yell at anyone.
Plus everything was so reasonable! Overall the guest chef and drop in dinner is a really great idea and fun to participate in.

Brunch here is awesome, and everyone here was super friendly. It was the best vibe to have a hungover brunch. They have a lot of variety on their mix and match menu. I got the frittata + baked beans and panelle and it was incredible. Plus when you check in on Unilocal you get a free coffee! All around great place and I’ll definitely be back to try everything on their brunch menu.

There are better brunch options around Toronto. I failed to find anything unique in the menu. The basics didn’t taste to par (Hey, competition is high!)
Coffee and Americano was not what it was meant to be. Grinds were expired.
Eggs and Panelle — meh
The space is interesting and has potential.

We dropped in again for weekend brunch! Not as impressed this time with the offerings… I guess their chefs and staff rotate seasonally and menus change often, not sure if we would come back for this menu which consists of mix and match breakfast items, frittata and French toast.
The chef was nice enough to take the French toast off the bill when I mentioned that it’s a tad burned on the outside.

Amazing little place with sooo much going on. This owner is doing it right. Nothing else like it in Toronto.
Different chief /​food every night. Wed. Is vegan. There is an open night mic night. New. chiefs welcome. Too many things going on to. get on this review. Just very very different then the stuffy expensive restaurants here in Toronto. We went on Sunday and the owner popped in and sat with us and chatted the whole time. Told us what it was all about and what an amazing guy he is. Giving back to. the community threw his place. You just
.check this place out. A+

So the food here is good, but the service is questionable. I don’t really want to say anything bad about a place with good food, but the total for our bill was way higher than expected. When I asked for a receipt (so I could review the charges), all the waitress did was give me a slip of paper with a total on it. Eventually I had to tell her that the bill was way higher than expected and asked her to explain it to me. She reviewed the bill on her computer, and said she «accidentally» charged us for a THIRD meal (when we had ordered two). She refunded the difference and said it was an honest mistake, but really, I don’t feel that was enough. Should we always be provided with an itemized receipt? That’s what made me mad, and feeling that this place isn’t as honest as it should be.

What a great brunch. A bit on the pricey side — we paid about CAD40 for two people — but well worth it. The omelette was three standard deviations better than the norm — which is surprising for a dish with such low variance on the delicious spectrum.
Also worth saying: the space itself is very cool. It’s just a single room with an open kitchen in the back, a couple of long tables, and a counter by the front window. It kind of feels like you’re in someone’s house (not in a bad way).

The Dep is so much more than just a café, grocery stop, and sometimes restaurant. It’s also an inspiration and reminder to gather with loved ones, congregate with kindred spirited strangers, and let someone else do the cooking at least once in a while.
By day, the large windows of the corner café makes a great place to prop yourself up on one of the bar stools solo with a French press (they don’t brew drip coffee to ensure that every cup is as fresh as can be) and a newspaper. Alternatively, you could also bring your friends and family and occupy one of the long tables in the middle. Guava cookies are baked in house weekly by a resident chef and are a must-​try.
By night, depending on what night of the week it is, the Dep plays host to drop-​in dinners; multi-​course, prix fixe, BYOB family style glutton fests; and hands-​on cooking classes. At one Rusholme Park Supper Club dinner over the summer, there was so much extra fried chicken, biscuits, and pie that everyone received a stuff-​your-​own doggy bag.
Sign up for their newsletter, open up to their endless ability to inspire you to try new things, drop in for a quiet cuppa, and make plans well in advance (many ticketed events sell out quickly) to join the Supper Club.