where jess ate

Every Sunday, the Windsor Arms (@windsorarms) offers a wonderful brunch buffet in their Courtyard Café. While they’ve offered Sunday brunch for quite some time, it’s recently been refreshed and the result is certainly worth of the splurge!

Located in Yorkville, the Windsor Arms hotel is tucked away on St. Thomas street, a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Bloor street. Upon entering the lobby of the boutique hotel, you’ll immediately notice its lovely old charm which carries through into the Courtyard Café which is located just past the lobby.

It’s a beautiful space with sky-high ceilings and an incredible amount of light. The tables are spaced out nicely and the whole place just has a very elegant feel to it. I can definitely picture it being a great setting for a wedding.

Brunch is offered every Sunday beginning at 11:00am with the last seating at 1:30pm. The price tag is undoubtedly high at $65 per person or $40 for children under 12 but it does include unlimited mimosas (and they don’t skimp on the bubbly!) and the buffet spread is quite impressive. In addition to a meat carving station and made-to-order omelette station, you can order other egg dishes (including egg bennies) from your server.

Mike and I were invited to check out their refreshed Sunday brunch and we were thoroughly impressed with what they have to offer. Here’s a look:

Bread & Pastries. Mike and I shared a croissant which was nice and flakey but the chocolate croissant was even better!

Cold Salads. I really enjoyed the cold salads they offered but if I had to choose a favourite, it would have to be their potato salad – it’s a mayo-less version which was packed full of flavour. I had to hold myself back from getting a second helping.

Seafood. The brunch spread also includes quite the seafood spread where you’ll find shrimp cocktail, cooked and smoked salmon, mussels, raw oysters, ceviches and king crab legs.

Hot Entrees. I was impressed with the presentation of the dishes that sat inside the hot plates with items individually portioned, where possible. During this brunch service, they were serving halibut, short ribs on polenta, and these delicious rectangular potato croquettes served in a tomato sauce.

Hearty Fare. In addition to the hot entrees mentioned, they also offered some tasty carbs including a nice ravioli and butter chicken with rice.

Brunch Classics. And let’s not forget about the brunch classics including sausages, pancakes and omelettes. The highlight for me was the French toast which was encrusted in cornflakes which gave it a nice crunch.

Meat Carving Station. On this visit, they were carving up turkey (it was Thanksgiving weekend, after all), roast beef and roast lamb.

Omelette Station. These omelettes are made to order and brought right to your table!

Dessert Table. It may seem impossible, but you have to save room for dessert. Just look at this mouth-watering spread. There’s a great variety ranging from heavier desserts like chocolate cake and red velvet cake to lighter fruit options like a light berry mousse.

My personal favourite was the bread pudding, which was served at the hot table. What makes this bread pudding unique is the fact that it’s made from chocolate croissants. So deliciously decadent!

Like I said, the $65 price tag may seem high but with their great offerings and all-you-can-drink mimosas, Windsor Arms’ Sunday brunch is worth the splurge!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*