It has been a while since I wrote a restaurant review, so I could not think of a better establishment than Victoria’s Restaurant, located in The Omni King Edward Hotel.

H and I absolutely love brunch, and Victoria’s is a huge favorite of ours.  We even celebrated our 1^st wedding anniversary at the hotel!

Built in 1903, the historic King Edward Hotel was Toronto’s first luxury hotel and in recent years, underwent a $40 million dollar renovation.   The world-renowned hotel was home to numerous celebrities and was also featured in film and movie sets.

The lobby is both grand and elegant.  We still take pictures each time we visit!

Victoria’s Restaurant is located in the Sovereign Ballroom, which is truly exquisite with floor to ceiling windows and large teardrop chandeliers.

As usual, we requested a table for two by the windows and arrived early to take pictures.

I chose to publish this review based on our Canada Day brunch buffet, which also happens to be Canada’s 150^th birthday.  Executive Chef Daniel Schick and his team really outdid themselves, and it was obvious that a lot of time and thought went into planning the menu.  We were thrilled to see many diverse dishes inspired by provinces within Canada.

We started with grapefruit and orange juice, which is included in the price of the brunch, as well as coffee and tea.  There was also maple iced tea, which was refreshing and sweetened by Quebec Maple Syrup.

If you have not guessed by now, I am a huge cake lover, so instead of following H who tends to go straight for the food items, I headed to the dessert table.  I had to look at the ginormous Canada Day cake.  I took note of all the desserts before finding H.

The brunch was cleverly laid out, with beautifully presented platters of tantalizing food.  Every time we are at Victoria’s, H jokes that I tend to gravitate towards the pastries, and true to his comment, that is where I headed next.

Here is just a brief description of what we enjoyed:

Croissants

The croissants were flaky and buttery, perfect with a dollop of high-quality jam.

Assorted Fruit Danishes:

The danishes were also fresh and very flaky.  I loved the blueberry one!

Blueberry Scones:

The scones were moist and flavorful with a generous amount of wild Canadian blueberries.  I liked how they were not too sweet.

Chilled Scallop and Shrimp Salad:

We always enjoy this delicious cold salad.  It is an excellent choice and is well prepared.

Devilled eggs with Newfoundland Caviar:

The caviar was a pleasant surprise and provided an upscale dining experience.  We had just watched an episode of “Chuck and Danny’s Road Trip” where Acadian sturgeon was highlighted. We have tried caviar from New Brunswick; however, the Newfoundland caviar was firm with a buttery texture; very decadent and sumptuous.

Poached Salmon:

Poached Salmon is another dish that we love seeing at the brunch.  The salmon was perfectly poached, and only required a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. While other establishments feature whole poached salmon, we prefer Victoria’s version of individual fillets.  Not only was it easier to plate, but it provided an elegant presentation.

Roast Chicken with Fruit Salsa

White Wine and Herb Steamed PEI Mussels:

We love PEI mussels, either hot or cold, and were happy to see them offered again.

Antipasto

Charcuterie

Wild Mushrooms

Quebec Pork Creton

The forcemeat-style pork spread looked very similar to pate.  The pork cracklings were crunchy and tasty.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Bocconcini & Basil Vinaigrette

Three Sisters Prairie Grains with Orange Lemon Dressing

Watermelon, Mint and Figs and Goat Cheese:

Pairing sweet watermelon with salty goat cheese was scrumptious, and the figs added another level of texture.  I had to go back for more!

Fennel Arctic Char with Kozlik’s Maple Mustard

This was a very popular offering and we struck up a conversation with other guests on how much we love fennel.  It was nice to see a higher quality condiment smartly paired with maple syrup.

Potato Salad with Prosciutto:

I can never resist potato salad.  I love Victoria’s version with just the right amount of tangy dressing and slivers of salty prosciutto.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Quebec Maple Syrup

The infamous St. Lawrence Market Peameal Bacon with Fried Egg Sandwiches

Breakfast Bangers and Bacon