School Restaurant

This past weekend I dined at School Restaurant - or, the brunchiest brunch place that ever brunched!My bestie organized the delightful outing, and we made our way to Liberty Village to see what all the hype was about. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, which is actually quite typical for popular brunch spots in Toronto, and despite arriving quite early we still had a bit of a wait. That’s to be expected though, especially because we were in a (small) group. They do have a very helpful system in place, and were able to shoot us a text message once our table was ready! I think the wait would be a lot easier to manage in the summer, when it’s fun to walk around and explore the unique shops and buildings.

The decor and atmosphere are an Instagrammer’s paradise. School aims for nostalgia and definitely delivers - most people notice the TV screens right away, which silently play reruns of Saved by the Bell. I really love the cool chandeliers which showcase pieces of paper including homework assignments and doodles. There’s an apple at each table, and the menus are printed on lined writing paper. There are shelves filled with books, globes, paintbrushes, and paperweights. Clocks adorn one whole wall in the restaurant, reminding me of sitting in a classroom counting down the minutes until recess…

Let’s talk about the food, because it was SO GOOOOD. My girlfriend and I both ordered lattes and loved them. I had the maple latte and it was hands down the best I’d ever tried. I could actually taste the maple instead of the usual sweet nothingness that I usually get when I order maple drinks. Was that the most Canadian sentence I’ve ever written? Possibly.

Between the four of us we ordered: the Black ’n' Blue Flapjacks Stacked High, Krispy Krunch French Toast, Gimme S’more Belgian Waffle, and Buttermilk Fried Chicken + Waffles. I also ordered a side of sugar cured bacon, and probably could have eaten an entire plate of it!!!

All the dishes were incredible. The flapjacks and french toast were served with delicious brown sugar butter, and were super fluffy. The s’more waffles had gourmet marshmallows and the perfect amount of chocolate. And the fried chicken + waffles were the perfect amount of savoury and slightly sweet.

Next time I go back I would definitely reorder the Krispy Krunch French Toast, and I would also love to try the Super Cheesy Bacon French Toast. I think ordering one of their freshly baked goods is a must too - I regret not getting a PB&J donut or scone to go.

My verdict? A+!! I’ll be going back for sure!