The Lakeview Diner — Restaurant in Toronto

I wish I was coming on here to write a glowing review. Sadly, that is not the case. We decided to treat ourselves, and go out for a family breakfast, and as we enjoyed The Lakeview in the past, we were excited for a delicious meal. The diner was not busy at all, yet we were seated at a booth in the very back, next to another tables' coats. We asked to move, and were then seated right behind the only table that was occupied. Our waitress, while friendly, was extremely inattentive, and we had to repeatedly ask for coffee refills, a kid's menu, etc. Again, the place was not busy. Now the food. We were told often "we don't have that". Examples of things we asked for were chocolate milk, orange juice, and chocolate chips for my daughter's pancakes. Not the end of the world, but basic items one would think a diner offering breakfast would have on hand. Our friend and I both ordered the Classic Eggs Benedict, which we both agreed had a strange taste. Almost sweet and vinegar-like. The peameal was thin and cooked within a hair of being inedible, and the english muffin was stale. Thank goodness I lift weights, because cutting through it was like a workout in itself! My daughter ordered the kid's pancakes, and in all my life, I've never seen a smaller portion, even for a kid's meal. Three teeny, tiny pancakes served on what looked like a tea saucer. A side of bacon was just two measly strips, anemic and unsatisfying. Lastly, my husband ordered one of the "specials", which was a wrap with bacon, peameal, and eggs. When he took a bite, it was dripping water like a faucet. The peameal was so thin, the bacon just two small strips, the eggs watery, and the tomatoes pale and tasteless. He didn't eat even one third of it. When the waitress inquired about the taste, he was very honest about his displeasure. Finally, the bill. For three people, one being a child, we paid almost $80. That is astonishing for the sub-par meal that we had, and the fact that a majority of my husband's breakfast went untouched. We will never be coming back, and it's really a shame. For some people, going out to breakfast is a rare occurrence. To have such a poor experience, and be charged an outrageous amount on top of that is unacceptable. There are plenty of quality breakfast options out there, and unfortunately The Lakeview Diner is no longer one of them.

Update: April 10/25 The restaurant asked me to reach out to them, the same day I posted my review, in their comment below. I did so, and they never responded! They don't really care, that much is evident, and I never wanted anything from them anyway. I posted my experience so that others could make an informed decision as to where to spend their hard earned...

The addition of Jason Hemi of Haifa Room to this team has been an absolute gamechanger. Since the recent announcement of the new menu, fried chicken focused with well executed diner fare - a change that has been soaked in mild nostalgia with familiar names (see The Robert Plant, for instance) back on the menu, The Lakeview has the makings of a new and improved community hub. I've been back twice now, and while the menu is definitely not as comprehensive as the original menu we lost in February, it has become it's own entirely.

The breakfast is smaller, and comes with smashed potatoes instead of tater tots, but it's breakfast, and available for under 20 bucks. The pastrami sandwich is a salt-lick, but the deli pickle is perfect. Old favourites like the once always unavailable mac 'n' cheese balls are back, the orange creamsicle milkshake (which I have yet to enjoy because the orange sorbet seems to be out each time I've gone) and deep fried pickles harkens back to a time when the indie kids of the early 2010s ruled the booths near the washrooms but with clean tables and a comprehensive drink offering. But dear God, that fried chicken. An incredibly smart idea to offer a "feast" of chicken to be shared between a table of 4 for ideally 20 bucks a head. It's crunchy and served with a biscuit that is worth fighting your friends for.

My original discontent with the overhaul in April was the lack of ethos with the menu at the time. If we were considering that this place, at its heart and soul, was meant for the working people, a place to unwind and get a meal in the comfort of low lights and the sound of coffee machines whirring, an 89 dollar Porter House steak and 20 dollar salads with no proteins was not up to snuff. Hemi has taken this menu with offerings under 25 dollars, setting the restaurant apart from it's neighbours on Ossington.

Hemi has reclaimed the diner and the food welcomes you without heirs. I think was definitely a step in the right direction. Peter, the server of all servers, has been sorely missed, with the staff onsite still evidently getting their bearings when it comes to offering food suggestions, but overall, the Lakeview shines again as a beacon to...

How do you ruin an iconic diner famous for simple unpretentious (late-night) grub? Just ask the new owners of the Lakeview.

I ordered the 'chicken dinner' for $24 (!!!) - which is meant to be a wholesome 1/4 chicken with chips and coleslaw. I received the saddest looking leg + thigh - tiny and shriveled with more meat on the drumstick than the thigh. The skin was that yellow colour of a bird that has not been marinated or seasoned, just chucked in a pan. The meat itself was abrasively over-salted. When it arrived I spent a good minute or two just looking at it in shock - I was genuinely taken aback that a restaurant would attempt to serve this up for $24, or at all for that matter. If I was a different person I would have sent it back and told them not to bother. I considered taking a photo to document this travesty but I decided against it because I didn't want to have such a depressing photo on my phone.

I could have had a much nicer proper meal at any churrasqueira in the city, for a fraction of the price. If you're thinking that walking out of restaurant where you just paid $24 before tax for a plate of food - you ain't going back.

Our server was nice. There was a manager walking around looking anxious. At no point was I asked how the food was - I think they knew.

The place has undergone a renovation - well.. there's new lighting, and all the charming elements of The Lakeview you may remember have been removed. There were no draught taps and a tallboy costs a cool $10. The bathrooms have been redone and look alright, but I'm not coming back.

This is not the Lakeview you remember, and at this rate it won't be...