One of the loveliest hidden patios in the city, a perfect place to enjoy a refreshing cocktail and a leisurely lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nikki Mayville
After a long day standing and talking at a convention, I was exhausted, dehydrated and craving something crunchy and filled with veggies. We found Queen Mother Cafe using a Google search for restaurants near our downtown hotel, and the Chaingmai Shred Salad was exactly what I was looking for. Shredded cabbage, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and bean spouts topped with cilantro and peanuts. I added grilled chicken and with their Thai lime coriander nam pla vinaigrette, this was one of the freshest, tastiest dishes I’ve ever had! Loved it so much I ordered one to go for dinner before I left town the next day.
Husband and kiddo split the Beefeater burger and the chicken and shrimp pad Thai, both of which were highly praised. The Nam Jeun crispy Laotian spring rolls were also fantastic.
Loved it here - can’t wait to visit Toronto again and try more items off the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
V S
The Khao Soy Gai had maybe 4 miniscule, dice size pieces of chicken, absolutely no vegetables whatsoever. Just some egg noodles and garnish in broth for $22. They didn't finish making the dish! What a rip-off!
Food: 1
Service: 2
Gayan Pathirana
Queen Mother Café has that rare quality of feeling both timeless and personal. From the outside, it blends into Queen Street’s rhythm, but inside you step into something more layered—a space with history, character, and just enough quirk to make it memorable. The hidden patio seals the deal, a tucked-away pocket of calm.
The menu is eclectic—Sri Lankan dishes sharing space with Thai favorites among others. There’s an old-school warmth here, the sense that the café has been woven into the city for decades. And then there’s the woman at the helm: gracious, genuine, and clearly the heartbeat of the place. Her presence is the kind of detail that makes you return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Sas Tullo
A decent place for a quick bite. The food is good and consistent. I had the dim sum and would not recommend that.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Dane Kumar
Been eating here for 20 years the ping guy chicken is still to die for
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mirko
Been coming here for 20 years! Same great food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hugh Peng
Get the ping gai and sit on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patty
Amazing signature chicken dish with tasty sauce . Nice staff and atmosphere. Prices reasonable too.
This is a great neighborhood bar and restaurant. My wife had an excellent crispy chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread and I had the chicken curry bowl. Both were quite good. We walked there from our hotel, Westin Harbor, and it was well worth the one mile walk. We liked the wait staff and the atmosphere of the place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Precious Ruth
I’m going to dream about the calamari tonight. If you are reading this, you should try it! The pad Thai was great, although I would have preferred the shrimp to be cooked a bit more. We had a small issue with the burger, but the manager was kind enough to make sure our experience remained amazing. Definitely will come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
SM
Lovely restaurant with a pretty quiet garden patio at the rear. Delicious food. Great service. Reasonablely priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melyssa Doornick
Great 1st dining experience; good food size portions and flavors-will return soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SY Gregory
We visited this restaurant yesterday as we were recommended it by a friend. It was the first time having Laotian food. The Ping Gai was absolutely delicious - bursting with flavour & super tender. Highly recommend!!
Great food and adorable patio space
One of the loveliest hidden patios in the city, a perfect place to enjoy a refreshing cocktail and a leisurely lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
After a long day standing and talking at a convention, I was exhausted, dehydrated and craving something crunchy and filled with veggies. We found Queen Mother Cafe using a Google search for restaurants near our downtown hotel, and the Chaingmai Shred Salad was exactly what I was looking for. Shredded cabbage, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and bean spouts topped with cilantro and peanuts. I added grilled chicken and with their Thai lime coriander nam pla vinaigrette, this was one of the freshest, tastiest dishes I’ve ever had! Loved it so much I ordered one to go for dinner before I left town the next day.
Husband and kiddo split the Beefeater burger and the chicken and shrimp pad Thai, both of which were highly praised. The Nam Jeun crispy Laotian spring rolls were also fantastic.
Loved it here - can’t wait to visit Toronto again and try more items off the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Khao Soy Gai had maybe 4 miniscule, dice size pieces of chicken, absolutely no vegetables whatsoever. Just some egg noodles and garnish in broth for $22. They didn't finish making the dish! What a rip-off!
Food: 1
Service: 2
Queen Mother Café has that rare quality of feeling both timeless and personal. From the outside, it blends into Queen Street’s rhythm, but inside you step into something more layered—a space with history, character, and just enough quirk to make it memorable. The hidden patio seals the deal, a tucked-away pocket of calm.
The menu is eclectic—Sri Lankan dishes sharing space with Thai favorites among others. There’s an old-school warmth here, the sense that the café has been woven into the city for decades. And then there’s the woman at the helm: gracious, genuine, and clearly the heartbeat of the place. Her presence is the kind of detail that makes you return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
A decent place for a quick bite. The food is good and consistent. I had the dim sum and would not recommend that.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Been eating here for 20 years the ping guy chicken is still to die for
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Been coming here for 20 years! Same great food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Get the ping gai and sit on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing signature chicken dish with tasty sauce . Nice staff and atmosphere. Prices reasonable too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
This is a great neighborhood bar and restaurant. My wife had an excellent crispy chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread and I had the chicken curry bowl. Both were quite good. We walked there from our hotel, Westin Harbor, and it was well worth the one mile walk. We liked the wait staff and the atmosphere of the place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I’m going to dream about the calamari tonight. If you are reading this, you should try it! The pad Thai was great, although I would have preferred the shrimp to be cooked a bit more. We had a small issue with the burger, but the manager was kind enough to make sure our experience remained amazing. Definitely will come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lovely restaurant with a pretty quiet garden patio at the rear. Delicious food. Great service. Reasonablely priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great 1st dining experience; good food size portions and flavors-will return soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited this restaurant yesterday as we were recommended it by a friend. It was the first time having Laotian food. The Ping Gai was absolutely delicious - bursting with flavour & super tender. Highly recommend!!
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