Some of our best meals came not from a restaurant, but at home, cooked with love by someone who knew how to take care of us. This Mother’s Day, it’s our turn to repay the favour. We’re treating the moms, matriarchs and mother figures in our lives with food-forward experiences and bites that remind them that they’re special.
Plenty of Toronto’s best restaurants will be open, many offering some of the city’s top brunches. However, if you’re looking for something a little extra special, we’ve rounded up the best food experiences to gift the lady in your life.
Whether you’re making the reservation, sending something sweet or rolling up your sleeves and attempting to make a brunch dish yourself, it’s the thought that counts. Here are eight of the tastiest suggestions ahead of Mother’s Day this weekend.
8 Mother's Day gifts to treat the special lady in your life
1. Lindt's EXCELLENCE Fusion chocolate bars
For the mom who loves a little chocolate moment (don’t they all?), Lindt EXCELLENCE Fusion bars are an easy win. Each one layers rich dark chocolate with smooth milk or white, so you get a mix of bold and creamy in every bite. It’s a small upgrade on the usual box of chocolates — a bit more interesting, a bit more grown-up and extremely delicious. Tuck one into a gift bag, pair it with a bottle of wine, or hand it over and call it a day. And, yes, you can absolutely justify grabbing one for yourself.
From $7.99, lindt.ca
2. Celebrate Mother's Day at The Well
486 Front St. W.
There's plenty going on at this shopping, dining and entertainment destination this Mother's Day. Honolulu High Noon Brunch at Lulu Bar is inspired by the spirit of the tropics — which is a vibe we all need right now with the way this spring's weather has been. If you've got a sporty mom who likes an activity with her meal, National is offering a Mom's Brunch & Bowl, complete with glasses of bubbles.
Mother's Day at Bridgette Bar features a curated menu of elevated brunch classics along with seasonal specialties designed for sharing, connection and celebration. And while you're at The Well, you and mom can participate in a Flower Making Workshop at MUJI.
3. Thermea Spa Village
4015 Cochrane St., Whitby
For Mother's Day, Thermea Spa Village has rolled out a number of packages to help mom relax and indulge. Enjoy a full hydrotherapy circuit of baths, saunas and rest areas with mom. Plus, there are packages that include a 60-minute massage, a group well-being ritual or entry into the Kalla pool where you can float endlessly in the Epsom salt-filled water.
Packages also include a $50 dining credit to use at any of Thermea's restaurants, from the laid-back Biergarden and the lively Lounge with creative cocktails and shareables to Le Resto, where you'll find seasonal, gourmet, field-to-table fare and a rotating wine list.
4. dbar’s Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
60 Yorkville Ave.
Pinky fingers up — dbar by chef Daniel Boulud is hosting a Mother’s Day afternoon tea this Saturday and Sunday. Treat the matriarch in your life to gourmet bites like smoked green pea and caviar tartlets, lobster rolls and poultry pâté en croûte in the dining room on the ground floor of the Four Seasons. Then satisfy sweet tooths with spring-inspired sweets and freshly baked blueberry and vanilla scones and all the classic accoutrements. Naturally, it’s all paired with premium loose-leaf teas so you can spill the tea over a pot or two.
Available Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10, from noon to 4 p.m., $125 per person. Reserve your table here.
5. TAZO Canada and Craig’s Cookies
Craig Cookies locations
Showing the mother-figure in your life that you care doesn’t need to involve complex calendar scheduling and a hefty price tag. This spring, TAZO Canada and Craig’s Cookies are teaming up to celebrate mom in a way that’s accessible — and just as heartfelt.
From April 27 to May 10, Craig’s Cookies locations across Canada will feature two high-tea-inspired creations: the TAZO London Fog Cookie, made with TAZO tea and topped with homemade Earl Grey buttercream; and the Bread & Butter Cookie, a jammy sourdough breadcrumb–infused dough that’s finished with raspberry jam frosting. Bonus: Guests who purchase any TAZO cookie ($4.50 each) will receive a coupon for $2 off any TAZO tea purchase.
6. Läderach FrischSchoggi
With six locations across the GTA, including a shiny new shop in Yorkville, Läderach continues to expand its local presence. The Swiss chocolatier is best known for its FrischSchoggi — slabs of fresh chocolate, handcrafted daily with premium ingredients and studded with nuts, fruit and other toppings. Treat mom to a bright pink box of the spring edition for Mother's Day.
From $29, laderach.com
7. Mastering Italian Breads by Fulvio Marino
If you don’t have a Mother’s Day gift picked out yet, there’s no knead to panic. Mastering Italian Breads is a new cookbook from Fulvio Marino, Italy’s most celebrated breadmaker and global chief baker for Eataly. The photo-rich bread bible guides home bakers through the rhythms, ingredients and techniques behind everything from pizza dough and ciabatta to lesser-known regional specialties like Pane Pugliese and Teglia alla Romana — breads that have helped to define Italian cuisine.
$39.99, indigo.ca
8. Hydrating Honey Ritual at AIRE
Side Door, 510A Front St. W.
Toronto’s hottest (and coolest?) wellness centre just got sweeter in time for Mother’s Day. Tucked inside a beautiful restored Edwardian building near Portland Street, Aire Ancient Baths has introduced a limited-time Hydrating Honey Ritual, designed to melt away the last of winter. The experience combines a 30-minute body massage with jojoba oil with a luxurious honey hair mask. Plus, there’s the option to extend mom’s pampering experience with a honey-infused balm treatment and face massage.
Keep the good times rolling with a post-spa wander through King West — a leisurely brunch at Le Select Bistro or a stop at Soma Chocolatemaker to say “I love you” in the most indulgent way possible.
$275 per person, relax.beaire.com
