Queen Mother Cafe

Walk-ins are the norm here and diners routinely show up without booking ahead. Larger groups may still want to call first to check on table availability.

Yes, the restaurant has a tree-shaded courtyard patio hidden behind the main rooms that regulars love in warmer weather. Staff seat the dining rooms first and the patio fills quickly on nice evenings.

The menu draws on Laotian and Thai cooking plus Sri Lankan, Indonesian and other Asian influences, with the Ping Gai grilled chicken a long-running favorite. Vegetarian dishes are on the menu alongside curries, noodle bowls and seafood.

Prices sit in the mid-range for downtown Toronto, with mains reasonable for the area and portions that run generous. A dinner for two with drinks typically lands in the sixty dollar range before tip.

The restaurant is at 208 Queen Street West near Osgoode subway station, in the same spot it has occupied since 1978. The modest storefront opens into three interior rooms plus the back courtyard.