Restaurants

Hugo’s fits its location like the proverbial glove. It sits in a street of workshops, colonised by small craft and media operations, in the gentrified zone of Queen’s Park. Food is available all day. The decor, with burgundy walls, cushions and wooden pews, creates a look somewhere between a farm, a Moroccan tea room and a boho church: a laid-back setting for the multi-generational clientele. Weekend brunch is a main event, when local couples, their children and their buggies linger into the afternoon. The menu covers every angle, from brunch favourites, generous sandwiches or coffee and own-made cakes to mains like roast chicken with mushrooms, spinach and a caramelised lemon sauce, or a nicely fresh vegetarian lasagne. Hugo’s may no longer go by its original name of the Organic Café, but high-quality organic ingredients remain a forte; our Hugo’s Burger (with bacon and cheese) featured first-rate meat. Fish stew with plenty of haddock, salmon, squid and herby flavours was satisfying too. Beers and organic wines are decently priced, and service is obliging. Classy jazz every Sunday (free for diners) completes the mellow feel.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008